Apple is ramping up its production plans for the upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra, with the company now aiming to manufacture 10 million units. This represents an increase from the original estimate of 7 million to 8 million units that were initially planned for this year. According to reports, Apple has already instructed its suppliers to prepare enough parts and components to support the production of up to 10 million foldable iPhone Ultra units.
The company is expected to produce a total of 220 million iPhones in 2026, including the iPhone Ultra. Alongside this, Apple is looking to manufacture a combined 70 million units of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Adding the 10 million foldable iPhone units produced during the second half of 2026 will bring the overall iPhone production to 220 million. It’s anticipated that the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and the iPhone Air 2 will not be released until next spring.
Market analysis firm IDC recently forecasted that Apple will ship 240 million iPhone units this year. In calendar 2025, Apple shipped between 243 million and 247.4 million iPhone handsets. The company is also aggressively sourcing parts for the iPhone, as per IDC's reports. The firm stated that Apple has informed its suppliers that it will need parts to build 85 million new iPhones during the second half of the year.
Sources have indicated that Apple has reportedly asked its suppliers to set aside any "common components and parts used in the iPhone 17 series" so they can be utilized in the iPhone 18 premium models. With the recent shortage of memory and storage chips due to heavy demand for AI data centers, Apple is believed to be actively seeking out necessary parts.
Recently, Apple sought clearance from the White House to purchase chips from ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). Since CXMT isn't on the Commerce Department's Entity List, Apple doesn't require a license to buy components from the Chinese-based firm. However, because CXMT is on the Chinese Military Company Blacklist, Apple felt it was prudent to consult with the Trump Administration before making the purchase.
IDC predicts that the iPhone Ultra could be priced as high as $3,000 for a high-storage variant. The firm expects the starting price of the iPhone Ultra to be $2,500, with higher storage models reaching the $3,000 mark. This is slightly higher than most predictions, which had estimated the price to be in the $2,000 to $2,500 range. Regardless, the foldable iPhone Ultra is expected to be the most expensive iPhone model ever sold.
The iPhone Ultra is rumored to be crease-free, and its release is expected to give a boost to the overall foldable phone market. Some analysts predict a double-digit increase in global shipments of foldable phones by Q4 2026 due to the iPhone's debut in the category.
For the first time, Apple will have some influence over the foldable smartphone market with the release of the iPhone Ultra, which is the name that most media outlets have given the device. Originally, the phone was referred to as the iPhone Fold during the years when it was just a rumor and a glint in Tim Cook's eye.
Investors are showing excitement over Apple's latest developments. The news about Apple's plan to build more iPhone Ultra units than expected sent investors rushing to buy Apple stock. On Thursday, the shares rose $14.25 or 4.84% to $308.63. This marked Apple's best day in the stock market since it dropped nearly $18 on June 25, closing at $275.20. On that date, Apple increased prices on iPads and MacBooks to offset more expensive storage and memory chips, resulting in a loss of hundreds of billions of dollars in market capitalization.
Apple's closing price was its highest since June 5, 2026. On that date, Apple closed at $307.34. The next major milestone for Apple is July 30, when it will release its fiscal third quarter earnings report. This will occur on a Thursday following the 4 PM EDT close of the market. As usual, we will keep you updated on how the company performed during the quarter and how the market reacts in after-hours trading.
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