Apple’s September event takes place on the 9th of the month this year, named “Surprise and shine” in the build-up marketing so far. One of the biggest expectations from fans is the introduction of the company’s very first foldable iPhone, but it turns out that it might be NA-only. Either way, Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, will hope to make a good impression at his first big Apple event.

It’s a piece of hardware that has been rumored for a while, with sizes leaked earlier this year alongside the next-gen iPhone 18. Interestingly, we still don’t really know if it’s called the iPhone Fold or the iPhone Ultra – both names have been floating around online, though we’ll soon find out. This year’s event is due to kick off at 10 AM Pacific Time / 1 PM Eastern Time in the U.S.

Apple’s foldable iPhone could have a delayed global launch

According to Korean outlet ET News, Apple is currently expected to launch its new foldable iPhone as a North American exclusive. Reportedly, difficulties with improving the foldable panel and hinge have proven to slow down Apple, forcing a delay to the device’s global rollout. ET News says “a launch of the foldable iPhone in Korea this month is unlikely”.

The new foldable model is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, featuring a book-style foldable mechanism akin to the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Google Pixel Fold series. The source claims pre-orders for these two devices will be available on the 11th in South Korea, but there’s no word on exactly when the foldable model will launch in the region.

Major rival Samsung released a trio of foldable phones in July – the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and a new flagship Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra option. As a book-style model, the foldable iPhone is expected to compete with one of the latter two, and we can only imagine Apple will be bringing all the stops to outdo its Android counterparts. The Fold 8 range started at $1,899 and $2,099 for the base and Ultra models, respectively, with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM configurations for the cheapest.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.