Gurman: Foldable Ultra Was Aimed at $1,999 — Memory Crunch Pushed Talk to $2,199
Bloomberg/Gurman via MacRumors + 9to5Mac Sep 8: Cook accelerated the foldable after a 2020 Asia trip; original $1,999 start (under the $2k barrier) recently discussed at $2,199 amid the memory shortage; big storage configs could approach $3,000. Passport folded / Magic Trackpad open. Event is today.
As someone who tracks Apple hardware leaks from San Francisco, this is the pricing + origin story beat on the eve of Surprise and Shine — not another camera or production scoop.
The price talk
MacRumors on September 8 and 9to5Mac the same morning walked a new Bloomberg/Mark Gurman report on the foldable (internally iPhone Ultra):
- Early development targeted a $1,999 starting retail price — under the "potentially controversial $2,000 barrier," echoing the iPhone X playbook that opened at $999
- Amid the global memory shortage, Apple has recently discussed pricing as high as $2,199
- Some larger-storage configurations could approach $3,000
- Apple expects some sticker shock, but customers already spending ~$2,000 on high-storage iPhones helped justify an upscale foldable
I am not inventing a final MSRP. Gurman is logging internal targets and recent discussions — the keynote later today (10 a.m. PT) is what sticks.
Cook pushed it; Ternus finishes it
Gurman says Apple engineers had been studying foldables for years (well before the first Galaxy Fold in 2019). Around 2020, Tim Cook returned from Asia "unusually energized" after seeing Samsung/Huawei foldables in the wild and pushed hardware to accelerate. Cook typically stayed away from new-product conception, so that involvement carried weight. Early concepts included an iPad mini that unfolded into a larger tablet; Cook wanted a more mainstream foldable iPhone.
The project started under Dan Riccio; John Ternus (now CEO, ex-hardware chief) was a major champion who helped "push it over the finish line" alongside Cook. Four hard problems got priority: crease visibility, hinge reliability, flexible cover glass (Corning), and under-display camera work. Designers compared folded proportions to a passport and open proportions to a Magic Trackpad — short-and-wide on purpose vs tall Android folds.
Gurman restates the rumored 7.8-inch inner / 5.5-inch outer panels, and notes Apple expects the foldable to be less durable than a regular iPhone, with a weaker camera system and less battery — and still believes "the company will sell every foldable phone it can produce."
How this sits next to what we already published
We logged Nikkei's late-August few hundred units/day ramp and Gurman's MagSafe + dual-launch timing. Today's Sep 8 Bloomberg note does not cancel the Sept 9 unveil — MacRumors still expects the foldable on stage. It does set buyer expectations: Ultra is an upscale product, price talk has crept past $2k, and day-one stock was already looking constrained.
What else I checked today
MacRumors also published a Sep 8 12-feature iPhone 18 Pro roundup (Dynamic Island, A20 2nm, variable aperture, C2, Dark Cherry, etc.) — useful pre-event checklist, not a new exclusive vs what we have been holding for the keynote. AirPods camera models are still quiet since the Aug 19–23 2027 track. I am still holding a dedicated A20 / Dark Cherry / C2 post until Apple says it on stage or a fresh exclusive lands after the stream.
Live catalog bridges
- iPhone Air Space Black 512GB — thin unlocked phone while Ultra pricing settles on stage
- iPhone 16 Pro 256GB renewed — current Pro stand-in if $2k+ foldable is not your move
- Anker Prime 25W Qi2.2 MagSafe 3-in-1 — MagSafe charger Ultra is still rumored to keep
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases via our Associates links (tag thedealshome-20). Prices move; check the live buy box.
Bottom line from Gurman via MacRumors/9to5Mac Sep 8: $1,999 was the under-$2k target, recent talk at $2,199 on memory costs, big configs toward $3,000, Cook accelerated it, Ternus owns the finish. Event is today — wait for the slide, not the rumor.
Products in This Review
iPhone Air Space Black, 512GB (Unlocked)
iPhone Air. The thinnest iPhone ever. 6.5-inch display, durable Ceramic Shield front and back, A19 Pro chip, 48MP Fusion camera system, and Center Stage front camera.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro, 256GB, Natural Titanium - Unlocked (Renewed)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro, US Version, 256GB, Natural Titanium - Unlocked (Renewed)
Anker Prime 25W Qi2.2-Certified Palm-Sized 3-in-1 Foldable MagSafe Charger
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