Apple's First Foldable iPhone May Exceed $2,000 — Is First-Gen Risk Worth the Splurge?

Apple's first foldable iPhone could redefine the iPhone lineup, but its eye-popping price and first-generation hardware raise a familiar question: is being first worth the risk?

First Foldable iPhone Could Cost Over $2,000

Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone at a Sept. 9 event, reportedly dubbed the iPhone Ultra, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Current reports suggest a starting price of around $2,000 to $2,500, with higher storage tiers potentially nearing or exceeding $3,000.

The rumored device features a book-style foldable design with an external screen of approximately 5.5 inches and an unfolded inner display of 7.8 inches, with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

When unfolded, it could be as thin as roughly 4.5 millimeters, thinner than Apple's current iPhone Air or even the 13-inch iPad Pro.

The chassis is expected to combine titanium and aluminum, while Apple reportedly aims for a nearly invisible display crease and a highly durable hinge.

Per reports, Samsung Electronics may supply the display panels, with Apple deploying a customized manufacturing process to reduce thickness and improve crease performance.

Touch ID, Dual Cameras, and 12GB RAM

The pursuit of ultimate thinness may come with trade-offs. Rumors indicate the foldable model will replace Face ID with Touch ID integrated into the power button, and feature just two rear cameras—a 48-megapixel main shooter and a 48-megapixel ultrawide—without a telephoto lens.

Internally, the device may run Apple's A20 chip, potentially built on TSMC's 2-nanometer process, paired with 12GB of RAM, a vapor chamber for cooling, and a second-generation C2 modem.

A dual-battery design is expected, with total capacity reportedly around 5,400 mAh to 5,800 mAh.

The phone is also expected to support MagSafe, eSIM-only connectivity, and a redesigned iOS 27 version tailored for foldable multitasking, including split-screen apps and dynamically resizable layouts.

A Painful History for Apple's Early Adopters

The specs sound impressive. But Apple has a long history of charging early users in education costs.

iPhone 4—Antennagate: Holding the phone a certain way weakened cellular reception and caused dropped calls. Apple eventually gave away free cases to affected users.

iPhone 6 Plus—Bendgate: Users reported that the larger iPhone could bend under pressure, turning the phone's thin aluminum design into a major controversy.

MacBook Pro—Butterfly Keyboard: Apple's ultra-thin butterfly mechanism became notorious for gotcha mechanics widely, or outright failure, eventually leading to a repair program and a return to a different keyboard design.

Not that Apple's foldable product will fail. But for buyers potentially paying over $2,000, the question isn't just whether Apple can build a good foldable device.

It's whether you're willing to spend that much to find out what else Apple still needs to fix.

Price trend: Apple's stock closed Friday at $319.97, down 2.51%. In Tuesday's premarket session, the stock was down 0.36% to $318.81. Edge Stock Ratings places Apple's quality in the 97th percentile, highlighting strong short-, medium-, and long-term performance.