iPhone Ultra expected release date, price, colors, pre-orders, specs and everything you need to know

(Image credit: Apple Track) Apple is expected to launch its first ever foldable phone at the company's "Surprise and shine" event on September 9. The device is will undoubtedly be the centerpiece of the event, an entry into a new product category and a landmark product for new CEO John Ternus.Foldable phones aren't new — Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 earlier this year — but they are still a relatively niche category. Apple's entry into the sector could blow it into the mainstream, even with the anticipated high price.There are just days to go before the iPhone Ultra is unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. According to what we know, it will be a shorter passport-style book foldable with dual rear cameras, Touch ID and an almost invisible central crease.If you're planning to upgrade to Apple's first foldable phone this year, then here's everything you need to know about it.iPhone Ultra: Rumored specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 - Cell 0 iPhone Ultra (rumored) Price $2,000 to $2,500 Launch Late 2026 Cover display 7.8 inches / 5.4 inches Processor A20 RAM 12GB Front Cameras 24MP, 24MP Rear Cameras 48MP, 48MP Face ID None (Touch ID) Casing Titanium + Aluminium Modem Apple C2 Battery 4,883 mAh Size open 120.6 × 167.6 × 4.5–4.8 mm Size closed 120.6 × 83.8 × 9.0–9.6 mm (4.75 × 3.30 × 0.35–0.38 inches) Weight 229–240 grams (8.1–8.5 ounces) iPhone Ultra: Release date and pre-orders (Image credit: Tom's Guide)This year's Apple event takes place on Wednesday rather than the typical Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday. While we expect the iPhone Ultra to be unveiled at the event, it's less clear when the actual release date will be.There have been conflicting reports for months about whether the iPhone Ultra will release alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max either with full or limited availability or whether it will be a staggered release similar to what the iPhone X did in 2017. Some concerns over production issues have suggested the phone may arrive later in the year.In our exclusive interview with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has been following the foldable iPhone saga for the past 5 years, he suggested the phones will release simultaneously.Sign up to the Tom's iGuide weekly newsletter with coverage on everything from product launches to software updates, this is your go-to source for the latest updates on all the best Apple content.“I would be very surprised if [Apple’s] foldable phone did not come out at the same time as the new Pro phones or very close to it,” Gurman said. “So either on the same launch date, a dual launch, or coming out within weeks later. This Idea of a late October, November launch, massive delays, supply chain issues. I don't believe to be the case.” iPhone Ultra Might Beat Android “From Day One" (ft. Mark Gurman) - YouTube Watch On Normally, new iPhones go up for pre-order the Friday following the Apple event, but this year that date would fall on Sept. 11. And it's easy to understand why Apple would want to avoid that date, given that it's the 25th anniversary of the attacks.So the prevailing wisdom is that the iPhone Ultra along with the iPhone 18 Pros will be available for pre-order on Saturday, Sept. 12. So expect a wave of promotions and iPhone Ultra pre-order deals to start that day.iPhone Ultra: PricePricing has been a constant question about the upcoming phone and early estimates tipped it to cost around $2,000. However, due to the ongoing RAM crisis, that prediction ballooned to a starting price of $2,400 to $2,500.Last week, Australian pricing for the phones was shared on X and allegedly came from network carrier Vodafone (h/t @ev_downunder on X). It lists the base model at AU$3,699, which converts to roughly $2,666.That direct comparison with US pricing isn't important — because pricing can vary based on things like tariffs. Instead, let's look at the percentage increase over the iPhone 17 Pro. In Australia, the iPhone Ultra would be 85% more expensive than last year's iPhone 17 Pro (AU$1,999). Applying that same logic to the USA, if the iPhone Ultra is 80% more expensive than last year's iPhone 17 Pro, the starting price would be about $1,999.Taking both the leaks and the latest research into account, I think Apple will attempt to bring the iPhone Ultra in at the $1,999 price for the starting configuration. It will allow the marketing team to pitch the device as "sub-$2,000," and then Apple will push the pricing up for the higher storage configurations.Here's my own estimates of pricing for each storage configuration. Swipe to scroll horizontally iPhone Ultra pricing (predictions) Storage iPhone Ultra 256GB $1,999 / £1,999 512GB $2,399 / £2,399 1TB $2,699 / £2,699 2TB $3,099 / £3,099 iPhone Ultra: DesignThe iPhone Ultra is a completely new type of iPhone with a design completely unique from any previous handset. A slew of dummy units have shown up online revealing the look and feel of the foldable, with Apple opting for a more passport-style design that is shorter and wider than traditional book-style foldable.The closest comparable foldable is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which adopts a similar look — but appears to be slightly larger than what we expect from Apple. It's speculated that Apple could utilize titanium to enhance the durability of the iPhone Ultra, while keeping the overall weight low — much as it did with the iPhone Air.The iPhone Ultra leaked? Jon Prosser just shared full renders of the new design on YouTube. His leaks are usually spot on, making this our best preview yet ahead of the September launch. It also seems like the Ultra will allegedly come in black and white!What do you gus think… pic.twitter.com/BBqVprAeRmJune 21, 2026Reports suggest that the foldable display will be around 7.8-inches in size, which is around half an inch smaller than the iPad mini 7, with a 5.5-inch cover display. This would likely mean an aspect ratio close to 4:3, just like iPads and the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which makes the Ultra a hybrid phone/tablet.It's also been claimed that an open iPhone Ultra could be as thin as 4.5mm, and somewhere between 9 and 9.5mm when closed. This would make it the thinnest Apple device so far, beating the 5.1mm iPad Pro. