Apple’s first foldable might hurt your wallet

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00:00Apple's first foldable might hurt your wallet

00:03Dreaming of Apple's first foldable iPhone?

00:06You might want a savings plan, or at least a ready card.

00:10According to a new report from Fubon research analyst Arthur Liao,

00:13Apple's long-rumored folding iPhone could launch with a jaw-dropping price tag of around $2,399.

00:21That's not a typo, that's a MacBook wearing a phone costume.

00:25This new estimate is noticeably higher than earlier rumors,

00:28which had Apple's foldable landing somewhere between a still painful $1,800 and $2,100.

00:36So, what happened?

00:38Hinge engineering is expensive.

00:40Fubon's analysis points to rising costs across the board,

00:44including ultra-fancy foldable displays, lightweight materials,

00:47and hinge parts that won't give up after five aggressive folds.

00:51The timing is also interesting.

00:53Fubon predicts global smartphone shipments might decline in 2026,

00:57meaning people are buying fewer phones overall.

01:00So, instead of chasing volume, Apple could do what Apple does best,

01:03sell fewer devices at eye-watering prices and still make money.

01:07If the foldable iPhone launches around 2026 or 2027, as many analysts expect,

01:13Apple may give it a flashy name like iPhone Ultra Fold or iPhone Fold Pro.

01:18And while it might look like a phone, it's positioned more like a portable computer

01:21that could replace your tablet or even a lightweight laptop.

01:25At $2,399, this isn't a gadget for texting and doom-scrolling.

01:30It could be Apple's way of blurring the line between phone, tablet, and productivity machine.

01:35And this isn't just an Apple thing.

01:38If Apple drops a foldable at this price,

01:39competitors like Samsung and Google might feel validated.

01:42Suddenly, charging $1,900 for a foldable doesn't seem that crazy.

01:47It just seems comparatively reasonable,

01:50which is a dangerous place to be in tech.

01:52For regular people, this means adjusting expectations,

01:54and if you're on our own, it's also for yourinal