First foldable iPhone could be Apple's most eye-wateringly expensive ever

Fans of the iPhone have a lot to love. Apple has made iterative updates for decades now, taking the handset to new heights and helping it stand proud as one of the most recognisable products in existence today.

Still, there's one thing it hasn't done yet – fold in half. In fact, Apple has been notably absent from the world of foldable phones altogether, focusing its innovative attention on areas like the Apple Vision Pro.

A swathe of rumours suggest that will change next year, though – and it looks set to be the most expensive iPhone ever. Now really, that's no surprise. It was already expected to be there or thereabouts, given the sheer amount of R&D which has gone into it.

But it also looks to be made more costly as a result of the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump in the USA. Apple has been shifting a higher degree of production to India in a bid to circumvent the worst of these charges, but according to Mark Gurman, that won't be possible for the Fold.

In a tweet, he said, "Apple won’t be able to make every US iPhone in India by 2027. I don’t see a scenario where 20 year anniversary iPhones - foldable & glass centric model - are made in India. Apple has never produced a major new design outside China for the first go-around."

That could be a crushing blow for the model. Reports had already suggested a price tag in excess of $2,000 in the USA, which is only going to rise with the introduction of additional rates.

It's likely to be a real test for the device. Apple's decision not to enter the foldable phone market up to this point has only really served to add pressure and anticipation for what the brand can drum up.

Tack on what could end up being a ludicrously high price tag and the iPhone Fold may well be fighting an uphill battle before it even hits the shelves.