The wait for Apple’s first folding smartphone is reaching its peak, with the official presentation expected for tomorrow, September 9, alongside the new iPhone 18 Pro.
However, information leaking from the supply chain paints an extremely complex picture, characterized by an extremely limited initial availability and by a likely staggered distribution.
While the United States seems to have 100% guarantees for an immediate debut, Italy risks being seriously cut out, confirming a dynamic of exclusion that has already penalized our country with other technologies from the California-based brand.
Apple will roll out its first foldable in staggered batches
The challenges of bringing the unreleased iPhone Ultra to market are proving far more arduous than anticipated. According to recent reports from Japan, by the end of August factories were barely able to complete a few hundred units per day. This strong slowdown is not due to material shortages, but to the very strict quality-control standards imposed by the company.
Although management has ordered about 10 million units for the year, the stringent durability tests on hinges and displays are taking much longer than expected.
Apple does not want to make any mistakes on a device of this caliber, preferring to slow down the assembly lines rather than risk factory defects.
This initial stock shortage has inevitably disrupted the distribution plans. The reliable leaker known as Instant Digital, active on the social network Weibo, has confirmed that the regional allocation will determine the product’s release timing.
Mainland China could receive the device significantly late compared with other territories, while rumors from Australia suggest that the initial sales will be almost entirely the US market, with a slow expansion in the months that follow.
To a partial counterpoint comes the opinion of Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, who considers scenarios of massive delays or delays into late October or November unlikely. According to the journalist, the debut will occur in total synchronization with the iPhone 18 Pro or, at most, a few weeks apart.
Nevertheless, Gurman has not ruled out the possibility of a nation-by-nation staggered launch, a distribution strategy Apple has already employed.
The sad fate of the Italian market
Within this fragmented release framework, hopes for Italian consumers are reduced to a minimum. Typically, Italy is relegated to the bottom of the waiting list in these specific rollout plans, treated as a secondary market for launches with limited volumes.
It wouldn’t surprise us at all, then, if the iPhone Ultra never officially arrives on the shelves of our stores, mirroring the absence of the Vision Pro in 2024.
The decision to concentrate initial stock in North America or in only a few selected nations risks leading to a total shutdown for our peninsula, leaving shopping abroad as the only and impractical alternative.
