Apple's First Foldable Is Almost Here — and Most People Shouldn't Buy It
Apple's foldable iPhone — widely referred to as the iPhone Fold, though it may officially launch as the iPhone Ultra — is expected to be announced at Apple's September 2026 event alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. UK pricing estimates from analyst reports start at around £1,599, with some sources placing it higher still. Apple has confirmed nothing. What is confirmed: this will be the most expensive iPhone ever made.
For a certain type of buyer — early adopters, developers, people who genuinely need a tablet-phone hybrid — it will be worth every penny. For everyone else, the maths don't stack up. Here's why a professionally refurbished iPhone 17 is the more sensible choice for most UK consumers right now.
How much will the iPhone Fold cost in the UK?
Apple hasn't confirmed UK pricing, and it won't until the September keynote. Analyst estimates and supply-chain reports consistently point to a starting price north of $2,000 in the US. Translated to UK retail — accounting for VAT and Apple's typical UK pricing premium — credible estimates place the base model somewhere between £1,599 and £1,900, with higher-storage configurations potentially pushing beyond £2,100. Those are pre-order figures. The actual price you'd pay depends on the configuration, and there's no guarantee of immediate availability even if you do pre-order.
For context, the iPhone 17 Pro — a fully mature, triple-camera flagship — starts at £1,099 new. A refurbished iPhone 17 can be had for meaningfully less than that.
What You Actually Give Up With the iPhone Fold
The trade-offs on a first-generation foldable are real, and they matter for day-to-day use. Despite the premium price, the iPhone Fold is expected to launch with two rear cameras rather than three — there simply isn't room for a telephoto lens in the chassis. Face ID is out too; the device is too thin to fit the required sensor array, so Apple is using Touch ID in the power button instead, similar to the iPad Air. It is also expected to be eSIM-only, with no physical SIM tray — worth confirming with your UK network before committing.
The inner display is expected to measure around 7.8 inches. Apple has reportedly worked hard to minimise the crease that plagues every book-style foldable on the market, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman describing it as "reduced" rather than eliminated. Whether Apple has genuinely solved the crease problem at scale won't be known until units are in reviewers' hands.
There is also a supply question. Mass production is reported to be starting in late July or August 2026 — an unusually short runway before a September announcement. Some analysts have floated a December on-sale date, meaning a September reveal could come with a months-long wait before you actually receive a device.
The Depreciation Problem Nobody Is Talking About Enough
A June 2026 study by resale marketplace SellCell, covered by Forbes, put hard numbers on the cost of buying a foldable. Across every major brand, foldable smartphones lose an average of 64.6% of their value within the first 12 months — the worst depreciation rate of any smartphone category. Traditional smartphones lose 55.3% over the same period. In cash terms, foldable owners lose an average of nearly $1,000 in the first year, compared with around $605 for standard flagship owners.
Applied to a hypothetical $2,000 iPhone Fold, SellCell modelled the resale value dropping to around $708 after 12 months — a loss of roughly $1,292 in a single year. Apple does hold its value better than Samsung or Google, and if the iPhone Fold tracked the iPhone 16's retention rate instead of the foldable average, the loss would be closer to $970. Either way, you're looking at four figures evaporating in year one on a device that hasn't proven its long-term durability yet.
There's a further wrinkle: first-generation foldables across every brand have historically been the worst performers on resale value. When a second-generation model lands — and Apple has already been reported to be developing a Gen 2 for 2027 — the Gen 1 takes a sharper depreciation hit as buyers move on.
Should I wait for the foldable iPhone or buy a refurbished iPhone now?
For most people, buying a refurbished iPhone 17 now is the more practical decision — and the numbers back it up. The iPhone 17 brings genuine upgrades over its predecessors: a 120Hz ProMotion display (previously a Pro exclusive), a 6.3-inch screen, an upgraded 48MP camera system, and Apple's A19 chip. It is a proven, mature product with a known software support runway and predictable running costs.
A refurbished iPhone 17 bought today gets you all of that hardware at a price well below the cheapest possible iPhone Fold estimate, with no first-gen gamble on hinge longevity, no waitlist, no crease anxiety, and Face ID working exactly as you'd expect. You're also not betting thousands on a form factor that the secondary market still treats with caution.
If you want a foldable iPhone, the honest advice is to wait for Gen 2. By then, the hinge design will have been tested by real-world use, the crease question will be settled, app optimisation for the foldable screen will have matured, and the price will likely have come down. The people buying Gen 1 at launch are, effectively, paying to do Apple's field testing for them.
What to Do With Your Current iPhone Before September
iPhone Fold speculation tends to move second-hand values. When a landmark Apple launch approaches, buyers hold off and the supply of older devices on the market increases — which can soften prices. If you're sitting on an iPhone 13, 14, or 15 that you're planning to replace, selling sooner rather than later typically gets you a better return. The window before a major September announcement is historically one of the stronger periods to sell.
The same logic applies if you're thinking about trading up to a refurbished iPhone 17. Getting a quote on your current device now, while demand is still reasonable, puts you in a better position to fund an upgrade without waiting on a foldable that may not ship until late 2026 anyway.
The Practical Verdict
- iPhone Fold starting price: Estimated £1,599–£1,900+ (unconfirmed by Apple). Actual UK availability could slip to Q4 2026 or later.
- Depreciation risk: Foldables lose 64.6% of value on average in 12 months. Even at Apple's best-in-class retention rate, a £1,600+ device loses around £800–£1,000 in year one.
- Hardware compromises: No Face ID, no telephoto camera, eSIM-only, first-gen hinge with unproven long-term durability.
- Refurbished iPhone 17: Proven hardware, 120Hz display, 48MP cameras, Face ID, available now, at a fraction of the foldable price.
The iPhone Fold is a genuinely interesting device, and there will be a right time to buy one. September 2026 at full launch price probably isn't it for most people.
If you want to see what's currently in stock, browse our refurbished iPhones — including iPhone 17 models that have been professionally tested and verified with PhoneCheck before they reach you. Every device is graded clearly so you know exactly what you're buying; see our condition guide for the full breakdown. And if you've got an older iPhone you're ready to move on from, you can get an instant quote at Sell My Phone — we collect from your door across the North East and Manchester and pay on the spot.