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is thinner than these dimensions.The smaller size also means that the phone only seems to have two rear cameras, while the front display will reportedly skip Face ID in favor of adding Touch ID to the power button — similar to the system Apple uses on cheaper iPad models.An unboxing video from Unboxed Therapy appear to show dummy units, offering us our closest look yet at the potential final designs for Apple’s first foldable. The hands-on previews showcase refined industrial designs, highlighting the ultra-slim chassis of the foldable Ultra. This is the iPhone 18 Pro Max - YouTube Watch On iPhone Ultra: ColorsRumors about possible colors suggest that Apple will keep the iPhone Ultra in line with the more muted pallet of the iPhone Pro series.At the moment, it's likely that we'll get options like black or dark gray, and either silver or white.One additional rumor is we may see a color similar to iPhone 17 Pro Max's Deep Blue which could be the iPhone Ultra's hero color for this year. iPhone Ultra: Crease-free display? (Image credit: Future)The iPhone Ultra is also expected to have no visible crease. Apple was reportedly very particular about this, and it rumored to be using the crease-free display as one of the iPhone Ultra's key selling points. Reports suggest this will be reliant on a bunch of design innovations, including a more durable liquid metal hinge, ultra-thin glass, a structural glass mid-frame and optically clear adhesive.These hardware features will apparently work in tandem to ensure that there won't be a visible crease out of the box, nor will it form with continued use. Meanwhile, Apple has apparently worked to ensure the crease depth is under 0.15mm, with a crease angle below 2.5mm. Lower depth should make the crease less noticeable, while the lower angle should offer a flatter look when the screen is unfolded.It's unclear as to whether the "crease-free" description holds up to scrutiny. After all, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was reportedly crease-free, and while the crease is much harder to spot, it is still there.According to another report from Mark Gurman, Apple prototyped a shorter, magnetic Apple Pencil designed to attach to the side of its upcoming foldable. However, the company reportedly scrapped the accessory ahead of launch due to awkward handling and concerns that the tip could leave marks on the foldable's inner display.iPhone Ultra: Performance (Image credit: Subsy @ MakerWorld)We don't know a lot about the performance capabilities of the iPhone Ultra, but it goes without saying that the phone should feature an A20 chipset — which is rumored to be built on TSMC's 2nm process.The transition from the 3nm process will allow boosted performance from the increased transistor density. Reports suggest that the A20 could be 15% faster than the A19 chips, and 30% more efficient. That means stronger performance, less heat generation and lower energy consumption. The latter is particularly important because it means the large batteries rumored to be in the iPhone Ultra should last even longer.RAM for the iPhone Ultra is expected to be at least 12GB, simply because that's the minimum needed to utilize the full range of Siri AI features. Any less and features like improved dictation and expressive AI voice styles will not be supported on the foldable — which would be absurd for a phone that could start at $2,000 phone.iPhone Ultra: Software (Image credit: Future)The iPhone Ultra is going to have to make major changes to the way iOS handles multitasking, since it's going to have to start splitting apps across a much larger area than ever before. It's a feature that works well on iPadOS, and should be able to transition to the foldable device. Likewise, it would be surprising if we don't see a menu bar, similar to what is already available on iPads and Samsung Z Fold devices.The fact that this passport-style iPhone Ultra will feature two wildly different screen sizes to normal non-folding devices means app developers will need to ensure their apps are better optimized. Both for the larger inner display, but also the smaller cover display. Apple referred to something known as "app adaptability" at WWDC 2026, and it's likely this will play a key role in iPhone Ultra app support.The concept of 'app adaptability' could involve ensuring apps adjust themselves based on the size of the screen they're onThis concept will likely involve ensuring apps can adjust themselves based on the size of the screen they're on — which will allow them to switch between both iPhone Ultra displays. Hopefully, this ends up being a little more robust than some Android foldable apps, which simply blow up the phone app to take up more screen space.iOS 27 beta also features references to a "foldstate" and "angledegrees," which all but confirms that iOS 27 will need to be able to detect the exact state of a foldable's hinge. Not only does this suggest the iPhone Ultra will automatically transfer contents between screens when the iPhone Ultra is opened (or closed), it also hints at a feature similar to Samsung's Flex Mode.Flex Mode is able to split the foldable screen into two distinct areas when the hinge is fixed at a 90-degree angle. That way you can do something on one half of the screen, while the other does something completely different. This could be helpful for gaming, with a split between the touch controls and the game itself, or when watching videos on social media.iPhone Ultra: Cameras (Image credit: FPT)The one common theme with iPhone Ultra leaks is that the rear camera array will only feature two lenses — arranged horizontally on a raised camera bar like the iPhone Air. It's unlikely that either of these will be a telephoto lens, due to the foldable's thin design, which means we're likely to see the traditional pairing of main and