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Starting at $2499. An “ultra” device is super premium and will have a high price to go with it.
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Foldable iPhone May Not Come in Black, Leaker Suggests
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For me, black or white is not matter. It is understandable that the first new hybrid iPhone and iPad device production is challenging but doable. As long as it is delivered on schedule, that any doable color production is not a big deal, but the end product is. I am so looking forward to get it and feel the new transformed user experience on this most portable hybrid device!!
Apple has yet to finalize whether its upcoming foldable iPhone will be available in black, according to a questionable new rumor.
The Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" commented today that Apple "hasn't even decided yet whether the foldable screen will come in black," adding pointedly: "Do they have a vendetta against the color black?" The remark suggests black is at least under consideration, but has not been confirmed as part of the lineup, a notably open question for a device that is expected to enter mass production imminently and launch as soon as September.
In February, the leaker described the device as coming in just two color options, with white as the only confirmed shade and the second unspecified. Instant Digital revisited that report in May without walking back any color details, keeping the two-option account intact. Today's comment does not necessarily contradict that, but introduces new uncertainty about what the second option actually is.
Separately, Macworld cited a supply chain source claiming the second finish will be an indigo option similar to the iPhone 17 Pro's Deep Blue, alongside a classic silver and white model. That source also said the device will offer fewer choices than the iPhone 18 Pro models, with no bold or vibrant colors. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman similarly reported that Apple plans to "stay away from fun colors" and stick to more traditional silver/white and space gray/black finishes.
Samsung Display's OLED panels for the device are already entering mass production, and ramp-up is underway. Color decisions typically feed directly into manufacturing and component procurement, all of which needs to be locked well in advance of launch. For a device as complex and supply-constrained as the foldable iPhone is expected to be, any severe late-stage indecision seems unlikely, so the rumor may simply indicate some opaqueness in the supply chain about the second color.
That being said, dummy models that have surfaced so far have only been seen in white. It is also worth noting that new high-end products such as the Apple Watch Ultra and Vision Pro only launched with one color option.
A limited color offering may partly reflect the practical realities of manufacturing the device at all. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has warned that early-stage yield and ramp-up challenges could constrain supply through at least the end of 2026, and that the frequently cited figure of 15 to 20 million units likely reflects cumulative demand across the product's full two to three year lifecycle, not 2026 alone. Adding color variants increases the number of SKUs to produce, stock, and allocate, which is a complication Apple has little commercial incentive to absorb when launch supply is expected to be tight regardless.
The approach would be broadly consistent with how Apple has handled generationally significant launches before. The iPhone X debuted in November 2017 in just two colors, Silver and Space Gray, at a then-record starting price of $999. The iPhone XS that followed a year later added Gold to the lineup, and Apple may take the same incremental approach with the iPhone Ultra over time.
At a starting price that Gurman says will "cross the $2,000 threshold", the foldable iPhone is unlikely to attract buyers whose purchasing decision is heavily determined by color options. That gives Apple room to keep the initial palette narrow.
The first foldable iPhone is expected to be announced in September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Article Link: Foldable iPhone May Not Come in Black, Leaker Suggests
Wolf Puppy
macrumors member
Sold out doesn’t mean anything. How many are made in comparison to each other? In 2025, black and natural titanium sold the most. No black for the 17 pro/Max is irrelevant to the data.
Which iPhone Color is Most Popular? 2025 Sales Data & Trends
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www.beaconinside.com
Because it takes a significant amount of time to mass produce components and a significant amount of logistics to get everything together for assembly. It is far easier to lock-in colors for mass production and then decide not to use a color than it is to, as these articles claim, add a color at the very last minute.
transpo1
macrumors 68000
That’s a great option, thanks. But if I’m paying $2k for a phone, I’m not paying more to have a third party colorize it.
JPack
macrumors P6
I already provided the gold iPhone X FCC story as a hint, yet you still chose to stick with your mistaken belief.
The answer is, it takes nowhere near as long as you think. In fact, the colorway decision is usually the very last to be made. This is because the color is just a shell process, not an engineering design decision.
PVD or anodization takes a few hours per chassis and these chassis can be processed in huge baths or chambers containing hundreds or thousands of frames per cycle. There are huge farms of these chambers or tanks meaning massive parallelization. You add “China-speed” to the mix and a supplier could produce at least 10 million units for Apple within 2 months.
There is zero reason for Apple to lock in the color a year ahead and stockpile the chassis. That’s the reality. It’s one of the last things to be finalized because any changes to the shape and size of the logic board, battery, camera affect the chassis.
I still think they’re going to go with iBook. Apple will be aware of the durability issues that mass market sales might induce (see: the number of broken iPhone screens out there) so not calling it an iPhone immediately rules it out for a large number of people.
