A new CNET/YouGov survey found that 75% of US adults aren’t interested in buying a foldable Apple Ultra, based on responses from 2,605 people surveyed between August 13 and 17. That number alone makes for an easy headline, but the more useful detail buried in the same survey is a price gap that could matter more than the interest number itself.
The 25% who did express interest said they’d pay an average of $781 for a foldable iPhone Ultra. Current reports peg Apple’s actual foldable, widely referred to as the iPhone Ultra though Apple hasn’t confirmed that name, at north of $2,000, possibly reaching $2,500 in higher storage configs. That’s a gap of well over $1,200 between what interested buyers expect to pay and what the phone will likely cost.
Interest breaks down generationally in a predictable way: Gen Z leads at 31% interested and willing to pay the most, $919 on average, while Baby Boomers sit at just 13% interested and $572 willing to spend. Even Gen Z’s number falls more than $1,000 short of the rumored starting price.
There’s a wider context here too. The same survey found 41% of US adults are reconsidering phone upgrades entirely because of expected price increases, with 22% saying they have no upgrade plans regardless of what ships. Foldables aren’t the only thing facing price resistance right now.
None of this necessarily spells trouble for Apple, though. Separate industry forecasts, including a notably bullish one from IDC, still expect strong first-year shipment numbers for Apple’s foldable, and Counterpoint projects book-style foldables will make up 76% of global foldable shipments in 2026. Consumer sentiment surveys and industry sales forecasts are measuring different things, and Apple’s likely aiming this at a smaller, premium audience rather than trying to sell it as a mass-market iPhone from day one.
M Adnan Akram is the founder and lead writer at Phoonomo, covering mobile technology with a primary focus on Apple and the broader smartphone industry, alongside emerging developments in AI. He follows product launches, spec leaks, and industry trends closely to keep readers informed with timely updates.
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