'iPhone Ultra' Could Face Staggered Market Rollout, US Only at Launch

Apple's upcoming foldable "iPhone Ultra" may see a staggered country-by-country launch over several months, with initial availability limited to the U.S. market, according to an Australian publication.

In a report labeled "exclusive," ChannelNews said today it has been told by local carriers and one major retailer that Apple's first foldable iPhone will be a "no show" when the iPhone 18 Pro models launch in September, despite being unveiled together. Instead, Apple will release the book-style device in the U.S. market first, followed by key markets including China over two or three months.

The staggered launch is said to be due to supply setbacks and "pricing problems." The publication's sources also claim that Apple is "having testing issues with production models that have already been built."

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed last month that Apple would unveil its first foldable iPhone at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but that iPhone Ultra pre-orders would start at a later date than the latter models.

Kuo said manufacturing challenges have limited early production, but this is the first time we have heard that a staggered country rollout could be another consequence of continuing supply issues.

Vision Pro All Over Again?

It wouldn't be the first time Apple has launched a new product in a staggered manner. When the Vision Pro launched in February 2024, it was only available in the U.S. initially. The headset was later launched in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore in June, followed by Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK in July.

The reasons for the Vision Pro's staggered launch came down to low volume production, retail store readiness, and the fact that it was an entirely new category for Apple. All three could arguably apply to the company's first foldable.

Multiple reports have suggested the iPhone Ultra's production has faced hurdles because of the complexity of the device, with the hinge structure and display durability testing having been the principal bottlenecks. However, those issues were thought to have been resolved during trial production at Foxconn, with Apple subsequently raising its order to around 10 million units, up from 7-8 million units for the year, according to Nikkei Asia.

That said, 10 million units amounts to only a third of Kuo's forecast of 20-22 million units for iPhone 18 Pro models this year. Meanwhile, Kuo still believes Apple's supplier will ship only 7-8 million foldable iPhones in 2026. At such a relatively small number, Apple would presumably struggle to stock 40+ countries on launch day.

It's worth bearing in mind that a staggered market launch is a claim made by the report's sources, and remains uncorroborated. Either way, we should know for sure soon enough. The iPhone Ultra's unveiling is only a matter of weeks away, and we're expecting it to feature an inner display of around 7.7 to 7.8 inches, a 5.5-inch cover screen, a thickness of roughly 4.5mm, and a starting price above $2,000. Apple's iPhone event is most likely going to happen on Tuesday, September 8 or Wednesday, September 9.