Apple may not bring iPhone Ultra to India with iPhone 18 Pro, report says

Apple's first foldable iPhone could be coming soon, but reports suggest it may not reach every country at launch.

In Short

• Reports say Apple may unveil the foldable iPhone at September launch
• Supply, pricing and testing issues could force a staggered market rollout
• The United States is expected to get initial units before China

Apple is highly anticipated to launch its first-ever foldable device next month with the new generation of iPhones. While Apple fans and tech enthusiasts are eagerly waiting to see what Apple has built, a new report suggests that it might not arrive everywhere at the same time. Customers in some countries may have to reportedly wait for months before they can actually buy it.

According to ChannelNewsreport, Apple is preparing to show the foldable iPhone at its September 8 US launch event, but supply, pricing and production testing problems could prevent it from reaching every market at the same time.

Citing a major Chinese component supplier, the report revealed the delay is “primarily down to supply and pricing issues”. The supplier also claims Apple is facing testing problems with production models that have already been built. The report suggests that Australian carriers and a major retailer have been told that the Apple Fold will be a “no show” on local shelves when the iPhone 18 series arrives, with limited stock instead expected to roll out in the US first before reaching key markets including China.

Apple Fold could be very expensive

Apple is also reportedly not planning to announce the foldable iPhone’s price at the September event. The device is expected to be much more expensive than current iPhone models, with the report saying Australian pricing could be up to $700 higher than Samsung’s Galaxy Fold 8.

The Apple Fold could also be expensive because of the high cost of its components. The report also claims that Apple’s designers have raised questions about the device’s design after seeing the quality of Samsung’s latest foldable.

Why the delay in iPhone Fold

Apple has been reported to be working on a foldable device for a long time. However, the biggest challenge in this process appears to be getting the foldable ready for mass production. According to the report, suppliers say Apple has faced “more issues than expected” during production testing, with the hinge and foldable display emerging as the main problems.

The report also says Apple originally planned to start mass production in June 2026, but the timeline slipped to early August and has now moved again. As recently as late July, Foxconn was reportedly still making adjustments to its mass-production plans, while insiders said engineering validation could cause a delay of up to two months.

Apple is also said to be planning to make around seven million foldable iPhones in the second half of 2026. If that figure stays unchanged, the limited production could make it harder for Apple to supply the device globally from day one.

Meanwhile, Apple is widely expected to position the foldable alongside its new iPhone 18 range, but the launch may look very different from a typical iPhone release. Rather than making the device available globally soon after its unveiling, Apple could initially keep supplies concentrated in the US and expand availability to other markets later.

- Ends