Foldable screen, top-tier models or over 20,000! Apple's most expensive phone is coming

Apple’s first foldable iPhone Fold is already confirmed: it will be released this September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, and it will be Apple’s most expensive phone product. This is Apple’s first foldable model after years of technological refinement, featuring a wider screen design intended to address current industry pain points such as the clearly visible crease on existing foldable phones.

According to Mark Gurman’s latest reveal, the iPhone Fold’s external display will include a front-facing camera with a hole-punch cutout. Because the device is too thin, Face ID facial recognition has been removed; instead, the power button is integrated with a fingerprint sensor. However, the camera area still supports the Dynamic Island feature, which can display real-time activities and related notifications.

Apple previously tested an under-display camera solution, but ultimately abandoned it due to poor imaging results, choosing a visible hole-punch camera instead. Due to space constraints, the phone’s rear camera setup will include only a dual-camera module and will not use a triple-camera system.

Although it comes with an iPad-style interface, the iPhone Fold still runs the native iOS operating system rather than iPadOS. As a result, it cannot support the full multitasking capabilities of iPad, nor can it directly run existing iPadOS apps.

By keeping only the basic split-screen capabilities designed for foldable screens, the iPhone Fold is a crossover product that blends iPhone portability with iPad’s large-screen interaction.

When unfolded, the iPhone Fold will use an iPad-style UI layout, supporting multitasking operations that run two apps side-by-side, breaking the limitation that iPhones across generations could only achieve simple multitasking through picture-in-picture.

The device features a 4:3 wide-screen ratio design. When unfolded, its size will be close to that of the iPad mini, making it better suited for split-screen operations, video viewing, and other scenarios. When closed, it matches the look of traditional straight-screen iPhones, balancing portability with a big-screen experience.

Apple has set the iPhone Fold’s price at around $2,000, making it the highest-priced model in the 2026 iPhone product lineup. Combined with supply chain information, the starting price for the mainland China version is expected to be 14,000–15,000 yuan RMB; the high-end version may even exceed 20,000 yuan.

As for Apple’s “most expensive phone” that’s about to be released, most of the commenters in the comment section don’t buy it: “A foldable screen costs 20,000, and the iPad only costs 2,000!”

Ai 1 Shan’s 213: How come even facial recognition is removed—wouldn’t that make it the most practical?

Zhang Han especially likes to eat Chinese black vinegar: It’s really ugly. It’s so wide for one phone— is it really practical?

User 546595: If it’s a foldable screen, then the iPad isn’t necessary, right?

Hua Ying insists on staying slim: It reminds me of that super-long Apple 18 in Love Apartment.

Xun Yun Qi: If there are no creases, then it’s worth considering buying one.

Treat me to a piece of candy: What’s the point of folding, exactly?

The gentle sunshine in the early morning: In a few years, everyone will take a TV out of their pocket.

Last year, Huawei’s triple-fold Mate xTs was sold at prices ranging from 17,999 yuan to 21,999 yuan. Many netizens also complained that it “looks like they’re making notes on a pile of memorials.” However, more than 3 million people had already pre-ordered before launch, and once sales started, it sold out instantly.

Would you pay for Apple’s foldable phone? Tell us in the comments.

Orange News Interactive · Urban Express reporter Cheng Jiayi comprehensive report