I know that sounds daft but this is how marketing works. It also doesn’t damage the iPhone brand if the foldable doesn’t work out as they hope.
People who don’t read the tech news (ie 99.9% of the population) will just assume it’s some sort of iPad-adjacent device.
Fact is foldables remain niche, enthusiast devices. Apple are for all intents building a fanperson phone.
So it doesnt come in black. Real simple solution...BUY A BLACK CASE. Also whats this nonsense is they dont even know what color the screen is going to be? id assume the screens are going to be black too when turned off! just like every other screen on every other modern cell phone!
been out of the loop for a bit, what's the point of this product genuinely? For $2000 not only does this make the iPhone lineup even larger, now spanning from "budget" to base to "air" to pro (with 2 models) and now this
Apple has yet to finalize whether its upcoming foldable iPhone will be available in black, according to a questionable new rumor.
The Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" commented today that Apple "hasn't even decided yet whether the foldable screen will come in black," adding pointedly: "Do they have a vendetta against the color black?" The remark suggests black is at least under consideration, but has not been confirmed as part of the lineup, a notably open question for a device that is expected to enter mass production imminently and launch as soon as September.
In February, the leaker described the device as coming in just two color options, with white as the only confirmed shade and the second unspecified. Instant Digital revisited that report in May without walking back any color details, keeping the two-option account intact. Today's comment does not necessarily contradict that, but introduces new uncertainty about what the second option actually is.
Separately, Macworld cited a supply chain source claiming the second finish will be an indigo option similar to the iPhone 17 Pro's Deep Blue, alongside a classic silver and white model. That source also said the device will offer fewer choices than the iPhone 18 Pro models, with no bold or vibrant colors. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman similarly reported that Apple plans to "stay away from fun colors" and stick to more traditional silver/white and space gray/black finishes.
Samsung Display's OLED panels for the device are already entering mass production, and ramp-up is underway. Color decisions typically feed directly into manufacturing and component procurement, all of which needs to be locked well in advance of launch. For a device as complex and supply-constrained as the foldable iPhone is expected to be, any severe late-stage indecision seems unlikely, so the rumor may simply indicate some opaqueness in the supply chain about the second color.
That being said, dummy models that have surfaced so far have only been seen in white. It is also worth noting that new high-end products such as the Apple Watch Ultra and Vision Pro only launched with one color option.
A limited color offering may partly reflect the practical realities of manufacturing the device at all. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has warned that early-stage yield and ramp-up challenges could constrain supply through at least the end of 2026, and that the frequently cited figure of 15 to 20 million units likely reflects cumulative demand across the product's full two to three year lifecycle, not 2026 alone. Adding color variants increases the number of SKUs to produce, stock, and allocate, which is a complication Apple has little commercial incentive to absorb when launch supply is expected to be tight regardless.
The approach would be broadly consistent with how Apple has handled generationally significant launches before. The iPhone X debuted in November 2017 in just two colors, Silver and Space Gray, at a then-record starting price of $999. The iPhone XS that followed a year later added Gold to the lineup, and Apple may take the same incremental approach with the iPhone Ultra over time.
At a starting price that Gurman says will "cross the $2,000 threshold", the foldable iPhone is unlikely to attract buyers whose purchasing decision is heavily determined by color options. That gives Apple room to keep the initial palette narrow.
The first foldable iPhone is expected to be announced in September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Article Link: Foldable iPhone May Not Come in Black, Leaker Suggests
Also, Ultra yet without Lidar or Telephoto? Or even Face-ID? This should be called something else, considering we just got macbook neo..
As I already explained, going to scale, particularly with a brand new chassis, takes a significant amount of time. This includes the time needed to ensure accurate color production, stability, etc. at scale.
As I also already explained, Apple tests various colors at earlier developmental stages. The iPhone X story simply demonstrates this. It is not evidence Apple “planned” to release the iPhone X in gold. A more plausible explanation is this was a color tested, a color exclusively for test devices (that could help detect leaks), or both.
JPack
macrumors P6
Apple isn't new to manufacturing Al or Ti chassis. They don't need the one year lead time you suggest.
The gold iPhone X completely contradicts your claim that colors are "locked-in" for a year. If colors are "locked in" then why would Apple send a non-release color for FCC and UL review late in the game?
Apple sends devices to contract labs to write reports for the FCC to review. Those labs are staffed by regular people from the public. So, no Apple doesn't send "test devices" to detect leaks to contract labs. The FCC report shows iPhone X in silver, black, and gold. Again, that contracts your theory that colors are locked in a year ahead of launch.