Sometimes a headline is the complete inverse of the real news in the story, and that’s the case with a new survey measuring interest in the upcoming iPhone Ultra. The headline says 75% of US adults aren’t interested in a folding iPhone, while the real surprise is that as many as 25% are.
Apple shouldn’t get too excited by the results, however, as willingness to pay was way, way less than the price we’re expecting the company to announce …
Most US adults say they aren’t interested in buying a new foldable phone. A CNET survey that polled 2,605 US adults found that 75% aren’t interested in buying a foldable Apple device.
That most people aren’t interested is in no way surprising: the real news here is that a quarter of US adults do find the idea appealing.
Unsurprisingly, interest varies by generations:
I would personally be surprised if the percentage of people who end up buying the first generation of Apple’s first foldable iPhone is more than very low single digits, and my view does seem to be vindicated by the price people are willing to pay.
Gen Z were willing to pay the most at $919, while the average across all US adults was $781. The actual price is likely to start no lower than $2,000.
Subsequent generations of Apple foldables may become somewhat more affordable as manufacturing costs fall, but it’s never going to get anywhere near the pricing respondents have indicated they want to pay. While people famously show they are willing to pay significantly more than claimed for shiny new Apple products once they launch, my own expectation is that it will always be a rather niche product through a combination of pricing and lack of pocketability.
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Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!
