New rumors predict a foldable iPhone will launch next year – and cost almost twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max

The folding iPhone is once more tipped to launch in 2026
A beginning worth of $2,300 has been predicted
It is unlikely that it is going to be unveiled this yr

Whereas rumors of a foldable iPhone have been circulating for years, there is a rising pile of proof that Apple is lastly about to place a folding telephone out into the world. Two recent leaks give us a greater concept of when it’s going to arrive and the excessive price ticket that can accompany it.

First, analyst Jeff Pu from GF Securities (through 9to5Mac) has instructed that 2026 might be when the folding iPhone breaks cowl. It matches earlier predictions from different sources and means a launch this yr is now most unlikely.

Then there’s a wholly separate report from analyst Tim Lengthy from Barclays (through MacRumors), estimating that the foldable iPhone will set you again $2,300 or larger, relying on storage. That is nearly twice the $1,199 beginning worth of the iPhone 16 Professional Max.

Assuming the identical share worth leap in different nations, we might be £2,300 within the UK and AU$4,120 in Australia. If the launch is certainly taking place inside the subsequent 18 months or so, you may need to begin saving up.

The foldable value

The Oppo Find N5, unfolded, rear panel visible, waterfall in the background

Oppo has additionally crushed Apple to a foldable (Picture credit score: Jamie Richards / Future)

One helpful comparability level to that folding iPhone worth rumor can be the price of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: the book-style foldable launched final July and is on the market at a beginning worth of $1,899 / £1,799 / AU$2,749.

It is fairly a leap from there to the rumored worth of Apple’s foldable, however we have seen up to now that some customers are ready to pay premium costs for premium units – and for units with the Apple badge on them.

This excessive worth rumor is not essentially a shock both: earlier predictions have hinted that the foldable iPhone will value considerably greater than $2,000. For that type of cash, we’re hoping for an invisible crease and a self-healing display.

In fact, none of that is official: analysts like Pu and Lengthy make predictions primarily based on sources working within the trade and provide chain, nevertheless it’s solely when Apple makes its announcement that we could be positive about what’s coming.