Tim Cook Championed Apple's Foldable iPhone, Which Could Cost Up to $2,199 [Report]

Tim Cook played an unusually active role in shaping Apple's first foldable iPhone, which the company has recently discussed pricing above its original target, according to a new report from Bloomberg.



Around 2020, Cook returned from a trip to China and elsewhere in Asia "unusually energized" about foldable phones after seeing growing numbers of consumers using devices from Samsung and Huawei. His push to accelerate Apple's efforts carried unusual weight because Cook, known mostly for his focus on finances and the supply chain, generally stayed away from the conception of new products.


Hardware engineering teams had already been studying foldable phones, displays, and related components for years before Samsung launched the first Galaxy Fold in 2019. One early concept was essentially an iPad mini that unfolded into a larger tablet, but Cook's enthusiasm helped redirect the work toward a more mainstream foldable iPhone. "Tim was the earliest and biggest champion of this," one person with knowledge of the project said.

The project was conceived under Dan Riccio, John Ternus's predecessor as head of hardware engineering. Teams prioritized four challenges: reducing the visibility of the display crease, improving hinge reliability, creating flexible cover glass, and developing camera technology that could sit behind the screen. The company ultimately settled on a titanium-and-aluminum hinge paired with custom cover glass developed alongside Corning, producing a crease that is far less visible than on currently shipping foldables. Trade-offs remain: the phone may be less durable than a conventional iPhone, with a weaker camera and less battery life, drawbacks that people who have already used the device have echoed.

Around 2023, Apple's design studio settled on a short-and-wide form factor to distinguish the phone from rival foldables. Designers compared the folded device to a passport and its unfolded proportions to a Magic Trackpad, with a roughly 7.8-inch interior display and a 5.5-inch outer screen. Google used a similar shape for its original Pixel Fold in 2023 before pivoting away, while Samsung has since adopted it with the Galaxy Z Fold8. Internally, the project has carried the code name V68, with some at the company calling it the iPhone Ultra because it will sit above the rest of the lineup.

Price has long been a focal point inside Apple. Early in development, the company targeted $1,999 in an attempt to remain below a potentially controversial $2,000 barrier, mirroring the approach taken when the iPhone X launched at $999 in 2017. The memory shortage that has already forced price increases across Apple's lineup has since pushed costs beyond those goals, leading the company to discuss a price as high as $2,199. That aligns with a supply chain estimate placing the starting price between $2,099 and $2,299.


Some larger-storage configurations could approach $3,000, which would make the foldable the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold. By comparison, the standard iPhone starts at $799 and the iPhone 17 Pro at $1,099. Recent Pro models can approach $2,000 at the highest storage tiers, and their success helped convince Apple that an upscale foldable was worth bringing to market. Competing foldables from Samsung and Google start around $1,899, while the Apple Upgrade subscription program, trade-in promotions, and carrier installment plans could help soften the sticker shock.

The report arrives a day before Apple's "Surprise and shine" event on Wednesday, September 9. Ternus, who took over as CEO on September 1, is expected to unveil the device while Cook, now executive chairman, watches from the audience. The phone would represent the biggest single design change in the iPhone's nearly 20-year history, and the leadership transition was timed to allow Ternus to introduce it. Ternus was "using his power to push it over the finish line," a person with knowledge of the device said.

Apple employees believe the company will sell every foldable phone it can produce, while Wall Street estimates point to sales of about 7 million to 10 million units this year. IDC researcher Nabila Popal said she "won't be surprised if it becomes the 'Birkin' of smartphones in China."