Foldable iPhone Could Cost $2,400

[lilkwarrior]

Not naive just look at the market share of fold phones.

It’s a high-end form factor; it’s not supposed to compete with far simpler, primitive phones in sales. Foldables are expensive and hard to manufacture; they cannot scale to mainstream numbers of a budget phone.

Not everything needs to be for mainstream users to be worthwhile. You think high-end/prosumers of 5090s, Threadrippers, and Porsches care most cannot afford or justify it?

Do you buy products based on marketshare or your specific needs? Unless you’re a pure consiker who needs others to create content tailored to a device for it to be useful to you (nothing wrong with that), it’s usually questionable to care about the former.

Apple has a portfolio of products in which the higher-end products trickle down features to lesser and more modest featured devices.

 

[Ursadorable]

I spend that much on aftershave.

Did it come in a 50 gallon drum?

 

[thebart]

I fold on the iFold

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think if this starts at $2400 and goes up from there, it’s going to do about as well as the Vision Pro.

Well, it’ll do better than the Vision Pro, since basically everything does.

 

[robertosh]

For that amount you can buy a Macbook Air, plus an iPad Air plus an iPhone 17. And still have $3 left for a snack.

 

[yuda398]

I don’t share the skepticism that over people express here because the folding iPhone is a first gen device. I don’t think it will have the same disadvantages as other first gen devices like the iPod, iPhone or Macbook Air had because it seems like Apple has spent a lot of time developing it. Also, I think the only thing they should nail right out the gate is the hinge mechanism and hearing all the rumours around it (liquid metal and whatnot) makes me feel very positively

 

[Suicidy]

I think they just worked out the cost of two iPhone Airs and added them together.

I mean that's about as much thinking as you can put into this.

Does anyone really have and informed analysis of how much of the product cost will be related the folding screen? Because that will be what determines the starting price.

 

[Steakface McToenailtongue]

Foldable iPhone Could Cost $2,400

Shut up and take my money!!!

 

[vantelimus]

Does anyone really have and informed analysis of how much of the product cost will be related the folding screen? Because that will be what determines the starting price.

This would be an expensive device and people would complain even if Apple priced it at half their normal iPhone margin. My back of the envelope calculation and my shaky assumptions are as follows.

1. The Galaxy Fold 7 is about the closest one can find to the features rumored for a foldable iPhone. Industry analysts place the BOM for that at $790.

2. UBS analysts set the BOM for a foldable iPhone at $759.

3. Using Apple iPhone Pro margins, a $2400 retail would put the BOM for the foldable iPhone at $888. I find that way too high. The rumors are hawking creaseless screens and special hinges. These could add more cost, but certainly not almost $98 more than the Galaxy and $129 more than the UBS estimate. Assuming UBS is too optimistic. If you add $50 to their projection, you get $809.

4. Applying the iPhone Pro margin to $809 yields $2186.

Based on that swag, at half their normal mark up over the BOM, the foldable phone would be $1497 – coincidentally about the price of a Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold at Best Buy.

 

[frownface]

This would be an expensive device and people would complain even if Apple priced it at half their normal iPhone margin. My back of the envelope calculation and my shaky assumptions are as follows.

1. The Galaxy Fold 7 is about the closest one can find to the features rumored for a foldable iPhone. Industry analysts place the BOM for that at $790.

2. UBS analysts set the BOM for a foldable iPhone at $759.

3. Using Apple iPhone Pro margins, a $2400 retail would put the BOM for the foldable iPhone at $888. I find that way too high. The rumors are hawking creaseless screens and special hinges. These could add more cost, but certainly not almost $98 more than the Galaxy and $129 more than the UBS estimate. Assuming UBS is too optimistic. If you add $50 to their projection, you get $809.

4. Applying the iPhone Pro margin to $809 yields $2186.

Based on that swag, at half their normal mark up over the BOM, the foldable phone would be $1497 – coincidentally about the price of a Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold at Best Buy.

Or, apple could just elect to apply a higher margin on this product. Premium product, premium mark up.

