Apple's Foldable iPhone Hits the Market Amid Stiff Competition and Rising Memory Costs
Apple marked its biggest design shift since the iPhone X in 2017 by unveiling a foldable iPhone and refreshed iPhone 18 Pro lineup on September 9. The company's new Chief Executive Officer John Ternus led his first major hardware reveal, skipping the standard iPhone 18 this year due to delays until spring 2027.
The autumn lineup centers around the foldable iPhone, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, all running the new A20 Pro chip. This chip is tied to improved on-device Siri AI capabilities. Analysts expect rising memory prices to push the retail price of the foldable device above earlier generations.
AAPL stock closed 1.17% lower at $316.22 ahead of the keynote, despite remaining near its 52-week range. HSBC held a Buy rating with a $366 price target, while Citi projected 7.3 million foldable iPhone unit sales, anticipating a price near $2,000.
Apple faces fresh competition from China, where Huawei introduced its tri-fold Mate XT2 on September 7, priced between $2,980 and $3,725. Xiaomi also debuted its passport-sized 18 Fold the same day, starting near $1,540. Huawei Executive Director Richard Yu acknowledged memory cost pressure: 'Pricing right now is a real challenge, because memory costs have risen sharply.'