The iPhone Fold could be brutally expensive

• The foldable iPhone could cost $2,399
• That’s one of the highest possible prices we’ve heard for it
• It might also be crease-free, and is apparently on track for a 2026 launch

The foldable iPhone is basically guaranteed to be expensive, but the latest price rumor suggests it could cost even more than some previous leaks suggested.

According to Fubon Research (via MacRumors), the foldable iPhone is likely to cost $2,399 (roughly £1,830 / AU$3,720). While that’s marginally lower than one prediction that put it at $2,500 (around £1,905 / AU$3,875), it’s much higher than most recent leaks, which put it at either $1,800 – $2,000 (approximately £1,370 / AU$2,790 – £1,525 / AU$3,100), or 15,000 yuan, which is around $2,110 / £1,610 / AU$3,270.

So that’s a worryingly high price prediction, but it could prove accurate, as Fubon Research reached this number through supply chain analysis, while factoring in Apple’s margin needs.

But if this really is the price of the foldable iPhone then it could prove a tough sell, and frankly you might be better off just grabbing a non-foldable iPhone and the iPad mini 8 (which is expected to launch next year) instead.

That combination may in fact cost less than the foldable iPhone (depending on which iPhone model you choose), and you’d still be getting two screen sizes. So it will be interesting to see whether the foldable iPhone really costs this much – and whether many people buy it if it does.

Crease-free and coming soon

Still, in more positive news, UDN (via MacRumors again) echoes earlier reports that the foldable iPhone could be the first foldable phone with a crease-free design, so that could go some way to justifying its price tag.

The site also reports that the foldable iPhone will be called the ‘iPhone Fold’, and that it’s on track for a 2026 launch, having entered the engineering validation and pre-mass production phases of its development. So if you’re keen to spend $2,400 on a phone, you might be able to fairly soon.

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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.