Apple’s foldable iPhone expected to ship in September despite rumors of delayed launch, Chinese financial media reports Cailian Press.
The outlet claims to have spoken with several people within Apple’s supply chain, who indicated that the design of the device was locked in some time ago and that the foldable is now in mass production.
Furthermore, the Chinese financial center Eastern Money and Korea The bell reported that Apple’s foldable had entered mass production, with assembly partner Foxconn initiating large-scale hiring to secure the workforce.
Asked about rumors that its launch could slip due to complex assembly and low yields, sources who spoke with Cailian Press reportedly said they had not heard of any delays and that a September delivery window was still expected.
The report offers a glimmer of hope for consumers eager to pre-order one of the devices in early fall. Last month, The Elect said mass production was expected to begin in July, but it also said Apple had encountered hinge issues during testing. Even though most of these issues have reportedly been resolved by now, this increases the chances of a small initial shipment after the device launches.
Then, over the weekend, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested the foldable would be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September but might not go on sale until the fourth quarter, suggesting a possible release in October or later.
BloombergMark Gurman of Mark Gurman reported in March that the new foldable iPhone would not ship to customers in the same September time frame as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. However, a month later, Gurman said the foldable iPhone remains on track for a September launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, and that Apple aims to put it on sale around the same time or a little later.
Apple has reportedly asked its suppliers to prepare to make around 10 million foldable iPhones this year, up from a previous forecast of around 7 to 8 million units a few months ago.
The book-style foldable is expected to feature a 7.8-inch interior display, a 5.5-inch cover display, an A20 chip, Apple’s C2 modem in some countries, and a Touch ID power button, with a starting price between around $2,000 and $2,500 according to reports. Apple’s foldable could launch under the name “iPhone Ultra”, as rumors suggest.
