Apple’s First Foldable iPhone Could Cost Over ₹ 200,000: Here’s What to Expect Ahead of September Event

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-Carlsen Martin

Published: Friday, September 4, 2026, 16:43 [IST]

Apple’s first foldable iPhone could cost more than $2,000, according to a new report from TrendForce. The report has revealed an estimated price range and several expected specifications of Apple’s upcoming foldable, which could reportedly be marketed as the iPhone Ultra.

The device is expected to debut at Apple’s September 9 event alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, while the standard iPhone 18 models could arrive later.

iPhone 18 Fold Price Tipped

TrendForce estimates that the iPhone 18 Fold price could start at $2,099 (approximately Rs. 1,98,300) and go up to $2,299 (approximately Rs. 2,17,200), depending on the configuration. The top-end variant could reportedly cost more than $3,000 (approximately Rs. 2,83,500).

For comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 (approximately Rs. 1,13,300) in the US, making the foldable significantly more expensive.

iPhone 18 Fold Display and Design

The foldable iPhone is expected to feature a 5.5-inch OLED cover display and a 7.8-inch internal OLED display. The larger panel could support ProMotion with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

Apple is reportedly focusing on a slim design and reducing the visibility of the display crease. These design priorities could result in compromises elsewhere, particularly with the camera system.

iPhone 18 Fold Expected Specifications

The iPhone 18 Fold could be powered by the A20 Pro chipset, reportedly manufactured using TSMC’s 2nm process. The chip is expected to deliver improved performance and power efficiency, particularly for on-device AI tasks.

The foldable could feature 12GB of RAM and storage options ranging from 256GB to 2TB, including 512GB and 1TB variants.

For photography, the device is tipped to have a dual rear camera setup with a 48-megapixel wide camera and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera. A 24-megapixel front camera is also expected.

Touch ID Could Return

Apple could reportedly bring back Touch ID on the iPhone 18 Fold, replacing Face ID with a conventional capacitive fingerprint sensor. The change could be related to the foldable’s internal design, although Apple has not confirmed the biometric system.

iPhone 18 Fold Could Have Limited Initial Availability

The first foldable iPhone could have a limited initial impact on the foldable market because of its expected late shipment schedule, restricted production and limited inventory. Foldable smartphones are forecast to account for around 2 percent of the global smartphone market in 2026.

iPhone 18 Series Could Get More Expensive

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and foldable iPhone this autumn, while the standard iPhone 18 models could follow in early 2027. The autumn models are tipped to use the A20 Pro chip and receive upgrades to cooling, displays, cameras and batteries. The Pro models could also feature a mechanical variable aperture.

The wider iPhone 18 lineup could become 10 to 20 percent more expensive due to rising memory costs. TrendForce expects Apple’s Apple Intelligence cloud services and software subscriptions to become increasingly important to its earnings as hardware costs remain elevated.