Is iPhone Fold launch delayed? New leak reveals Apple’s ‘Ultra’ iPhone may mirror iPhone X strategy

After years of lagging behind rivals like Samsung, Google and Motorola, Apple has reportedly been planning to bring its foldable phone this year. However, a new report suggests that the iPhone Fold could face another delay and may not debut alongside the iPhone 18 lineup as previously leaked.

Is iPhone Fold delayed?

As per a research note by investment bank Barclays (via MacRumors), Apple analyst Tim Long noted that Apple may begin shipments of its foldable iPhone in December 2026. Notably, this is a few months after the probable launch date of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which could debut in September.

However, if the leak does turn out to be true, it won’t be the first time that Apple has made such a move, with the Cupertino-based tech giant releasing the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in September 2017, while the iPhone X followed in November.

Moreover, with the foldable iPhone being an ‘Ultra’ product from the company, and given the software issues that it had recently faced with its AI features, the company may be wanting to tread more carefully and fix the minor issues that the model may still have.

What to expect from iPhone Fold?

If leaks are to be believed, the iPhone Fold could come with a virtually “crease-free” display, and the company is also using liquid metal in the hinges and a metal plate in order to control the stress generated during the bending of the display.

Previous leaks suggest that the Apple flagship could use a titanium chassis along with a combination of titanium and stainless steel. The iPhone Fold could feature a thickness of approx. 9–9.5mm when folded and around 4.5–4.8mm when unfolded.

The phone is said to run on the Apple A20 Pro chipset based on the 2nm process. The device could also use the C2 modem from the company, cutting ties with the Qualcomm modem on the current iPhone lineup. The iPhone Fold could also be an eSIM-only model, just like the iPhone Air.

Previous leaks have suggested that the iPhone Fold could come with a 48MP dual rear camera setup on the back, which could include a primary shooter and an ultra-wide-angle lens. There are also rumoured to be two other camera sensors on the phone, which could both be 24MP lenses.

As for pricing, current leaks suggest that the iPhone Fold could come at almost double the price of the candybar iPhones, with a starting price of around $1,999.