The foldable iPhone is expected to feature a 5.5-inch OLED display on the outside and a 7.8-inch OLED panel inside.
Apple's foldable smartphone is expected to compete with Galaxy Z Fold lineup
Apple's first foldable iPhone has been tipped to cost more than $2,000 (roughly Rs. 1,89,000), with recent leaks already pointing to a steep price tag for the device. A new report now provides a more specific estimate while also detailing several expected aspects of Apple's first foldable. The report comes ahead of Apple's September 9 event, where the device is expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The standard iPhone 18 models could arrive later.
TrendForce estimates that Apple's foldable iPhone 18 Fold will start at $2,099 (roughly Rs. 1,98,300) and could reach $2,299 (roughly Rs. 2,17,200) depending on the configuration, with the highest-end version potentially costing more than $3,000 (roughly Rs. 2,83,500). That would put it well above the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199 (roughly Rs. 1,13,300) in the US.
The iPhone 18 Fold, reportedly set to launch as the iPhone Ultra, is expected to feature a 5.5-inch OLED display on the outside and a 7.8-inch OLED panel inside. The inner screen is tipped to support ProMotion with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
The iPhone 18 Fold could use the A20 Pro chipset, with TSMC's 2nm process reportedly being used to manufacture the chip. The processor is expected to offer higher performance and improved power efficiency, particularly for on-device AI tasks.
The iPhone 18 Fold is also tipped to come with 12GB of RAM and four storage options. These could include 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities.
For imaging, the iPhone 18 Fold could feature a 24-megapixel front camera and two rear cameras. The rear setup is expected to combine a 48-megapixel wide camera with a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera.
The iPhone 18 Fold is also expected to use Touch ID, with a conventional capacitive fingerprint sensor reportedly taking the place of Face ID.
The iPhone 18 Fold could focus on reducing the display crease while maintaining a slim design for everyday use. Apple is expected to make some hardware compromises to achieve this balance, including using two rear cameras instead of a more extensive camera system.
The iPhone Ultra is expected to have a limited impact on the foldable smartphone market initially due to its late shipment schedule and restricted production and inventory. Foldable phones are forecast to account for around 2 percent of the global smartphone market in 2026.
Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, along with the iPhone Ultra, this autumn, while the standard iPhone 18 models could follow in early 2027. The three autumn models are tipped to use the A20 Pro chip and bring changes to cooling, displays, cameras and battery capacity. The Pro models could additionally feature a mechanical variable aperture.
The iPhone 18 lineup could also become more expensive as memory costs rise. Prices are expected to increase by around 10 to 20 percent, with memory costs for a 256GB Pro model forecast to be nearly 400 percent higher in the third quarter of 2026 than a year earlier. Cost reductions elsewhere may not be enough to absorb the increase.
The research firm also expects Apple Intelligence cloud services and software subscriptions to contribute more to Apple's earnings as hardware costs remain elevated. The research firm sees these higher-margin revenue streams becoming increasingly important to Apple's profitability.
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