The most expensive smartphone Apple has ever made
In the long arc of the smartphone's evolution, Apple now prepares to fold — literally — entering a market it has watched others build for years. The iPhone Fold, expected to arrive priced between $2,400 and $2,500, would become the most expensive device Apple has ever sold, a deliberate signal that the company intends not merely to participate in the foldable category but to redefine its ceiling. With a Samsung-made inner display, a liquid metal hinge of Apple's own design, and a dedicated production line, this is less a product launch than a philosophical statement about what premium can still mean.
- Apple is entering the foldable market years after rivals, raising the stakes by pricing its first attempt higher than any smartphone it has ever released.
- The engineering tension is real — fitting two screens, four cameras, and a crease-free hinge into a device under 9.5mm thick demands solutions competitors have struggled to perfect.
- Apple's choice of Touch ID over dual Face ID systems reveals a pragmatic willingness to simplify where complexity would add cost without adding experience.
- Pricing has crept upward through development, from 'well over $2,000' to a confirmed $2,400–$2,500 target, suggesting Apple is leaning into luxury rather than accessibility.
- The device undercuts Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold in price while positioning above it in ambition — a calculated bet that Apple's ecosystem and brand can carry a significant premium.
- A dedicated production line signals this is no experiment; Apple is committing infrastructure to a category it believes it can own.
Apple is preparing to release its first foldable iPhone — and it will be the most expensive smartphone the company has ever made. Priced between $2,400 and $2,500, the iPhone Fold is being built on a dedicated production line, a commitment that signals Apple views this as a serious product category rather than a tentative experiment.
The engineering tells its own story. The inner display — 7.8 inches when open — is being manufactured by Samsung, but Apple is designing the surrounding architecture: the hinge, the panel structure, and the lamination process. The hinge uses liquid metal components, a material chosen for durability and feel. When closed, the device measures between 9 and 9.5 millimeters, with a 5.5-inch outer screen visible on the front.
Four cameras are built in — two 48-megapixel sensors on the rear, plus one on each display. Rather than engineering two separate Face ID systems for each screen orientation, Apple is reportedly opting for Touch ID, a simpler solution that trims both complexity and cost without sacrificing security.
The price has climbed as development has advanced. Early reports suggested something above $2,000; the current target sits firmly at $2,400 to $2,500. That places the iPhone Fold above Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold and the foldables from Chinese manufacturers — a deliberate positioning that asks consumers to trust Apple's ecosystem and craftsmanship to justify the gap. Whether that trust translates into sales remains the open question, but the infrastructure investment suggests Apple has already answered it for itself.
Apple is building a foldable iPhone, and it's going to cost more than any phone the company has ever made. According to reports, the device—which Apple will call the iPhone Fold—is being manufactured on a dedicated production line, with a price tag somewhere in the $2,400 to $2,500 range. That positions it as a luxury object even by Apple's standards, and substantially pricier than the foldable phones Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Motorola already have on the market.
The engineering approach reveals how Apple is thinking about the problem. The inner display, the one you see when the phone is open, will be a 7.8-inch screen built by Samsung. But Apple is designing everything else: the hinge mechanism, the panel structure, and the lamination process that holds it all together. The hinge itself will use liquid metal components—a material choice meant to balance durability with the tactile experience of holding the device. It's the kind of detail that matters to Apple, even if most users never think about it.
When folded, the iPhone Fold will measure between 9 and 9.5 millimeters thick. The external screen, the one visible when closed, will be 5.5 inches. Four cameras will be built into the device: two 48-megapixel sensors on the back, and one camera each on the inner and outer displays. Rather than cramming two Face ID systems into the phone—one for each screen orientation—Apple is reportedly planning to use Touch ID instead, a simpler solution that reduces complexity and cost.
The pricing has shifted upward as development has progressed. Mark Gurman, Bloomberg's Apple reporter, initially suggested the device would cost well over $2,000. But more recent reports indicate Apple is targeting the $2,400 to $2,500 bracket. If accurate, this would make the iPhone Fold the most expensive smartphone Apple has ever released—a significant statement about how the company views this product category and where it sits in the market.
The price gap between Apple's foldable and its competitors is striking. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold, one of the most mature foldables on the market, starts at a lower price point. So do the foldables from Chinese manufacturers. Apple is betting that its engineering, its ecosystem, and its brand will justify the premium. Whether consumers agree remains to be seen, but the company's willingness to invest in a dedicated production line suggests it's serious about this being more than an experiment.
Notable Quotes
Apple will use hinge components made of liquid metal, which enhances toughness while maintaining a delicate feel when holding the device— Industry reports on iPhone Fold engineering
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would Apple price this so much higher than Samsung's foldable, which is already a mature product?
Apple isn't competing on price. They're betting on the engineering—the liquid metal hinge, the crease-free display, the way it feels in your hand. That's what they're charging for.
But Samsung has been making foldables for years. What's Apple actually doing differently?
The details matter here. Apple designed the hinge, the panel structure, the lamination. Samsung makes the screen, but Apple controls how it all fits together. That's the philosophy—vertical integration, control over the entire experience.
Touch ID instead of Face ID on both screens seems like a compromise, though.
It is, but it's a practical one. Two Face ID systems would be redundant, expensive, and complicated. Touch ID solves the problem more elegantly, even if it feels like a step backward on paper.
Do you think people will actually buy a $2,400 phone?
Apple's betting they will. The people who buy the most expensive iPhones today are already spending $1,600 or more. This is just the next tier. Whether it's worth it depends entirely on what the device actually does when it ships.