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Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone is shaping up to be the most expensive device the company has ever put in someone’s pocket.
A fresh leak from Weibo-based tipster Instant Digital reveals that the iPhone Fold may launch in three storage tiers — 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB — with Chinese yuan-converted prices landing at approximately $2,320, $2,610, and $2,900, respectively.
A foldable phone that costs more than a MacBook Pro?
That last figure is genuinely startling. Apple’s base M5 MacBook Pro starts at $1,699, while the M5 Pro model begins at $2,199 with a 1TB SSD. In other words, the top-tier iPhone Fold — a phone — would cost more than Apple’s entry-level pro laptop by over $700.
| Device | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Fold (rumored) | ~$2,320 | ~$2,610 | ~$2,900 |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | $1,199 | $1,399 | $1,599 |
| M5 MacBook Pro (14-inch) | – | – | $1,699 |
| M5 Pro MacBook Pro (14-inch) | – | – | $2,199 |
| Galaxy Z Fold 7 | $1,999.99 | $2,119.99 | $2,419.99 |
The price ladder between tiers is also unusual — it’d cost $320 to step from 256GB to 512GB, and another $260 to reach 1TB, compared to flat $200 jumps across the iPhone 17 Pro Max lineup.
Even the entry-level figure broadly aligns with earlier estimates suggesting a price somewhere between $1,800 and $2,500, with more recent reports tilting toward the higher end.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, for reference, retails at $2,000 for 256GB — meaning Apple’s foldable would command a $320 premium right out of the gate, even before the upgrade taxes kick in.
Is Apple sleepwalking into another Vision Pro?
These numbers demand an honest question: who exactly is Apple building this for?
At $2,320 to start and nearly $2,900 at the top, the iPhone Fold isn’t competing with Samsung’s foldables — it’s orbiting in a different atmosphere entirely. The Vision Pro was a marvel of engineering that most people couldn’t justify buying, and the iPhone Fold’s rumored pricing risks walking the exact same path.
Apple has never shied away from premium pricing, but there’s a difference between “aspirational” and “alienating.” A phone that costs more than a pro-grade laptop, regardless of how refined its hinge is, is a tough pitch to mainstream buyers.
If Apple wants the iPhone Fold to be more than a collector’s item for the ultra-wealthy, it needs to reconsider what value at this price point actually means.
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