iPhone Ultra, what’s wrong with it?
Apple’s plans for the foldable iPhone haven’t gone smoothly. | Image by Fpt.
Several issues have cropped up during the final leg of getting the iPhone Ultra to store shelves. One of the biggest problems is the fact that the phone’s display crease won’t be completely invisible as Apple had hoped. Given that this was one of the two main reasons for seven years of delays, it seems like quite a big problem.
There’s also the matter of the foldable iPhone hinge creaking after some use, a problem that is understandably completely and utterly unacceptable for Apple. It also doesn’t help that the phone has had to make compromises elsewhere, like substituting Face ID with Touch ID.
Now, another major problem has cropped up. Multiple reports keep alleging that the production of Apple’s foldable is falling behind too much. So much so that the company might have to delay the phone’s launch by a few months or even postpone it until next year.
Why a delay would be a problem
Apple is stuck between an iPhone 20 Pro and an iPhone Ultra. | Image by Talks Tech Newz
If the foldable iPhone gets delayed, that creates two other problems for Apple.
For one, this year’s launch will then only see the announcement of the iPhone 18 Pro models, as the base iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2 will come out around March next year alongside the iPhone 18e. That would leave this year’s event feeling very dry and empty.
Secondly, a 2027 launch for the foldable iPhone will crowd the event too much because that is when Apple plans to unveil the fascinating iPhone 20 Pro to celebrate 20 years of iPhone. If the iPhone Ultra, which would also be a first, comes out alongside it, then Apple would be presenting too many new entries all together.
Why a foldable iPhone delay is okay
We’ve waited seven years for the foldable iPhone, we can wait one more. | Image by Ben Geskin
Despite all of the problems that I’ve just mentioned, I don’t think that another delay for the foldable iPhone Ultra would be a problem. It would be disappointing, yes, but not an issue.
How long have we waited to see a foldable iPhone? Seven years? More? We have never been closer to such a thing becoming a reality.
The plans have been finalized, prototypes exist, the supply chain is ready and primed, and everyone knows that an Apple foldable is finally happening. In fact, accessory makers have already leaked foldable iPhone cases, leaving practically nothing to the imagination.
It likely won’t happen, though
Apple is also having problems with next year’s iPhone 20 Pro. | Image by Fpt.
That said, I also highly doubt that Apple is going to delay the iPhone Ultra yet again. It’s just too far ahead in development and pushing back its launch once more would sabotage the company’s fragile three-year plan for the iPhone.
Apple has already had to make compromises. The iPhone 18 Pro was supposed to come with an under-display Face ID component. Test units, however, are sluggish and inaccurate.
That’s not a feature that the company would be willing to ship in a degraded form, so the iPhone 18 Pro might just look exactly like an iPhone 17 Pro but in different colors. On the bright side, Apple might give us back a black color option to make up for this.
Meanwhile, Apple is also having trouble with the iPhone 20 Pro display. The borderless, cutout-free screen might end up having some brightness problems and slight distortion around the edges. It’s a problem that Apple will likely fix with a successor to the iPhone 20 Pro if it’s not resolved on time.
With all of these compromises already weighing Apple down, I just don’t think that the company is in a position to delay a highly anticipated launch in pursuit of perfection.
