Apple’s foldable “iPhone Ultra” could get a Vision Pro-style country-by-country staggered launch over several months, with initial availability limited to the US market, according to an Australian publication.
In a report described as “exclusive”, ChannelNews said today that local carriers and a major retailer said Apple’s first foldable iPhone won’t be on shelves when the iPhone 18 Pro models launch in September. Instead, Apple will launch the book-like device in the US market first, followed by key markets including China over two to three months.
The staggered launch is reportedly due to supply issues and “pricing issues.” The publication’s sources also claim that Apple “is having testing issues with already-built production models.”
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed last month that Apple would unveil its first foldable iPhone at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but that pre-orders for the iPhone Ultra would begin at a later date than the latter models.
Kuo said manufacturing challenges have limited initial production, but this is the first time we’ve heard that a staggered rollout to countries could be another consequence of ongoing supply issues.
Vision Pro, again?
This wouldn’t be the first time that Apple has launched a new product in a staggered manner. When the Vision Pro launched in February 2024, it was initially only available in the United States. The headset was then launched in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore in June, followed by Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom in July.
The reasons for the staggered launch of the Vision Pro were due to low volume production, retail store readiness, and the fact that it was an entirely new category for Apple. All three could arguably apply to the company’s first foldable.
Multiple reports suggest that production of the iPhone Ultra faced hurdles due to the complexity of the device, with the hinge structure and screen durability testing having been the main bottlenecks. However, these issues were reportedly resolved during production trials at Foxconn, with Apple subsequently increasing its order to around 10 million units, up from 7 to 8 million units for the year, according to Nikkei Asia.
That said, 10 million units is only a third of Kuo’s forecast of 20 to 22 million units for iPhone 18 Pro models this year. Meanwhile, Kuo still believes Apple’s supplier will only ship 7 to 8 million foldable iPhones in 2026. With such a small number, Apple would likely struggle to stock more than 40 countries on launch day.
It should be kept in mind that a staggered market launch is a claim made by the report’s sources and which is not corroborated. Either way, we should know for sure soon enough. The iPhone Ultra unveiling is only a few weeks away, and we expect it to feature an interior screen of around 7.7-7.8 inches, a cover screen of 5.5 inches, a thickness of around 4.5mm, and a starting price above $2,000. Apple’s iPhone event will likely take place on Tuesday, September 8 or Wednesday, September 9.
