--- title: The Foldable iPhone Ultra Could Launch in the US First, Months Ahead of Other Countries description: A new report claims the phone will roll out country by country over two or three months, and Apple is building only a fraction of the units it makes of its o... author: Darie Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-08-17T09:14:16.468Z updated: 2026-11-03T11:00:37.682Z canonical: https://www.richmanmagazine.com/article/iphone-ultra-staggered-us-first-rollout-report image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/foldable-iphone-ultra.webp categories: Lifestyle content_type: News region: Global publication: Rich Woman Magazine schema_type: Article --- Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Ultra, within weeks, most likely at an event on Tuesday, September 8 or Wednesday, September 9. If you are planning to buy one at more than $2,000, a new report says you may not be able to, at least not where you live and not for months. According to the Australian publication ChannelNews, which labelled its report exclusive, the iPhone Ultra will be a "no show" when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max go on sale in September, even though all three are unveiled together. ChannelNews says it was told by local carriers and one major retailer that Apple will release the book-style phone in the US first, then bring it to key markets including China over two or three months. Apple has not confirmed any of this, and the account rests on that single report. The reported reasons are supply setbacks and what the sources called "pricing problems". ChannelNews's sources also claim Apple is having testing issues with production models that have already been built. Again, none of that is confirmed by Apple. The staggered timing lines up with what Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last month. Kuo claimed Apple would unveil the foldable alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models but that iPhone Ultra pre-orders would start later than the Pro phones, because manufacturing challenges have limited early production. The ChannelNews report is the first suggestion that a country-by-country rollout could be another consequence of those limits. There is a recent precedent for Apple selling a new product this way. When the Vision Pro launched in February 2024 it was US-only at first. It reached China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore in June, then Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the UK in July. The reasons given at the time were low production volume, retail store readiness, and the fact that it was an entirely new category. All three could apply to Apple's first foldable. ## Apple Is Making Only a Fraction of the Units Multiple reports say iPhone Ultra production has been slowed by the device's complexity, with the hinge structure and display durability the main bottlenecks. Those issues were thought to be resolved during trial production at Foxconn, after which Apple reportedly raised its order to around 10 million units for the year, up from an earlier 7 to 8 million, according to Nikkei Asia. Ten million is still small. It is only about a third of Kuo's forecast of 20 to 22 million [iPhone 18 Pro units this year](https://richwoman.co/article/apple-results-ternus-record-quarter), and Kuo himself still expects Apple's supplier to ship only 7 to 8 million foldables in 2026. At that volume Apple would struggle to stock more than 40 countries on launch day, which is the practical reason a phased rollout would make sense. ## The Specs Are Reported, Not Confirmed The hard facts are still thin, and the specifications below are reported rather than announced. The iPhone Ultra is expected to have an inner display of roughly 7.7 to 7.8 inches, a 5.5-inch cover screen, and a thickness of about 4.5mm when unfolded. The starting price is reported to be above $2,000, which would make it the most expensive iPhone Apple has sold. The unveiling is close and looks locked to early September. When and where you can actually buy an iPhone Ultra is not settled. On the current reporting, a US buyer has the best odds of getting one first, with China and other major markets following in the months after. Treat the timing as reported, not confirmed, until Apple says otherwise. ## FAQ **Q: When is the iPhone Ultra coming out?** Apple's iPhone event is most likely on Tuesday, September 8 or Wednesday, September 9, and the iPhone Ultra is expected to be unveiled there. Pre-orders and sales may come later than the iPhone 18 Pro models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. **Q: Which countries get the iPhone Ultra first?** Per the ChannelNews report, which Apple has not confirmed, the US would get it first, followed by key markets including China over two or three months. **Q: How much will the iPhone Ultra cost?** The reported starting price is above $2,000, which would make it the most expensive iPhone Apple has sold. **Q: Why would the foldable iPhone launch in stages?** The reported reasons are limited production, supply setbacks and pricing problems. Analyst forecasts of only 7 to 8 million units for the year would not be enough to stock more than 40 countries at launch.