Apple's First Foldable iPhone Said to Be Priced Higher Than Top-of-the-Line iPhone 17 Pro Max Variant

iPhone Fold rumours have been surfacing online for a while, hinting at its specifications, features, and design. Now, a market research firm has reportedly shared an estimate of the price of Apple's first book-style foldable smartphone. While the company has yet to confirm its launch or development, the Cupertino tech giant is widely expected to launch the purported iPhone Fold in September 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series. It might be powered by Apple's purported 2nm A20 Pro chip. The phone is also expected to ship with iOS 27.

iPhone Fold Price, Specifications, Launch Timeline (Expected)

Citing Fubon Research analyst Arthur Liao, Investing.com reports that Apple could price its first foldable smartphone, expected to be marketed as the iPhone Fold, at $2,399 (roughly Rs. 2,14,000). This estimate was reportedly achieved by analysing the current state of the supply chain and Apple's profit margin requirement.

The report also highlights that the market research firm anticipates the rumoured iPhone Fold's material costs, used for manufacturing the phone's rear panel, hinges, and other “lightweight components”, could potentially lead to a higher-than-expected pricing.

While the cost of the iPhone Fold could exceed the most expensive iPhone 17 Pro Max model ($1,999 or roughly Rs. 1.78 lakh), Fubon Research believes that Apple will be able to sell 15.4 million units of its first foldable phone in its total lifecycle, and 5.4 million units of these are expected to be sold in 2026.

As previously mentioned, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone Fold, along with iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, in September 2026. The handsets are rumoured to be powered by a yet-to-be-released Apple A20 Pro chip, which could be built on a 2nm process. The foldable's display is also said to feature an imperceptible crease.

The iPhone Fold is rumoured to sport an LTPO+ flexible OLED display on the inside, which could be similar in size to an iPad Mini. Its cover display could either be a 5-inch or 6-inch screen, while the folding touchscreen will reportedly be an 8-inch display.

Previous reports suggest that it might sport a frame manufactured using a mix of titanium and aluminium alloys. It could carry a total of four cameras, one on the cover and inner display each, and two on the rear panel.