[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Production of Apple’s first foldable iPhone, known as the iPhone Ultra, is reported to be limited to only hundreds of units per day.

On Sept. 4 local time, IT outlet 9to5Mac reported that Apple’s strict quality control standards have slowed the shift to mass production more than expected, raising the possibility of limited supply early in the release.

The key issue is yield stabilisation rather than production speed. Apple is reported to have added one more round of trial production to the iPhone Ultra manufacturing process in August. The step was meant to confirm the device could be mass-produced to the specified design, but commercial production was reported to have been delayed by several weeks.

Apple is currently focusing most on the flatness of the device surface and hinge performance. For foldable products, the folding structure and exterior finish are crucial, and Apple is reported to be prioritising improving production yields in these two areas.

This has also led to forecasts that early sales volumes could be limited. People familiar with the matter saw the current situation leading to constrained supply at the start of iPhone Ultra sales. Compared with the point that meeting the usual planned production target for a foldable iPhone would require output of tens of thousands of phones per day, current production suggests it is still far from full-scale mass production.

At the same time, there is also a view that the launch schedule itself has not slipped significantly. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (마크 거먼) expected this week that the iPhone Ultra will be released at the same time as, or very close to, the iPhone 18 Pro. He said he does not see major delays or supply chain problems for the product at present.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone Ultra at a special event on Sept. 9. Products also cited as possible unveilings include AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and the iPhone 18 Pro.

As a result, market attention is shifting from whether it is unveiled at all to the actual initial volume and supply stability after sales begin. Key points to watch are whether Apple can quickly lift mass-production yields and at what level any early supply shortage for its first foldable iPhone will be managed.