For the past few years, the foldable iPhone has felt more like a “when” than an “if.” So when Nikkei Asia released a report last week Saying that the device had suffered a serious engineering failure was enough to scare many people. It also briefly tanked Apple’s stock. However, The latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman Suggests that things are back on track.
According to Gurman, Apple’s foldable iPhone is still on track to launch in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. His sources directly echoed the Nikkei report, insisting there is no major manufacturing setback threatening the timeline. Like any iPhone launch, the device will reportedly hit store shelves about a week after its unveiling.
We should note that Gurman pointed out that the release is still about six months away. Production has also not increased completely yet. Supply may also be limited at launch given the complexity of the design, but the plan is to put the foldable iPhone on sale around the same time as the non-foldable model or shortly thereafter.
what we know so far
The foldable iPhone, rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra, is shaping up to be a book-style device with a 7.8-inch internal display and a 5.5-inch external screen. Based on what has been leaked so far, the hardware looks really interesting. It is rumored to have an A20 Pro chip, 12GB of RAM, Touch ID instead of Face ID, and a reportedly 5,800mAh battery.
Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn has already begun trial production, with mass production reportedly scheduled to begin in July. However, this assumes that testing goes smoothly. Apple is reportedly aiming for between 7 and 8 million units in the initial phase. That sounds like a lot, but it’s actually less than 10% of Apple’s total 2026 iPhone production.
Nikkei’s original report raised concerns about the engineering verification phase. It also warned that there would be a critical window from April to early May. Gurman’s sources did not deny that the device is complex. He simply said that the complexity is not enough to push the launch forward. With a crease-free display design and liquid metal hinge, some friction during testing isn’t exactly surprising.