 

[FlyingTexan]

"I want a $2400 iPhone", said no one, ever.

I'll take it. I fly for a living. All I do is travel. Great specs, great battery life, replace my ipad with it. The beautiful thing is when it's released, you don't have to buy it. Not sure why everyone feels every product has to be just for them.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Cool and all... but, again, NEVER be a first adopter. Mark my words. How do you think those who bought the Apple Vision Pro feel about now?

Imagine being so risk-averse that their life philosophy is basically, “I’ll wait until everyone else enjoys it first.” Yeah, the Vision Pro wasn’t for everybody that’s why pioneers buy it and people who don’t want to try new things sit on the sidelines clutching your pearls about “first adopters.”

Meanwhile the rest of us actually enjoy new tech instead of treating every product launch like a horror movie we’re too scared to watch.

But hey, keep “marking your words.” The rest of us will keep trying cool stuff before it becomes boring enough for non “early adaptors” to give it a try.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

"I want a $2400 iPhone", said no one, ever.

You say “no one wants a $2400 iPhone,” but history disagrees. When the original iPhone launched it cost literally 2× the price of the top-end flip phones at the time. People lost their minds back then too “Who’s paying that for a phone??” and then everyone bought one and the entire industry changed overnight. So if 2× the price was fine when it was replacing a RAZR, why is it suddenly the end of the world now when it’s replacing an iPhone?

 

[vantelimus]

Or, apple could just elect to apply a higher margin on this product. Premium product, premium mark up.

I used the markup over BOM for the iPhone Pro, ~2.7x, because it is their premium product. I suppose they could go higher if they determine they can sell out their production run at a higher price.

 

[RedGT]

Shocked at the amount of comments saying the cost is too much.

Have people never heard of status symbols.

People with plenty of money will not think twice about buying a top end watch for 20 grand or a car for 100k

 

[Steakface McToenailtongue]

Imagine being so risk-averse that their life philosophy is basically, “I’ll wait until everyone else enjoys it first.” Yeah, the Vision Pro wasn’t for everybody that’s why pioneers buy it and people who don’t want to try new things sit on the sidelines clutching your pearls about “first adopters.”

Meanwhile the rest of us actually enjoy new tech instead of treating every product launch like a horror movie we’re too scared to watch.

But hey, keep “marking your words.” The rest of us will keep trying cool stuff before it becomes boring enough for non “early adaptors” to give it a try.

I use my Vision Pro daily, along with my iPhone Air. These are phenomenal devices. It's kind of silly how either spoiled or out of touch people can be. Enjoy life, don't follow others blindly. B-but its hurts my n-neck! B-but it's too thin! Oh my gosh I'm terrified by life itself! Hold Me!!!

lol

 

[lilkwarrior]

Not naive just look at the market share of fold phones.

It’s a high-end form factor; it’s not supposed to compete with far simpler, primitive phones.

Not everything needs to be for mainstream users to be worthwhile. You think high-end/prosumers of 5090s, Threadrippers, and Porsches care most cannot afford or justify it?

Do you buy products based on marketshare or your specific needs? Unless you’re a pure consiker who needs others to create content tailored to a device for it to be useful to you (nothing wrong woth, it’s usually questionable to care about the former.

Apple has a portfolio of products in which the higher-end products trickle down features to lesser and more modest featured devices.

 

[OGdrknight]

I want one but not the first gen models. MAYBE the 2nd gen model.

 

[lilkwarrior]

And we know you’re going to drop it!

…A foldable fold is far more secure to use than a slab. You clearly haven’t used one for a significant amount of time

 

[lilkwarrior]

Warning to all of the early adopter types. You guys start pulling out $2400 iPhones and several of you may get shot and killed.

This price point would be a horrible idea for anyone living in a large urban area and on public transit, it's a wrap.

Think twice about this and about your safety. Sure this sounds cool and I know a bunch of us can afford it, but there will be consequences if you don't travel with a driver or security.

That doesn’t make sense. Major tech cities like SF and NY are full of people who can comfortably afford the device toward not having such issues.

Flagship Android foldables have existed at such costs for years