The ~$2,400 foldable iPhone Ultra to be assembled by temporary workers for under $4/hour

How profitable will the iPhone Ultra be? Apple's first-ever foldable iPhone is rumored to land at a price in the $2,300–$2,500 range and, while components are much pricier nowadays, the production cost would be much lower.

When you've got the second-largest (by market cap) company in the world ($4.562 trillion and counting), it certainly helps to have $3–$4/hour workers to make the iPhone Ultra!

The foldable realm is expanding fast.

Pressed for time

As we reported earlier, the iPhone Ultra will be late, per Ming-Chi Kuo's always informative inside observations.

Sure, it'll be announced in September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the 18 Pro, but the actual market launch could occur months later in what's effectively 2027. So don't expect the foldable iPhone under the Christmas tree.

Apple doesn't like that prospect and is pressed for time, preparing for the mass production of the iPhone Ultra.

Who does what

According to sources in Apple's supply chain, the ultra-thin flexible glass (UTG) that protects the foldable display will be supplied exclusively by Chinese manufacturer Lens Technology. The special glass is one of the most important components of a foldable phone because it protects the display while still allowing it to bend.

Meanwhile, Apple's long-time manufacturing partner, Foxconn, will be responsible for assembling the entire device. Reports say the company has already entered the final preparation stage before mass production begins.

Now hiring

To support the new production lines, Foxconn has started a major hiring campaign at its Longhua factory in China. The business unit assembling the foldable iPhone is looking for thousands of additional workers after restructuring its smartphone manufacturing operations.

The factory is hiring temporary workers, seasonal employees and hourly staff, offering between 22 and 26 yuan per hour, or roughly $3.20 to $3.80 an hour, for contracts running from July through October.

Full-time employees, too

Foxconn is also recruiting full-time employees, with starting monthly salaries of around 2,600 yuan (about $360) during the probation period, rising to roughly 2,950 yuan (around $410) afterward. Overtime pay, bonuses and night-shift allowances can further increase workers' earnings.

One detail suggests Apple is working against the clock. According to the report, temporary workers can begin working immediately without going through the usual medical examination process, indicating that Foxconn wants to staff the production lines as quickly as possible.

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