Leaks: Apple will brand its first foldable 'iPhone Ultra' and price it around $2,000

Apple’s first foldable iPhone is being newly pegged as an “iPhone Ultra,” with rumor roundups converging on a September 2026 debut and a price above $2,000. (macrumors.com) (cnet.com) The branding claim comes from MacRumors, citing a Macworld report that says Apple plans to use “Ultra” on the foldable phone and on another premium product tier. CNET’s April 27 roundup said recent rumors also point to the “iPhone Ultra” name. (macrumors.com) (macworld.com) (cnet.com) The hardware described in those reports is a book-style foldable, not a flip phone. MacRumors’ guide says current rumors center on a 5.5-inch outer display, a 7.8-inch inner display and a body as thin as 4.5 millimeters when unfolded. (macrumors.com) Price is the other detail that keeps repeating. MacRumors, citing analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, says Apple’s first foldable could land between $2,000 and $2,500, while Macworld’s current estimate starts at $1,999 for 256 gigabytes. (macrumors.com) (macworld.com) Those numbers would put the device above Apple’s current iPhone lineup and closer to a niche luxury product than a mass-market upgrade. Macworld describes it as an iPhone-iPad hybrid, and Kuo’s forecast cited by MacRumors says initial shipments could be only 3 million to 5 million units in 2026. (macworld.com) (macrumors.com) The display story is central to the pitch. CNET said multiple leaks suggest Apple is chasing a screen with little or no visible crease, a flaw that has dogged foldables from Samsung, Google and others for years. (cnet.com) Some of the trade-offs in the rumor cycle are also becoming clearer. MacRumors says Apple may use a Touch ID side button instead of Face ID to save internal space, and Macworld says the foldable may skip a telephoto camera to make room for the hinge and battery. (macrumors.com) (macworld.com) Apple itself has not announced any foldable iPhone. Apple’s current Newsroom and iPhone pages list the company’s shipping models, but no foldable or “iPhone Ultra” product. (apple.com 1) (apple.com 2) Even without an announcement, market forecasters are already modeling Apple’s effect on the category. IDC said in December 2025 that worldwide foldable smartphone shipments should grow 30% year over year in 2026, boosted by Apple’s first foldable iPhone. (idc.com) So the cleanest way to read this week’s leak cycle is narrow, not definitive: the name “iPhone Ultra” is getting louder, the September 2026 window is holding, and the $2,000-plus positioning has become the consensus rumor. (macrumors.com) (cnet.com)