The Fruity Cargo Cult, Apple’s first foldable iPhone, is folding hardest in the production schedule.
The much-rumoured iPhone Ultra is supposed to be Job’s Mob’s grand entrance into foldables, inventing it years after Samsung. Unlike Samsung, Apple appears to be having supply, testing and pricing problems.
According to Aussie outlet ChannelNews the device will go on sale first in tiny numbers in the US, with other regions left peering through the shop window. China will get priority later, because Apple is not certain if it will have enough to go around.
The iPhone Ultra is expected to appear beside the iPhone 18 Pro, but Job’s Mob may not announce a price at launch.
A major Chinese component maker reportedly said Apple has hit problems with supply, testing and pricing. We believe the Company is also having testing issues with production models that have already been built.”
The hinge and foldable display are reportedly causing issues during production verification tests. Current engineering fixes are apparently not enough, which is bad news given the price and how much time Apple had to get this working.
Mass production was meant to start in June, slipped to August, and has now slipped again. Foxconn was still fiddling with production plans in July, with engineering validation expected to shove timelines back by two months.
The chip crunch has made pricing messier. In Australia, the iPhone Ultra could cost $700 AUD, about €426, more than the base Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Samsung, meanwhile, is enjoying the sort of accidental victory lap that happens when your rival spends years mocking a category before arriving late to it. The wider, shorter Galaxy Z Fold 8 is performing better than expected, with Samsung reportedly planning to produce another million units.
The iOS faithful will probably wait because suffering for Job’s Mob is part of the subscription. Everyone else may look at a $2,300-plus iPhone Ultra, squint at the hinge drama and buy the foldable that exists.
