Apple’s Foldable iPhone Now Expected in 2026 at Ultra-Premium Price

Apple’s foldable iPhone is still in the works, with a new report suggesting its launch sometime next year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that an iPhone with a vertically folding mechanism — much like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold — is coming in 2026. The foldable iPhone will use technologies expected to debut on the upcoming iPhone 17 Air but will cost much higher.

In his newsletter, Gurman said the foldable iPhone could go for a price of as high as $2,000. That translates to roughly ₹1.71 lakh, but per Apple’s dollar-to-rupee conversion, the foldable iPhone could set back customers by at least ₹2 lakh. At that price, the folding iPhone could be the most expensive foldable smartphone. For reference, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold starts at ₹1,49,999, while the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold costs ₹1,72,999.

Despite having a high price tag, the foldable iPhone could be “a big hit” for Apple, especially with the growing anticipation and pent-up demand for an Apple alternative to Android-powered foldables. Gurman said Apple may kick off the sales of the foldable iPhone with limited units as it “may take a while for volumes to ramp up.” However, its price will compensate for the small volume to boost sales.

“And it should be a win for consumers, who have been pressing Apple to finally jump into this category,” said Gurman.

Gurman’s latest post corroborates his previous intel, which also sheds light on what the foldable iPhone is expected to have. Apple may equip the foldable iPhone with a 5000mAh battery — the largest battery in an iPhone device. The iPhone could have a thickness of 9.2mm when folded and 4.6mm when open. With those dimensions, it will surely not be the thinnest foldable device, but Apple’s polished ecosystem might put the iPhone’s more useful aspects in focus.

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