iPhone Ultra might be hard to buy at launch – and not even called "iPhone Ultra", after all

The first folding iPhone is expected to launch in September, but there's still a lack of information about what Apple is actually going to present us with. One thing that is becoming clear is that it might be hard to get your hands on one.

We recently reported that reputable analyst Ming Chi Kuo had highlighted that only about 1 million units would be immediately available, suggesting that stock will be in limited supply come launch day.

Now we have a similar message coming from Fixed Focus Digital on Weibo (via 9to5Mac), saying that it will take a couple of months for Apple to ramp up the stock levels to the 10 million units that are thought to be in manufacture.

That might mean that as soon as the folding iPhone goes on sale, it sells out, with long wait times for those putting in orders. That might be because Apple doesn't want to mass produce something with unknown demand – or it might be that because it's a new product, manufacture is taking longer.

The same Weibo leaker says: "While hinge assembly is difficult, the construction of mass production lines has not stopped at all." This suggests that it's not a delay, it's just the way that stock will be made available.

An Apple US exclusive?

Of course, the other side of limiting stock is that demand increases: the iPhone Ultra could become a cult hit because it's so hard to get. There have also been rumours that it might only launch in the US at first and this wouldn't be out of character for Apple: the Vision Pro was US only for five months before seeing wider availability.

Apple often tests the water in the US where its fan base is strongest, before looking to wider markets – and exactly the same thing could happen with the iPhone Ultra.

Elsewhere, the iPhone Ultra name has been called into question. Having initially been referred to as iPhone Fold, many switched to calling it iPhone Ultra. However, Momentary Digital on Weibo suggests that it doesn't fit the "Ultra" naming – and it would better fit the iPhone Fold name.

This shouldn't come as a surprise: it's unlikely that anyone knows Apple's plans, because information is carefully controlled and leaks are rare. Something like a product name often remains unknown until it's announced on stage.

That leaves us a little in the dark. While iPhone 18 Pro with the A20 Pro chip can be reasonably expected, for the new folding phone we're still in the realms of speculation.