Apple has entered the foldable-phone market with the iPhone Duo, a new device built around a 7.6-inch folding display and a $1,999 starting price.
The company introduced the Duo during its latest product event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. The launch also marked the first major presentation led by Apple chief executive John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook earlier this month.
A larger screen that still fits in a pocket
When opened, the iPhone Duo provides what Apple describes as its largest iPhone display to date. The company says the screen is roughly 80 percent larger than the display on the iPhone 18 Pro, giving users additional room for video, reading, work and multitasking.
The Duo will also support Apple Pencil input, extending a feature previously associated mainly with the iPad. Apple is positioning the device as both a premium phone and a compact productivity tool.
Apple enters an established foldable market
Foldable phones are not new. Samsung, Google and several Chinese manufacturers have spent years developing devices that open into larger screens. Apple waited while the category matured, a familiar strategy for a company that often enters an existing market after focusing on software integration and reliability.
Foldables still represent a relatively small share of global smartphone sales. Apple’s size, customer base and retail reach could nevertheless bring the format to a much wider audience.
Other iPhone updates
Apple also announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The new models include battery improvements, updated cameras with subject-tracking features and expanded artificial-intelligence functions for Siri.
Prices begin at $1,199 for the iPhone 18 Pro and $1,299 for the Pro Max. The Duo sits above both models as Apple’s most expensive iPhone.
What it means for consumers
The central question is whether buyers will see the larger folding screen as worth the premium price. Durability, battery life, application support and repair costs will all shape the Duo’s reception once it reaches customers.
For Apple, the launch represents more than another annual phone update. It is the company’s clearest attempt in years to change the physical form of its most important product.
Photo: Apple Park in 2022. InvadingInvader, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
