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The assembly line for Apple's first foldable iPhone is complete. Difficulties in ramping up production volumes have reportedly been resolved, and no further delays are expected. This contradicts a report from ten days ago that suggested the exact opposite.
Since May, news about the production of the foldable iPhone has been changing almost weekly: sometimes a hinge problem has been solved, sometimes new hurdles have arisen in pre-production, sometimes mass production has begun. For a device that, according to the information gathered so far, is supposed to be unveiled in the fall alongside the iPhone 18 generation, this is a remarkably unsettled picture. Over the weekend, the Weibo account Fixed Focus Digital posted two updates – one on the production status of the foldable, and one on the design of next year's anniversary models.
Key Facts at a Glance
- According to this account, the construction of the production line for the iPhone Ultra was completed at the end of July.
- An initial problem with scaling production volumes has been resolved; no delay is expected.
- A launch slightly after September and limited availability at the start of sales are still possible.
- The anniversary model is said to retain the height of the iPhone Air, return to a glass construction, and have an enlarged vapor chamber.
- The account's success rate is mixed – it was correct about the name of the iPhone 16e, but wrong about the display of the iPhone 17.
What the new production status indicates
According to the Weibo post, there is no delay with the iPhone Ultra. While there were difficulties ramping up production to higher volumes, these have now been resolved. The production line was finally set up at the end of July.
This is the latest possible date that still aligns with a September presentation. A slightly later market launch and a limited number of units in the first wave are therefore not out of the question. This statement refers to production, not the date of the keynote.
This contradicts the reports from the end of July
Ten days earlier, another line of reporting had still seen obstacles with the hinge and display. These two accounts cannot be maintained simultaneously. Anyone who compares the events of the past three months side by side will recognize a pattern of both positive developments and setbacks within a few weeks.
| Time | Reported production status |
|---|---|
| Mid-May 2026 | Hinge problem slows down trial production |
| End of May 2026 | The cause lies not in the hinge, but in the SMT prefabrication. |
| Mid-June 2026 | Rumors of delays are refuted as false. |
| End of June 2026 | The hinge problem is considered solved. |
| Early July 2026 | Mass production has started, no delays expected. |
| End of July 2026 | Report identifies further hurdles with hinge and display |
| Early August 2026 | Production line complete, scaling problem resolved |
How reliable is the information?
The crucial point lies in the origin: Fixed Focus Digital was the first to attribute the problems at the end of May not to the hinge, but to the SMT pre-production, and the same account refuted rumors of a delay until next year in mid-June. The new post thus confirms their own line of reasoning – this is consistency, but not independent confirmation from a second source.
The account's track record is mixed. He was correct about the name of the iPhone 16e, but wrong about its sales figures. In June 2025, he also stated that the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air would have a fixed 120Hz panel without an adaptive refresh rate – ProMotion would remain exclusive to the Pro models. The opposite happened: The iPhone 17 shipped with ProMotion, a refresh rate between 1 and 120Hz, and an always-on display.
The new article contains no source citation; it merely refers generally to the current state of information. Furthermore, statements regarding production progress are the kind where even a plausible estimate is often accurate. Setting up a production line a few weeks before a September presentation is simply standard procedure.
The anniversary model is expected to retain the same height as the iPhone Air
The second article focuses on next year's iPhone. Three features are mentioned: the slim design of the iPhone Air, a return to glass construction, and an enlarged vapor chamber.
Two of these fit into the familiar picture. The fact that Apple is using more glass in the anniversary model aligns with reports that the factory is ready for the glass design, and the remaining key points are already in the collection of rumors surrounding the iPhone 20.
The third point, however, doesn't quite fit. Previous reports assume that the anniversary design will be reserved for the Pro models – and a thickness at the level of the iPhone Air's 5.6 millimeters would be a very tight specification for a Pro device with a large battery and multiple cameras. An enlarged vapor chamber also requires space. Whether the leaker is referring to the Air's design or the actual dimensions remains unclear.
Why quantity matters more than date
For the German-speaking market, the production status is less about the launch date than about how many devices will actually arrive in the first wave. Apple itself warned of significantly larger supply bottlenecks in its outlook for the September quarter, citing a shortage of components. A newly completed production line has little capacity to absorb high initial demand.
Then there's the price. The same account had already stated in June that higher prices were to be expected for the iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable model – in Germany and Austria, such a surcharge is further increased by VAT. If you want the iPhone Ultra at launch, pre-ordering on the first day is realistically the only way to get it without a wait. (Image: Shutterstock / Andrey Suslov)
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