iPhone Fold tipped to land alongside iPhone 18 with a MacBook Pro-sized price tag – here’s what to expect

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Prepare yourself

A foldable iPhone concept against a multi-colored background.
(Image credit: Ming-Chi Kuo)
  • A new report predicts the foldable iPhone will be priced at $1,999
  • That’s lower than previous estimates, but would still make it the costliest iPhone ever
  • A crease-free screen will be a key selling point, the report claims

Apple will launch its foldable iPhone in September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18, and it will be the most expensive iPhone yet with a price tag of $1,999 in the US, according to new report.

Apple’s upcoming foldable is one of the biggest open secrets in the phone industry right now, yet there’s still a fair amount of uncertainty surrounding its release date and price.

Now a report from JP Morgan has revealed what is said to be the company’s target price for the device, which has been dubbed the iPhone Fold.

In a note to clients seen by CNBC, JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee wrote that Apple is targeting a US price of $1,999 for the device. That’s far above the current price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max – Apple’s most expensive iPhone right now, and one of its best – which will set you back a minimum of $1,119.

It’s also a lot more than you’ll pay for a MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,599.

Chatterjee’s prediction falls within the range of prices that have recently been rumored for the iPhone Fold. We’ve seen $1,800 suggested at the low end, while the upper estimate currently sits at around $2,500. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 also starts at $1,999, putting it in similarly pricey territory.

Elsewhere in his report, Chatterjee predicts that upgrades to this year’s iPhone 17 lineup will be “fairly limited.” That broadly chimes with what we've heard elsewhere, although recent rumors have predicted a significant camera upgrade for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

Paying a premium

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 hands on

(Image credit: Future)

As for what customers will get for their money, Chatterjee says the iPhone Fold will have one key advantage over its rivals: a crease-free display. This has been rumored before, and Samsung is also reportedly working on this for its own 2026 foldable.

Chatterjee believes the iPhone Fold will come with a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch outer screen. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has an 8-inch internal screen and a 6.5-inch outer display.

In terms of millions of units sold, Chatterjee reckons the iPhone Fold will hit the “low teens” in this area by 2027, with that figure rising to the mid-40s by 2029. If correct, that’s a sizable chunk of sales – perhaps indicating that the iPhone Fold’s premium pricing won’t be such a barrier to take-up after all.

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Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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