Ultra or Fold? Apple’s First Foldable iPhone Is Still Coming This Fall
'iPhone Fold' Concept Image [Demon's Tech / YouTube]
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After a supply chain report earlier this week suggested the so-called “iPhone Fold” could be delayed into early 2027, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman quickly weighed in to confirm that Apple’s first foldable iPhone remains on track for its expected September debut.
Yesterday, we shared a report from Nikkei Asia that claimed Apple’s supply chain was raising the alarm about component manufacturing problems that could lead to delays in mass production and shipment schedules. Still, it wasn’t clear whether that would impact a reveal of the new foldable at Apple’s September event. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Apple announced a new model that didn’t go on sale until weeks or months later, as we saw with both the iPhone X and even the original iPhone in 2007.
However, Gurman isn’t hedging here. While he says that Apple is “scheduled to introduce the foldable model in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max,” he also adds that Apple plans to put the device on sale “around the same time — or very soon after” the two iPhone 18 Pro models.
That doesn’t mean you’ll have an easy time getting your hands on one. Industry analysts have been suggesting since last year that the foldable iPhone could be in short supply until early 2027. That aligns with Nikkei’s report, since it’s effectively talking about the same thing. It’s simply a matter of whether Apple will launch with a limited supply or hold off until it’s better equipped to meet demand.
Gurman predicts the former — that it will indeed launch on time — and Apple’s recent product cycles back that up. During the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call, which covers the October–December quarter, Apple CEO Tim Cook repeatedly talked about how Apple hasn’t been able to meet consumer demand for the new iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models, to the point where he couldn’t even speculate on how long those supply challenges would last, explaining that “It’s difficult to estimate demand when you haven’t met the demand.”
With a price tag that’s estimated to start somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000, the foldable iPhone isn’t likely to be a hot seller anyway, which means it’s not like Apple has to have 100 million of them sitting in warehouses on launch day.
Still, Gurman adds a note of caution that the timing isn’t final, since the release is six months away and production has yet to ramp up. His sources say Apple intends to launch in September, but there’s plenty of time for things to change between now and then.
The ‘iPhone Ultra’?
While Gurman has pointedly avoided any speculative names in his reporting, describing it only as the “foldable iPhone,” many others (including us) have been using “iPhone Fold” as a reasonable placeholder. However, that doesn’t mean we have any special insight into what Apple will actually call it, and “Fold” is strictly a guess — and not necessarily a good one depending on how you look at it.
As logical as the “Fold” name sounds, it’s already been claimed by Samsung for its Galaxy Z Fold series. Google also used that for the Pixel, although others like OnePlus went in a different direction with the “Open.”
Apple doesn’t usually like to seem derivative, which is one reason it might shy away from using that name. However, Apple isn’t above co-opting a popular name for its own brand, confident it can eclipse the competition.
However, this week saw the resurgence of an old name that was making the rounds a few years ago: the “iPhone Ultra.” When that first began circulating in 2023, many believed it would be a new standard iPhone, either a rebranded iPhone Pro Max or an even more sophisticated model that would go beyond that.
When an “iPhone Ultra” never materialized, most folks just forgot about the name. The name’s origin was never entirely clear — it may have just been speculation stemming from Samsung’s longstanding use of the name — but this week Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station chimed in to predict that it could be the name of Apple’s foldable iPhone.
However, “iPhone Ultra” might be an even more unusual choice than “iPhone Fold.” At least with “Fold,” Apple is in the same playground as similar devices from Samsung and Google, making it clear to consumers what kind of device it’s talking about. An “iPhone Ultra” would echo the Galaxy Ultra, which is an entirely different beast that’s more akin to the iPhone Pro Max.
After all, while Apple’s first foldable iPhone is expected to be a brilliant piece of technology in some ways — extremely thin with a crease-free screen and a durable hinge — it’s not going to compare to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which will still boast a superior camera system, along with features like Face ID.
There’s no word on where this information comes from, but there’s a good chance it’s entirely speculative. Apple has used “Ultra” for the Apple Watch, which has led to theories that it could become the name of a new higher-end product family, such as a touchscreen MacBook Ultra or even AirPods Ultra. However, it’s also important to remember there’s no “Apple Watch Pro” — probably because that would be a stranger name for a watch. “Ultra” fit for that model as Apple’s goal was to emphasize ruggedness and its use for extreme outdoor adventures. “Pro” sends an entirely different message.
The biggest reason this rumor feels like as much of an educated guess as “Fold” is simply because names are usually the last things to leak, coming only weeks — not months — before a product launch. That’s because there’s a good chance Apple hasn’t even decided what to call the new foldable iPhone yet.
In May 2023, less than a month before Apple launched its spatial computing headset, everyone was still predicting it would be called the “Reality Pro.” The “Vision Pro” came as a complete surprise, and some insiders indicated that it was an eleventh-hour naming decision that came only days before the announcement. Of course, that was an easier decision for Apple to make, since the device wasn’t even going into production for several more months, but it’s still not clear if we won’t be looking at a similar scenario with the “iPhone Fold,” or “iPhone Ultra,” or whatever it ends up being called.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
