Apple has increased orders for its new foldable phone to 10 million, up from previous targets of 7 or 8 million. This news comes at the same time that other major phone brands are slashing their production plans.
According to Nikkei Asia, Apple has booked parts and components for 80 million phones – across its whole late 2026 range, which is expected to include an iPhone Pro and Pro Max, and Apple's first-ever foldable.
How can Apple be putting its orders up while other big names like Xiaomi and Oppo are reducing orders? These are big firms producing a lot of phones on the global market, but Apple is the biggest name with the strongest bargaining power.
It doesn't mean Apple customers won't face higher prices, as we've seen. Tim Cook has already increased Apple prices, but this might not affect the company's bid to remain "cool" – key to the new CEO John Ternus's mission.
Apple traditionally launches a new generation of phones in September, regardless of demand for the existing models.
An executive of an Apple supplier is quoted as saying: "The demand for the iPhone 17 series in the markets is still quite good, but we are told to purposely reserve common chips and components for the iPhone 18 series,"
There is another way to read this, however.
Apple's bargaining power is the strongest in the business, so the company might choose to spread its launches out, taking advantage of the fact it can order more chips and save its launches (or some of them) for Spring 2027.
The delay would mean Apple gets to enjoy the success of its existing models even longer – backed by the advantage it has in getting memory. It could then throw all the fanfare of a big launch against any potential competition from the large Chinese and other companies in Spring, and stay ahead.
It might also be the only solution to the engineering issues that have, according to some rumors, plagued the folding phone, and might be especially problematic when large volume production is required.
Nevertheless, according to sources, the more likely releases for the early 2027 window at the moment are the standard (non-Pro) iPhone 18 and a new iPhone Air.
That's interesting for several reasons – not least because some of us thought that the iPhone Air might just be a way of testing half a folding phone on customers, but if there is a new model this soon, perhaps Apple is in it for the long haul.
If you're into the Apple ecosystem, you'll likely need to decide what kind of phone you want – and be prepared to wait if a think light 'Air' or the cheaper iPhone 18 doesn't arrive in the September wave.
Apple sold more smartphones than Samsung, the next largest company, in 2025 and in order to maintain that lead it is devoting a lot of energy to the supply chain.
It is known to have made connections beyond China, too, with companies including Japanese glass fibre company Nittobo, seeming looking to get the lead on components needed by chip manufacturers.
That is a reminder that Apple – a company which produces its own chip designs, after all – is also in a complicated game against the likes of Nvidia.
Will it be worth waiting for the folding iPhone? And just how long a wait? Check our guide to the best iPhone for photography now – and the best folding phone.
