iPhone Ultra reportedly veers off track again
The iPhone Ultra will be competing against the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
An iPhone Ultra dummy unit. | Image by Sonny Dickson
Foldable smartphones are a tricky beast. While Apple has the advantage of being a late entrant into what is now an established industry, its ambitious design goals mean a few hiccups are unavoidable. The company has seemingly once again encountered a roadblock, delaying the release of the iPhone Ultra.
After clearing major hurdles like pricing negotiations, engineering quirks, hinge material, and surface-mount technology (SMT) issues, Apple has reportedly run into another undisclosed problem. That is according to the Chinese publication UDN, which boasts a decent track record when it comes to Apple supply chain gossip.
Key players like chipmaker TSMC, assembler Foxconn, and lens supplier Largan Precision are signaling that they will remain slammed well past the usual end-of-year peak and deep into the first quarter of 2027. That's apparently because the iPhone Ultra will be released early next year.
While the device will still probably be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro in September, only the Pro models will go on sale in the fall.
Though he didn't explicitly name iPhone, Largan Precision CEO Lin En-ping dropped a massive hint during a shareholders' meeting. He noted that the fourth quarter would be unusually hectic due to a client's "new product scheduling factors." The client in question will release some products in the third quarter and delay another until early next year. The industry immediately read between the lines.
Bearing supplier Shin Zu Shing also hinted that Apple hadn't finalized the release schedule.
While the delayed release is bound to test the patience of iOS fans waiting for a foldable, Apple itself won't be hurting.
An early 2027 launch will make the iPhone Ultra a direct rival to the Samsung Galaxy S27 series. In China, the release timeframe will capitalize on the Lunar New Year shopping spree.
While the report doesn't attribute the delay to manufacturing challenges, this looks more like a strategic pivot. By spacing out the release, Apple will prevent the iPhone Ultra from immediately cannibalizing iPhone 18 Pro's sales.
On top of that, by timing the release around the launch of the Galaxy S27, Apple is likely hoping to eat into Galaxy S27 Ultra sales, though there's going to be a little overlap, given that these are two distinct categories with very different price points.
Apple may be taking its sweet time to perfect the iPhone Ultra, but once it drops, it can change the foldable industry as we know it. For starters, the iPhone Ultra is expected to instantly capture 30% of the foldable market, despite its rivals being on their fourth or fifth iterations and offering multiple categories of foldables.
Shipments are expected to touch 11 million units in the first year, double the 5 million to 6 million range Samsung is targeting for 2027.
A longer wait
After clearing major hurdles like pricing negotiations, engineering quirks, hinge material, and surface-mount technology (SMT) issues, Apple has reportedly run into another undisclosed problem. That is according to the Chinese publication UDN, which boasts a decent track record when it comes to Apple supply chain gossip.
Key players like chipmaker TSMC, assembler Foxconn, and lens supplier Largan Precision are signaling that they will remain slammed well past the usual end-of-year peak and deep into the first quarter of 2027. That's apparently because the iPhone Ultra will be released early next year.
While the device will still probably be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro in September, only the Pro models will go on sale in the fall.
Pitting the iPhone Ultra against the Galaxy S27 Ultra
Though he didn't explicitly name iPhone, Largan Precision CEO Lin En-ping dropped a massive hint during a shareholders' meeting. He noted that the fourth quarter would be unusually hectic due to a client's "new product scheduling factors." The client in question will release some products in the third quarter and delay another until early next year. The industry immediately read between the lines.
The fourth quarter of this year will be busier than in previous years due to customer new product scheduling factors, with some new products expected to be launched in the third quarter and others postponed to early next year.
Lin En-ping, CEO Largan Precision, June 2026
Bearing supplier Shin Zu Shing also hinted that Apple hadn't finalized the release schedule.
While the delayed release is bound to test the patience of iOS fans waiting for a foldable, Apple itself won't be hurting.
An early 2027 launch will make the iPhone Ultra a direct rival to the Samsung Galaxy S27 series. In China, the release timeframe will capitalize on the Lunar New Year shopping spree.
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A clever strategy
While the report doesn't attribute the delay to manufacturing challenges, this looks more like a strategic pivot. By spacing out the release, Apple will prevent the iPhone Ultra from immediately cannibalizing iPhone 18 Pro's sales.
On top of that, by timing the release around the launch of the Galaxy S27, Apple is likely hoping to eat into Galaxy S27 Ultra sales, though there's going to be a little overlap, given that these are two distinct categories with very different price points.
The quiet before the storm
Apple may be taking its sweet time to perfect the iPhone Ultra, but once it drops, it can change the foldable industry as we know it. For starters, the iPhone Ultra is expected to instantly capture 30% of the foldable market, despite its rivals being on their fourth or fifth iterations and offering multiple categories of foldables.
Shipments are expected to touch 11 million units in the first year, double the 5 million to 6 million range Samsung is targeting for 2027.
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