Foldable iPhone Development History and Price Revealed in New Report

Former Apple CEO Tim Cook played a major role in the development of the foldable iPhone, which could reach around $3,000 with storage upgrades, according to new details shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Early in the development of the foldable iPhone, the company reportedly targeted a starting retail price of $1,999, hoping to come under the "potentially controversial $2,000 barrier." The idea was to replicate the debut of the iPhone X in 2017, which started at $999.

Amid the impact of the global memory shortage, Apple is said to have recently discussed pricing the foldable at $2,199. Some storage configurations could approach $3,000. While the company anticipates some "sticker shock" for consumers, the willingness of customers to spend around $2,000 on iPhone models with upgraded storage convinced the company that an "upscale foldable device was worth bringing to market."

Gurman also revealed details about the history of the foldable iPhone inside Apple. Around 2020, Cook apparently returned from a visit to Asia "unusually energized" about foldable phones. During the trip, he saw growing numbers of consumers using foldable devices from the likes of Samsung and Huawei. He came to believe that Apple needed an equivalent offering in the market and pushed the company to accelerate its development efforts.

Apple's hardware engineering team had been studying foldable phones, displays, and related components for years, dating back to well before the launch of the first Galaxy Fold device in 2019. Before Cook's guidance, the project was mired by debates over the form that an Apple foldable should take, with one early concept being an iPad mini that could unfold into a larger tablet. Cook wanted the final device to be more mainstream in the form of a foldable iPhone, and his level of involvement in the project was unusual.

The project was conceived under Dan Riccio, who preceded John Ternus as head of hardware engineering. The company apparently prioritized resolving four main challenges: reducing the visibility of the display crease, improving hinge reliability, creating a new flexible cover glass for the inner display, and developing under-display camera technology.

The company eventually settled on a hinge system made using titanium and aluminum and custom cover glass developed with Corning. Despite being less durable than other existing iPhone models, Apple is said to believe that the construction quality of the foldable iPhone is industry-leading for the foldable market, and thinks it has an advantage over Android devices in terms of software.

Gurman restated several of the device's rumored specifications, including a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, and a wide form-factor design. During development, Apple designers apparently compared the folded proportions of the device to a passport and the unfolded proportions to a Magic Trackpad. The short-and-wide design was chosen to provide a point of differentiation with rival foldable and generate consumer interest.

He reiterated that the foldable iPhone may be less durable than a conventional iPhone, with an inferior camera system and less battery life. Despite these drawbacks, Apple employees are said to believe "the company will sell every foldable phone it can produce."

Gurman also noted that the foldable iPhone's engineering complexity "makes it an ideal showcase" for new CEO John Ternus, following his career as Apple's hardware chief. Ternus was apparently a major champion of the device and played a major role to "push it over the finish line," alongside Cook.

Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to be announced tomorrow at its "Surprise and shine" event. See the full Bloomberg report for more information.