Last month, Apple only managed to produce “a few hundred units per day” of its upcoming foldable iPhone due to the company’s extremely high quality control standards, according to Nikkei Asia ($), citing supply chain sources.
Excerpt from today’s report:
“Production is increasing slowly, with current output at only a few hundred units per day at the end of August. This initial volume may be difficult to meet market demand,” a supply chain executive with knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia.
Multiple reports suggest that production of the iPhone Ultra faced hurdles due to the difficulty of building the device, with the hinge structure and screen durability testing having been the main bottlenecks. These issues were thought to have been 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. Nikkei previously reported.
But the publication’s sources now claim that Apple carried out an additional verification process in August for the foldable iPhone to ensure it can be mass-produced according to its specified design. “Surface flatness and hinge performance are among the details where Apple demands better production yields,” said a person with knowledge of the matter. Nikkei.
All of this has apparently “pushed back commercial production for weeks,” suggesting that Apple may not meet its production target unless it can ramp up production more quickly. Apple and its suppliers are reportedly working “around the clock” to speed up production and avoid limited inventory at distribution centers.
It seems the timing couldn’t be tighter for Apple’s foldable. A previous report even suggested that the device could see a staggered market launch, with availability initially limited to the United States.
Regardless, Apple is still expected to unveil the iPhone Ultra alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on Wednesday, September 9 during the company’s “Surprise and Shine” event. For everything we know about the device, be sure to check out our latest roundup.
Popular stories
Foldable smartphone sales to increase 20% this year thanks to ‘iPhone Ultra’
Global shipments of foldable smartphones are expected to increase 20% in 2026 compared to last year, with Apple’s early entry into the category cited as one of the factors behind the increase, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes. The report notes that the broader smartphone market faces a tighter supply of upstream logic chips and higher memory prices, but says foldable models…
Apple is rumored to launch three new ‘Ultra’ products by early next year
According to various reports from sources such as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Macworld’s Filipe Espósito, Apple plans to launch up to three new products branded “Ultra” between late 2026 and early 2027. The long-rumored foldable iPhone is expected to be called “iPhone Ultra.” Rumored features include a 7.7-inch interior display, a 5.3-inch exterior display, dual rear cameras, a…
The foldable iPhone Ultra is rumored to come in these two colors
New images of camera protection accessories for “iPhone Ultra” suggest that Apple’s first foldable iPhone will launch in silver and dark blue finishes. Leaker Sonny Dickson yesterday shared images of two third-party camera protectors designed to fit the iPhone Ultra’s camera bump, one in silver and the other in dark blue. Dickson has experience with precise props and mannequins…
