iPhone Fold leaks with $2,400 price and no crease

The earliest foldable iPhone may be taking on the category’s biggest blemish—that pesky crease in the middle of its folding screen—and doing so with fancy-pants materials to boot, but at a possible cost of nearly $2,400.

Supply chain sources have told UDN that Apple has developed crease-free inner display technology in unison with Samsung Display, and also crafted a new hinge made of “liquid metal” alloys (a material previously patented by Apple) to ensure strength while minimizing deformation.

A wrinkle-free screen would adjust expectations

That visible crease is more than a cosmetic gripe; it plays into glare, touch uniformity, and the feeling of durability. Most competitors counteract it by using teardrop-style hinges to increase the bend radius and lessen stress on ultra-thin glass (UTG) and adhesive laminations. Apple’s reported approach goes further. The company tuned the panel stack—which includes the materials, cover layers, and optical clear adhesive—to keep the neutral axis of bending far from the touch/display layers so it’s less visible to both eye and finger, sources said.

The hinge is important to achieving that. By utilizing an amorphous “liquid metal” alloy, which has high tensile strength and low permanent deformation, the phone can eliminate small tolerance changes that often telegraph as a crease with repeated use. Amorphous metal research and patents are something Apple has been investing in for a long time, and applying that to a foldable hinge plays well with its reputation for keeping tight mechanical tolerances.

Price and positioning above Android flagships

A $2,400 price tag would set the device far beyond most mainstream foldables. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold line starts at less than $2,000, and Google’s foldable is currently around the $1,799 mark. The Apple premium likely results from expensive panel yields to ensure a creaseless design, as with the bespoke hinge assembly, plus the usual Apple attention on fit-and-finish and component binning. Look for materials such as higher-end UTG, complicated hinge kinematics, and tighter lamination standards—all costly when there are still relatively low volumes.

Carriers might be able to blunt that with aggressive trade-ins, but even subsidized, a $2,400 foldable is clearly targeting enthusiasts and professionals first. Consider it more of a halo product meant to raise the bar and lift the rest of the lineup with it, rather than an instant mass-market volume driver.

What the supply chain is signaling about Apple’s foldable

UDN claims that Samsung Display is the panel maker and Apple is calling the shots on how to stack it and laminate it—similar to how Apple commanded better OLED quality and uniformity in previous generations of iPhones. There are also reports that Apple’s hinge technology is now in a pre–mass-production state, meaning the solution could be ready beyond mere lab prototypes.

ETNews noted previously that Apple already succeeded in the almost-invisible fold line and is now vetting suppliers. On the other hand, Fubon Research has proposed a price of $2,400 as an upper-tier value for the device above rivaling book-style foldables.

Expected features and trade-offs for a foldable iPhone

Rumors suggest that the phone will feature a quad-camera setup—two sensors when it’s folded and two when it’s unfolded—and a sizable battery that may come close to or surpass 5,000 mAh. An eSIM-only model would align with Apple’s recent pushes in connectivity. There’s chatter of a Touch ID return, which would apparently see integration for ergonomic reasons when the device is folded—though this is yet to be confirmed.

The engineering challenge is how to achieve thinness with durability. Today’s foldables tend to boast hinge-life scores of 200,000+ actuations. If Apple is somehow removing the crease without having to compromise on hinge life, dust ingress protection, or display consistency between one side and the other, that would be a meaningful real-world usability improvement.

Why this is important for the foldable market

Global shipments of foldables are currently around 16 million units a year, says Counterpoint Research—a small but growing part of the premium smartphone market. Apple’s entrance could grow the category by bringing in iPhone loyalists who have been waiting for a foldable that doesn’t feel like it demands too many sacrifices. Historically, Apple’s entry into a segment has the effect of solidifying standards, hastening accessory ecosystems, and forcing component suppliers to increase efficiency and quality.

For rivals, a completely creaseless iPhone would be an under-the-gun factor in dialing up hinge designs, tightening lamination processes, and minimizing cover-layer reflections. Look for quicker iteration on UTG thickness, anti-glare coatings, and hinge kinematics in the industry.

Bottom line: what a $2,400 crease-free iPhone could mean

Apple hasn’t said anything to affirm these details; however, the supply chain story is that a premium, crease-free foldable iPhone is coming together, and it will carry a $2,400 price. If the reports are true, the iPhone Fold will fly out of the gates in pursuit of not just being in the market for foldable phone technology but defining how a book-style foldable should look and feel, with a hinge and screen stack that makes its crease nothing to worry about.