Apple to Unveil First Foldable Smartphone During September Leadership Transition

2026-04-28 companies

Cupertino, Monday, 27 April 2026.
This September, Apple will unveil its first foldable smartphone. Priced at an estimated $2,000, this premium device marks a critical strategic milestone for incoming CEO John Ternus.

A Strategic Transition at the Helm

On September 1, 2026, Tim Cook will officially step down as chief executive officer of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) to assume the role of executive chairman [8]. He will be succeeded by John Ternus, a 25-year hardware veteran at the tech giant [8]. During his historic tenure, Cook oversaw Apple’s market valuation soar to approximately $4 trillion and authorized massive capital returns, including $650 billion in stock buybacks—a figure that represents roughly 3.6 times the company’s research and development spending over the same period [8]. However, Ternus inherits a complex landscape; he faces mounting pressure from Wall Street to close a perceived artificial intelligence gap against tech peers like Microsoft and Nvidia, while simultaneously finding the company’s next major computing platform [8].

Engineering the ‘Ultra’ Foldable

Developing the iPhone Ultra has required significant material and engineering innovations. Industry supply chain leaks indicate Apple will utilize a Liquidmetal hinge—a material reported to be 2.5 times stronger and harder than standard titanium alloys—to address the structural vulnerabilities inherent in foldable displays [5]. Schematics and metallic dummy units leaked in April 2026 reveal the device will feature an internal folding screen measuring between 7.76 and 7.8 inches, paired with a 5.3-inch external display [3][5]. When unfolded, the internal chassis is expected to achieve a remarkable thickness of approximately 4.5 to 5.5 millimeters, making it Apple’s thinnest handset to date [3][4]. When closed, its profile will range from 9.23 millimeters to 11 millimeters, excluding the rear camera bump [3][6]. Furthermore, ergonomic testing on the dummy units suggests that a user’s thumb can easily reach most parts of the folded display, preserving one-handed usability [3].

Market Positioning and Supply Chain Dynamics

Pricing for the iPhone Ultra is projected to start at no less than $2,000 [alert! ‘Final retail pricing strategies remain unconfirmed by Apple and are subject to change prior to the September 2026 launch’] [2][4][5]. This represents a steep premium of approximately 81.984 percent over the $1,099 starting price of the baseline iPhone 17 Pro [4]. Apple’s pricing strategy closely mirrors the broader foldable market; for context, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 launched at $1,999 and experienced strong sales, whereas its $2,899 Galaxy Z TriFold sold out quickly but was subsequently discontinued [2]. To support long-term production, Apple has reportedly secured an exclusive three-year agreement with Samsung Display to supply the foldable OLED panels through 2029 or 2030 [5].

Sources

Apple Foldable smartphones