Updated

Updated · 9to5Mac · Jul 23

Foxconn Makes Final iPhone Ultra Production Adjustments as 1-2 Month Launch Delay Remains Possible

Updated

Updated · 9to5Mac · Jul 23

Foxconn Makes Final iPhone Ultra Production Adjustments as 1-2 Month Launch Delay Remains Possible

Q: With the launch just weeks away, why might Apple's most expensive iPhone ever force users to abandon Face ID?

Apple’s foldable iPhone may drop Face ID because the hardware appears too difficult to fit into the device’s unusually thin, space-constrained design. Supply-chain reports and analyst leaks point to a book-style foldable that could measure just about 4.5 to 4.8 mm when unfolded, making it thinner than even Apple’s slim iPhone Air-class designs. That leaves far less internal room for the TrueDepth camera system that powers Face ID, which requires multiple sensors and components. The challenge is bigger on a foldable than on a standard iPhone. Because the device is expected to have both an outer cover screen and a larger inner display, supporting Face ID in a seamless way could require two separate sets of Face ID components, adding cost, thickness and engineering complexity. For a first-generation foldable already dealing with hinge, crease and durability constraints, that is a major trade-off. That is why several well-cited reports say Apple is likely to use Touch ID built into the side power button instead. A side-mounted fingerprint sensor takes up less space, avoids duplicating facial-recognition hardware across two displays, and simplifies the internal layout. So even though this model is expected to be Apple’s most expensive iPhone ever — likely above $2,000 — the foldable form factor may force a practical compromise: less room inside the device means Face ID is harder to implement than on conventional iPhones.

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Jul 23

Foxconn is carrying out “final mass-production adjustments” for Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the clearest new supply-chain signal that the iPhone Ultra is nearing launch even as timing remains unsettled.
Apple’s strict quality bar is driving the uncertainty: it waited for Samsung to deliver a creaseless inner display, making the foldable one of its most demanding hardware launches and raising delay risks.
Recent reports still point to a September unveiling alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, with any sales delay now expected to be short rather than slipping into early 2027.
Initial availability could be limited, suggesting Apple may prioritize a controlled rollout over a broad day-one release for its first folding iPhone.