Foldable iPhone Production Limited to Just a Few Hundred Units Per Day [Report]

Apple was producing just "a few hundred" foldable iPhones per day in late August as stringent quality requirements slowed the manufacturing ramp, according to supply chain sources cited by Nikkei Asia. The low output could leave the company short of its production target and result in limited supplies when sales begin.



"Apple has very high quality requirements and added an extra trial run in August ahead of actual production. However, production is ramping up slowly, with output currently at only a few hundred units a day in late August. That initial volume could be challenging to meet market demand," one supply chain manager told the publication.


Apple also carried out an additional verification process in August to ensure the device could be mass-produced according to its specified design, according to two people familiar with the situation. That process pushed commercial production back by weeks, while Apple and its suppliers are now said to be working around the clock to increase output.

Among the areas receiving additional scrutiny are screen flatness and hinge performance. "The surface flatness and the performance of the hinge are among the details where Apple is asking for better production yields," another source said. The company also subjects the foldable to more extreme testing conditions, significantly more folding cycles, and stricter screen-flatness requirements than rival smartphone makers.

Apple is targeting 8 million to 10 million units this year. Industry executives told Nikkei Asia that meeting that goal would normally require tens of thousands of phones to be produced each day. If the ramp does not accelerate, Apple could fall short of its target and have limited stocks at distribution channels when sales begin.

The situation adds to uncertainty over initial availability. Earlier reports have pointed to a staggered rollout following the reveal, potentially with sales limited to the U.S. at first. Mark Gurman offered a different assessment this week, saying he expects the foldable to go on sale at the same time or very close to the iPhone 18 Pro models and does not believe the device is facing massive delays or supply chain issues at this point.


The foldable, which employees internally call the iPhone Ultra, is expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at Apple's September 9 event.

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