If you’re waiting on Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone, start saving your pennies. And nickles, dimes, and quarters, too. Analyst Tim Long told Barclays the first foldable iPhone could start in the $2,300 range, which would make it nearly double the price of the current most expensive iPhone (the iPhone 16 Pro Max) and one of the single priciest handsets on the market.
This announcement follows rumors that the foldable iPhone will enter mass production sometime in 2026 or 2027 and lines up with what tipster Ming-Chi Kuo predicted for the price. That said, the rumored handset has gained a lot of attention from iPhone fans. The expected demand for the iPhone foldable is great enough that even the higher price tag might not hurt sales.
It’s likely that $2,300 would just be the starting price and that higher-end configurations could cost significantly more. When compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, which starts at $1,899 and tops out at $2,259, it’s easy to blame the so-called “Apple tax” for the increase. That said, it’s not the most expensive foldable on the market.
The Huawei Mate XT is one of the only tri-fold models currently available and commands a price tag of $2,800. The Samsung multi-fold (another phone that’s more rumor than substance) is expected to easily pass the $2,000 mark.
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The OnePlus Open starts at $1,700, and the OnePlus Open 2 —whenever it arrives — is expected to cost even more. Book-style foldables tend to carry a higher price tag than flip-style foldables.
Apple has a tendency to take existing technology and put its own polish on it, and the tech usually justifies a higher price. With luck, the iPhone foldable will set itself apart from the competition and provide features worth paying the equivalent of a months’ rent for.
But if you really want to drop a load of dough on a phone, Huawei has an $18,000 device plated in 24-carat gold.
