Apple to sell 10m iPhone Ultra, grab 29% share

The iPhone Fold/Ultra is expected to take around 29% of the foldable market when it drops this fall – even though it is likely to carry a hefty $2,500 price tag. 

With expensive the new normal as we struggle through crisis by creating more crises, including the impact of wars no one voted for, perhaps the price tag isn’t the turn-off it would have been once upon a time. 

Company has increased manufacturing orders

Apple reportedly hopes to sell ten million of these new devices, with Nikkei reporting it has raised its manufacturing order in advance of the introduction, which rather implies widely reported problems in hinge manufacture have been resolved. Earlier estimates had suggested 7-8 million made.

The new folding iPhone is expected to arrive alongside new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max phones at Apple’s fall event in September. 

We expect it to be a book-style foldable with a 5.5-inch outer screen and a 7.8-inch fold-out OLED display. It will be powered by an A20 chip, host a Touch ID sensor rather than Face ID and a $2,500 starting price.

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The amazing A20 chip

That processor is a story in itself.

Recent leaks that seem to emanate from the recent Tata Electronics attack suggest the A20 uses a new production process that places memory beside the processor once the chip is assembled, rather than on top of it.

That’s smart, as it means the processor should deliver at least 15-20% performance boost on the A19 series alongside much better battery life. I suspect Apple will use both power and performance to create a cutting edge foldable, justifying the price tag. 

The company has reportedly instructed suppliers to prepare components for around 80 million new iPhones for launch in the second half of 2026, including the iPhone Pro, Pro Max and its first foldable model.

Aggressive component purchasing in play

“Apple has given some suppliers a forecast of up to 85 million new iPhones for the second half 2026, and told suppliers to reserve some common components and parts used in the iPhone 17 series for the upcoming iPhone 18 premium series, sources said, adding that the U.S. tech giant is moving aggressively to secure components amid the ongoing shortages,” the report states.

Apple has been developing its folding iPhone for a decade with the first patents pertaining to such a device arriving years ago – it now seems to think it has got the product right. Apple is not expected to introduce the iPhone 18 until spring.

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