Apple's foldable iPhone might serve a price shock

Yahoo

06-03-2025

Apple's foldable iPhone project has so far remained in the realms of consumer tech imaginations. However, from time to time, we hear industry insiders and analysts dropping a few nuggets of information about it. The latest such prediction comes from Ming-Chi Kuo, and it's not a good one.
In his latest investor note, Kuo has given an expected price range of roughly $2,000 to $2,500 for Apple's book style folding phone. For comparison, Samsung's latest and greatest foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, carries a price tag worth $1,900.
Kuo cites multiple reasons for the high asking price. First, he argues that Apple has a certain brand image to maintain, and to keep that status-quo, the asking price will be on the higher side compared to the competition, assuming Apple matches it with a sufficiently alluring hardware quality.
Next, the insider — who has had a mixed track record with Apple predictions lately — adds that the demand for a foldable iPhone would still be high, despite a bigger hit on the wallet of buyers.
There are, however, a few aspects that could justify the premium. Kuo notes that Apple is chasing a crease-less design for its foldable phone. So far, no smartphone maker has been able to fully eliminate the crease, even though Oppo's Find N5 has reached the closest to that elusive goal.
Furthermore, Apple is chasing a premium build that involves using a Titanium alloy for the chassis. The company might also use a stainless steel-titanium composite for certain internal parts, following in the footsteps of the iPhone 16 Pro duo.
Moreover, the phone will be quite thin, measuring only 4.5-4.8mm across when unfolded, quite close to the impressive Honor Magic V3 and Oppo's latest foldable phone. For the battery tech, Apple will reportedly employ the same high-density formula as the package it is eying for the rumored iPhone 17 Air model.
However, nothing is written in stone yet. Kuo says the final specifications will only be decided in the second quarter of 2025, and mass production is expected to begin in the last quarter of 2026. As far as market arrival goes, Apple's foldable iPhone might hit the shelves in the second half of 2027, as per Kuo.