Apple ramps foldable iPhone Ultra production to 10 million units

Apple pushes foldable iPhone production target to 10 million

Apple has instructed suppliers to prepare approximately 10 million foldable iPhones for 2026 — a significant jump from an earlier forecast of around 7–8 million units issued just a few months ago. The figure, first reported by Nikkei Asia and picked up by MacRumors on 2 July 2026, signals that Apple is growing more confident about its manufacturing readiness ahead of what would be the company's first-ever foldable smartphone.

The foldable sits within a broader order Apple has placed with its supply chain for roughly 80 million smartphones in the second half of 2026. That total also covers the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, for which Apple has separately asked suppliers to manufacture around 70 million units combined.

What we know about the device

Apple has not officially confirmed the phone exists, let alone named it. However, reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggest the foldable will be positioned among Apple's Ultra-tier products and may launch as either the iPhone Ultra or the iPhone Ultra Fold. Neither name has been confirmed by Apple.

According to leaked renders attributed to Jon Prosser, the device is said to measure just 4.5 mm thick when unfolded — which would make it noticeably slimmer than the iPhone Air's 5.6 mm, currently Apple's thinnest handset. Reported specs include a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover screen, an A20 Pro chipset, 12 GB of RAM, and a 5,500 mAh battery. Samsung Display is said to have secured an exclusive three-year contract to supply the OLED panels, using the same M14 OLED materials found in the iPhone 17 Pro Max — a choice reportedly made to manage costs and reduce component risk.

There are notable trade-offs, however. The foldable is widely reported to feature Touch ID rather than Face ID, and a dual-camera system without a dedicated telephoto lens. Apple has not confirmed either compromise.

Supply crunch is the story within the story

Raising the production order to 10 million units sounds bullish, but supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo offers a more cautious picture. His latest industry survey puts assembly shipments for the foldable at roughly 7–8 million units across the second half of 2026, with Q3 alone accounting for only 0.5–1 million units — or around 10% of the half-year total. The gap between Nikkei's supplier-order figure and Kuo's assembly-shipment estimate likely reflects different points in the supply chain rather than a direct contradiction, but it does underline how tight availability will be at launch.

Kuo expects Apple to announce the device on 8 September 2026, but warns that extremely limited initial stock could push actual shipping dates back by one to two months — drawing a direct parallel to the iPhone X launch in 2017. He also cautions that buyers who do secure an early order should expect to wait four to six weeks or more for delivery, and he does not rule out the phone appearing on the secondary market at a 50–100% markup.

"Scarce initial supply, a highly recognisable design, and an innovative user experience should all support a short-term resale premium." — Ming-Chi Kuo

The device's complicated road to this point is worth noting. Earlier in 2026, reports described hinge-related manufacturing problems that briefly cast doubt on whether a September launch was even feasible. Apple is said to have worked through the majority of those issues, and the increased production order suggests the company believes its supply chain is now stable enough to support a higher volume — even if that volume remains modest by iPhone standards.

iOS 27 all but confirms the hardware is real

Perhaps the strongest non-Apple confirmation that the foldable is genuinely happening came at WWDC 2026 in June, when iOS 27 was unveiled. The software contains explicit foldable hardware APIs, including references to "foldState" hardware checks, "mechanicalAngleDegrees," and "angleDegrees" variables, according to developers who examined the code. Macworld also identified internal flags for a device running Dynamic Island and Touch ID simultaneously — a combination no current iPhone supports. Apple, characteristically, has said nothing.

What will it cost UK buyers?

No official UK price has been set. Estimates vary considerably: some UK reports put the starting price at around £1,599, while IDC has forecast an average selling price of $2,500 — roughly £1,870 — and notes that higher storage configurations could reach $3,000. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said the price will cross the $2,000 mark. The most recent US reports, cited by PhoneArena, point to a $1,999 starting price, down from earlier 2025 estimates of $2,399. Any way you cut it, this would be Apple's most expensive iPhone ever.

The pricing has broader implications for the market. Counterpoint Research has predicted that Apple's entry into the foldable segment will push the average selling price of all foldables up by 18% in 2026, to $1,485, and warns that rivals like Samsung may feel emboldened to raise their own prices if the iPhone Ultra sells well.

What's next — and what's on hold

An announcement on 8 September remains the working expectation, with an on-sale date potentially slipping to October. Broad availability could slide into 2027 given the supply constraints Kuo has outlined. The launch will also coincide with a significant moment for Apple as a company: John Ternus is expected to take over as chief executive from Tim Cook in September, making this one of the highest-profile product debuts in years.

UK buyers looking at the standard iPhone 18 or a new iPhone Air should note that Apple is reported to be prioritising the Pro models and the foldable for its traditional autumn launch window, with those non-Pro devices now expected in the first half of 2027.