The iPhone Ultra is about to launch, but if this report is right, it might be almost impossible to buy — at least initially
The wait for a foldable iPhone might not be over yet after all
by https://www.techradar.com/author/james-rogerson · TechRadarNews By James Rogerson Published 8 September 2026
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- Apple is reportedly only managing to build a few hundred iPhone Ultra units each day
- This is apparently down to difficulties with the hinge
- If this is correct, then there probably won't be many units ready at launch
The foldable iPhone Ultra is likely to be the star of Apple’s ‘Surprise and shine’ event tomorrow (September 9), but if you were hoping to buy one, you might have a tough time doing so — at least to begin with.
According to sources speaking to Nikkei Asia, Apple is only managing to produce a "few hundred" units of the iPhone Ultra each day, thanks, apparently, to its extremely high quality control standards. The site doesn’t go into more detail than that, but some other reports, such as one from OLED-info, suggest it’s the hinge component that’s the issue, with this being challenging to produce.
This site adds that Samsung will produce three million displays for the phone by the end of 2026, which suggests Apple might be hoping the hinge holdup lessens over time. But for now, if these reports are accurate, there presumably can’t be very many completed iPhone Ultra units.
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A shipping delay or short supply
As such, while this phone will almost certainly be announced tomorrow, it’s possible either that Apple won’t open orders until later, or you’ll have to be one of the very first people in line to actually receive it in the next few weeks — or maybe even in the next few months.
Of course, we’d take these claims with a pinch of salt, but given how long it has taken Apple to launch a foldable phone, it’s likely the company has faced various issues, and it’s believable it could still be facing some last-minute ones.
Hopefully, then, production of the hinge will soon start speeding up. Otherwise, if you’re desperate for a new iPhone, you might want to stick with the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, which don’t have any challenging foldable components.
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