Apple has been widely rumoured to finally mark its foray into the foldable smartphone market this year with its first-ever foldable iPhone, which could debut alongside the iPhone 18 lineup. A recent report, however, suggests that the purported handset, dubbed the iPhone Ultra, could have an extremely limited initial rollout. Only one region is potentially expected to receive the foldable iPhone at launch, with supply restrictions and pricing concerns reportedly cited as the possible reasons.
iPhone Ultra Could Launch in the US First
According to a report by ChannelNews Australia, Apple could unveil its first foldable iPhone at its upcoming September event but may not immediately launch the handset across all markets. Citing a Chinese component supplier, the publication reported that Australia is expected to miss out on the purported foldable for several months, due to Apple allegedly facing supply, testing, and pricing-related challenges.
The supplier reportedly said that the delay is “primarily down to supply and pricing issues”, while also suggesting that Apple could be encountering testing problems with production units that have already been built.
Further, the report mentions that Australian carriers and a major retailer have also indicated that the foldable iPhone could be unavailable locally when the iPhone 18 series arrives. Instead, the supply is initially expected to be limited to the US, followed by other key markets like China.
This development aligns with previous leaks, which suggested that the iPhone Ultra could be available in very small quantities right after its announcement.
The publication reported that the Apple event could take place on September 8. This corroborates previous claims by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. This year, Labor Day will be held on September 7 in the US, which means September 9 could also be a probable option for the launch event. Doing so would reportedly provide an additional travel day for the attendees before the showcase.
Apple, notably, followed a similar timeline in 2025 when it launched the iPhone 17 series on September 9.
