iPhone Ultra Price Prediction Makes The Pro Max Look Affordable
Contrary to recent reports, the oft-rumored iPhone Fold is still on track to launch in September 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. There has also been chatter of Apple branding its first foldable as the iPhone Ultra. If Gurman's pricing prediction ends up being true, the Ultra moniker would certainly be fitting, as he anticipates Apple's folding handset breaching the $2,000 mark.
To put that price into perspective, Apple's current flagship handset, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, starts at $1,199, which gets you 256GB of built-in storage. From there, pricing scales with larger storage options, including $1,399 for 512GB, $1,599 for 1TB, and $1,999 for 2TB.
The iPhone Ultra/Fold has not been formally announced and every bit of data up to this point is based on leaks, rumors, and speculation, so it remains to be seen how the specifications will compare to non-folding variants. One of the key specs that could make or break the anticipated price point is the amount of storage, though there has already been a precedent set by Samsung. Here's how pricing breaks down for the Galaxy Z Fold 7:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 1TB: $2,499.99
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 512GB: $2,199.99
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 256GB: $1,999.99
Carrier promotions and sales help take some of the sting out of the premium pricing, with the 256GB Galaxy Z Fold 7 going for as 'low' as $1,599.99 (20% off) on Amazon. The 512GB and 1TB variants can also be found for a little less than Samsung's MSRPs, though the discounts are not quite as aggressive on the larger storage models.
Suffice to say, if Apple follows in Samsung's footsteps, the $2,000+ pricing for the iPhone Ultra/Fold could come with as little as 256GB of onboard storage.
Regardless of the amount of storage, Gurman posits that breaking the $2,000 barrier "could deter some consumers," but will ultimately find buyers that will effectively raise Apple's average selling price and help grow the company's bottom line.
Pricing aside, he notes that the iPhone Ultra/Fold remains on track to launch in September at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, based on what he's heard from sources who asked not to be identified. Notably, a report by Nikkei claimed that Apple ran into some design snags that could push the launch of its first folding iPhone into 2027. Only one of those reports can be correct, and we'll find out once September arrives. Same goes for the rumored iPhone Ultra branding, which comes by way of leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo.
Images generated with Grok/xAI