ultrawide angle lenses.Both lenses are expected to offer 48MP resolution, which is par the course for modern iPhone flagships. So don't expect any Samsung-style 200MP cameras on this particular foldable.Selfie camera rumors are a little sketchy, with some rumors speculating that we could see an under-display camera on the larger folding screen. However, the exterior cover display is likely to be a standard hole-punch design which, in the absence of Face ID hardware, should be a lot smaller than the Dynamic Island pill we've already seen on iPhone 17 Pro. Resolution is tipped to be 24MP on both cameras, should we get two.iPhone Ultra: Battery (Image credit: Bob Obba / YouTube)Apple is not really one to brag about the size or makeup of its batteries, so don't expect to hear much about the iPhone Ultra's power supply until we get our first post-launch teardowns. But rumor is that Apple won't scrimp on the battery with the iPhone Ultra, despite rumors of the ultra-thin display.It's been claimed that the battery could be 4,883 mAh, which would be similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8's 4,800 mAh.The question is, what sort of batteries will Apple employ? Samsung recently added silicon carbon batteries to boost the capacity in the Z 8 series of foldables, with the highest being a 5,000 mAh battery in the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Since silicon carbon offers better power density, it could allow Apple to offer such large batteries while maintaining the slim, lightweight profile of the iPhone Ultra.Then again, Apple may also have a different idea in mind, with rumors suggesting that it could redesign the power systems to be thinner, while simultaneously adopting high-density battery cells. What we should expect to see is the total battery capacity split across to separate battery packs — one on each side of the phone.References in iOS 27 beta suggest that a future iPhone will have more than one battery, and the Ultra makes the most sense — especially since the split battery is a common design feature in other foldables.iPhone Ultra: What's it actually going to be called? (Image credit: FPT)The name iPhone Ultra has gained popularity over the last few months, toppling the old "iPhone Fold" nickname everyone had been using. However, as we draw closer to the Apple September event it seems the debate surrounding the name of this device is growing.Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach doesn't believe that Apple will finally adopt the iPhone Ultra name for the foldable. His reasoning is that "It makes no sense to me given the other Ultra branding Apple has. It does not seem Ultra. It’s lesser than but unique compared to the Pro, that is not an Apple Ultra-product.Fellow Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi, posted her own two cents, stating that, "to some extent this is like the Neo a new category and the name Ultra would be a poor descriptor of what you are buying. Apple might not want to call the iPhone Fold or the iFold but that is what it is really."I still don’t believe the foldable iPhone will be called the iPhone UltraIt makes no sense to me given the other Ultra branding Apple has. It does not seem Ultra. It’s lesser than but unique compared to the Pro, that is not an Apple Ultra-product. https://t.co/gxRAZqQ8hWAugust 10, 2026On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mark Gurman claims that the phone is referred to as the "Ultra" internally, but admitted that we'll have to "see what happens." In other words, nothing is set in stone just yet, but it's clear Apple employees are making the use of the long-rumored Ultra name.Personally, I feel as though Ultra is a little more fitting, even if iPhone Fold is a literal description of what this phone is.Not only is this tipped to be the most expensive iPhone ever made, Apple needs to emphasize that this device isn't just a gimmick. As descriptive as the term "Fold" is, it highlights the foldable nature of the phone while seemingly ignoring everything else. "Ultra" suggests that this is a step beyond the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and should intrigue people about the kind of things this phone can do. Or, at least, that's the way I see it.We won't know for sure until the iPhone Ultra is unveiled at the Apple event, but until then the consensus is that Apple is opting for the "Ultra" name.iPhone Ultra: Outlook (Image credit: Bob Obba / YouTube)As we inch closer to the fall Apple Event, we're forming a much better picture of the iPhone Ultra and the kind of things it should be able to accomplish. Obviously, there are still a bunch of unknowns, and we can't form a concrete opinion until we test the phone for ourselves, but the rumors and leaks paint a fairly positive picture of Apple's very first foldable.Then again, rumored $2,000+ price could be a major sticking point. While iPhone Ultra demand is expected to be high, the fact that it could cost more than three iPhone 17s may make shoppers think twice, even if the new Apple Upgrade leasing program is able to reduce that monthly cost.We won't know for sure until Apple actually reveals and releases the iPhone Ultra later this year. Until then keep checking back for all the latest news and rumors about the first-ever Apple foldable.Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. More from Tom's GuideI used a thermal camera to see how hot the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra gets compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra — here's what happened3 big ways the iPhone Ultra could beat the Galaxy Z Fold 8This is the Pixel 11 Pro Fold — and this is when pre-orders officially start Jeff is UK Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide looking after the day-to-day output of the site’s British contingent.A tech journalist for over a decade, he’s travelled the world testing any gadget he can get his hands on. Jeff has a keen interest in fitness and wearables as well as the latest tablets and laptops. A lapsed gamer, he fondly remembers the days when technical problems were solved by taking out the cartridge and blowing out the dust.