On the eve of Apple's special event, Bloomberg reported that former CEO Tim Cook played a pivotal role in the decade-long development of the foldable iPhone. Mark Gurman details how engineers began development around 2016. In 2020, Cook returned from China "unusually energized" and pushed hardware teams to accelerate the project, marking a rare shift from his typical hands-off approach.

Sources indicate Cook was the "earliest and biggest champion" of foldable technology, insisting Apple enter the space after seeing its prevalence in Asia. Initially targeting a $1,999 entry-level price, Apple recently shifted the goal to $2,199 due to rising component costs and memory shortages. Larger storage configurations could approach $3,000.

The device, internally referred to as the iPhone Ultra, is expected to debut at the special event tomorrow. Pricing significantly exceeds the standard iPhone starting at $799 and the iPhone 17 Pro at $1,099. 9to5Mac will cover the event live from Steve Jobs Theater.