TL; DR
- Cailian Press and two other outlets confirm Apple’s foldable iPhone is now in mass production.
- Hinge issues flagged by The Elec could result in a smaller initial shipment at launch.
- Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the device may not go on sale until Q4 2026.
Apple’s foldable iPhone, expected to launch as the iPhone Ultra, has reportedly entered mass production, and might make it in time for the September window after all, despite initial rumors about a delay.
Chinese financial outlet Cailian Press, citing multiple people within Apple’s supply chain, reports that Apple has begun large-scale production after finalizing the design some time ago.
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What’s even more interesting is that another Chinese outlet, East Money, and Korea’s The Bell, have separately corroborated the claim. In fact, Apple’s largest supply partner, Foxconn, has reportedly launched extensive hiring to support the assembly line.
Could Delays Still Be A Concern?
Supply chain sources, who spoke to Cailian Press, said they had not heard of any delay. Since it comes after a late June report from The Elec, which suggested Apple has run into hinge problems during testing, it’s all the more important. In fact, the outlet also reported how Apple could make peace with a smaller initial shipment.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo added uncertainty this past weekend, posting on X that the device may be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro in September but could go on sale only in the fourth quarter.
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Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman initially said in March that the foldable would not ship in the same window as the iPhone 18 Pro, before revising in April to say September remained on track, at roughly the same time or slightly later.
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