Folding iPhone will probably cost more than the Mac Studio
The iPhone Fold is probably going to be an extremely expensive proposition to consumers, with analysts believing it could cost more than buying an M4 Max Mac Studio.
A render of what the iPhone Fold could look like - Image Credit: AppleInsider
The long-rumored iPhone Fold will have an extremely high-tech display allowing the device to fold in half, when it is eventually released. The inclusion of the display and supporting technologies is expected to make the iPhone Fold more expensive than others, but it seems it could be a lot more expensive than consumers expect.
According to a note to investors from Barclays analyst Tim Long, the iPhone Fold could have a starting price of around $2,300. Since that would be the starting price, the most expensive configuration could end up being a few hundred dollars more to purchase.
To put that price into perspective, you could get a base-spec iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max and still save $100. Or you could get the top-spec iPhone 16 Pro Max for $1,599 and have enough spare cash to get a 256GB 11-inch M3 iPad Air as well.
The just-released M4 Max Mac Studio is also cheaper, starting from $1,999.
Long says the price is based on recent checks with the supply chain in Asia, which also speculates a launch in late 2026 or at the start of 2027.
The analyst's claims are not the only one to forecast an expensive foldable model. Earlier in March, Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that the iPhone Fold will have a 7.8-inch display and lack Face ID, but will ship in the same timeframe for between $2,000 and $2,500.
The somewhat matching timeframes certainly makes Long's prediction more credible, though it does little to help consumers who will be expecting the iPhone Fold to be a very expensive prospect.
Expensive among rivals
If the claimed price is true, $2,300 for a folding smartphone will be very expensive when put against the rest of the market.
Samsung, best known for its Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6 models, starts its Fold6 pricing from $1,899 for 256GB of storage, rising to $2,259 for 1TB. The flip is even cheaper, at $1,099 for 256GB to $1,219 for 512GB.
Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold is also expensive as a smartphone, and comes in a bit underneath the predicted Apple pricing. It starts from $1,799 for 256GBof storage to $1,919 for 512GB.
The OnePlus Open, at $1,699 undiscounted, still feels like an absolute steal against the prospective iPhone Fold pricing.
With the rest of the field offering cheaper models, and doing so for a considerable amount of time already, the pressure for Apple to get the iPhone Fold right at launch is mounting. If it does land with the rumored high price attached to it, Apple will have an uphill battle appeasing its prospective foldable phone customers.
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Comments
Edit: I mentioned the release year for iPhone 6 incorrectly earlier, corrected it now.
many people have a use for an iPhone fold. While this may not be the majority it will be for those that desire more from an iPhone
Only problem is Apples timing . every company has a foldable phone on the market already some have it for years
Are people willing to wait 2 more years??
Apple has the comfort of knowing its phone would be the only one running iOS and that could be enough to get the sale instead of losing the sale to the Android market because a current iPhone user wants a folding phone.
Prices (especially for flip variants) are rumoured to start coming down soon. All eyes are currently on March 20th for a Huawei launch of supposedly 'affordable' flip phone.
A couple of years ago my brother switched his entire family to Samsung flip phones (some were iPhone users) and another brother is using a Samsung Z Fold 6.
Just grab an iPad and a phone if you want a big screen that much. Yes, I know that it’s two devices to carry, rather than just one. But the iPad will be a better full screen device.
It's only there because the screen surface area needs to grow and keep on growing.
It'll be the next show-off shiny object on social media. Tiktok crowd, Rejoice, your next iPhone has arrived.
Q1 #3, Q2 #3, Q3 #3, Q4 #2. It was only beaten out in the rankings by either the Pro Max or regular iPhone.
As for the "predicted" price of the Fold: nobody knows, these predictions are just stupid, no one can tell you what the price of eggs will be in 2027, but yeah, we definitely know how much a non-existent Apple phone is gong to cost when it launches that year. smh.