Apple's foldable iPhone Ultra may launch in the US first, with months-long delays elsewhere

Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Ultra, is expected to be announced on September 8 but may go on sale in the US before anywhere else — leaving buyers in Australia, China, and likely Europe waiting months for their turn. Australian outlet ChannelNews broke the story on August 13, citing local carriers and a major retailer, and MacRumors confirmed the report the same day. For anyone outside the US hoping to get one at launch, this is the headline that matters.

Supply, not strategy

The delay isn't a deliberate market play — it's a production problem. Apple is reportedly dealing with a global DRAM shortage driven by AI infrastructure demand, which is squeezing memory supply across the industry. On top of that, Foxconn is still working through quality-control issues with the Ultra's mechanical hinge and creaseless display. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects initial inventory to be extremely limited — Forbes puts the first production run at roughly 7–10 million units against a total iPhone 18 target of around 200 million. That gap explains the scarcity.

ChannelNews says Australia and China are confirmed out for the initial launch window. Europe's situation is unconfirmed, but the pattern matches Apple's Vision Pro rollout: US in February 2024, Western Europe in July 2024 — a five-month gap. If the Ultra follows the same playbook, UK and European buyers could be looking at a November 2026 to January 2027 window at the earliest.

What about iPhone 18 Pro?

None of this affects the standard iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max. Those models are expected to follow Apple's usual global rollout and should be widely available from launch. The Ultra is a separate, constrained product category — Apple's first serious attempt at a foldable — and its supply chain is being treated accordingly.

The wait

No official pricing has been confirmed, but EU leaks point to €1,700 or more — putting it firmly in Samsung Galaxy Z Fold territory. If you're in the UK or US and seriously considering one, the US window is your best shot at getting it quickly. Everyone else should expect a wait, per Notebookcheck.