Three in four American adults say they are not interested in buying a foldable iPhone, according to a new survey from CNET.
CNETThe survey was conducted online by YouGov between August 13 and 17 among 2,605 American adults. It found that 75% aren’t interested in an Apple foldable device, and those who are wouldn’t pay anywhere near the advertised price of more than $2,000.
Interest is low across all generations surveyed. Baby Boomers (1946-1964) and Gen CNET noted that a quarter of respondents still expressed interest in the device, which is a notable proportion for what remains a niche product category.
On average, U.S. adults said they would spend just $781 on a foldable iPhone, about $48 less than the $799 starting price of the standard iPhone 17. Gen Z was willing to spend the most, averaging $919, followed by millennials at $859, Gen X at $690, and baby boomers at $572. This mismatch between expected price and what buyers actually want to pay highlights how outside of most people’s budgets a $2,000-plus device will be.
Moreover, CNET found that 41% of U.S. adults are rethinking their upgrade plans due to anticipated price increases. Apple raised the prices of most of its devices in June, citing the global memory shortage, although the prices of the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods were not changed at the time. The iPhone 18 Pro line is expected to cost more than its predecessor when it launches for the same reasons.
5% of respondents said they were considering buying an older or cheaper model, 4% were considering switching brands, and 4% were considering refurbished or used phones. Another 9% said they would only upgrade if an exchange promotion or carrier covered the cost. 22% of U.S. adults said they have no plans to upgrade in the near future, regardless of Apple’s releases, ranging from 16% of Millennials to 27% of Baby Boomers.
