Foldable iPhone May Be Hard to Buy at Launch as Daily Output Reportedly Stays in the Hundreds

Apple’s first foldable iPhone could be difficult to buy at launch if reported production levels remain stuck at only several hundred units a day.

The phone, tentatively called the iPhone Ultra, is expected to appear at Apple’s 2026 autumn event on Sept. 10. The report from 9to5Mac says Apple’s strict quality standards have significantly slowed production, leaving early supply potentially unable to meet demand.

Apple added another trial-production round in August to ensure the device could enter mass production in line with its original design specifications. That step delayed the commercial production schedule by several weeks, according to supply-chain sources cited in the report.

Manufacturing teams are focusing on improving the flatness of the screen surface and the performance yield of the hinge mechanism. The report says daily output would normally need to reach tens of thousands of units to meet the planned production target, making the current level of several hundred particularly tight.

Apple is also expected to introduce the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 at the event.