Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, a $1,999 folding smartphone that represents the biggest redesign of its flagship product in nearly a decade. The company is betting that its distinctive design and focus on data privacy will help it overtake rivals that have sold foldable devices for years.
The launch could transform a market currently led by Samsung and Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei, whose folding phones have largely remained niche products.
Analysts have long suggested that Apple’s entry could bring foldables into the mainstream, much as the company previously did with smartwatches and wireless earbuds.
Roughly the size and shape of a passport when folded, the Duo features rounded edges and a smaller display on its exterior. Opening the device reveals a 7.6-inch horizontal screen that can also be used vertically.
Apple described it as the thinnest iPhone it has produced when unfolded, although it remains thicker than several Chinese folding models.
New chief executive John Ternus led Wednesday’s presentation, marking Apple’s most significant overhaul of the iPhone since the introduction of the iPhone X in 2017. The smartphone remains crucial to the company, generating $209.6 billion and accounting for slightly more than half of its revenue during the latest fiscal year.
Ternus criticised existing foldable phones as cumbersome and poorly designed for everyday activities such as scrolling through content or watching videos.
Apple said the Duo delivers an iPad-like experience in a pocket-sized format through a custom hinge, two displays with matching aspect ratios and a new titanium body.
“It’s entirely new and at the same time remarkably familiar. A similar size to your passport, it feels familiar to hold and comfortable to use with one hand,” Ternus said.
The product’s name quickly attracted attention elsewhere in the technology industry. Language-learning platform Duolingo, whose green owl mascot is also called Duo, joked on X, “We infringed upon,” accompanied by laughing-crying emojis. Samsung Mobile US responded with a message of “solidarity,” adding, “They copied us, too.”
Ternus now faces the challenge of persuading Apple customers to spend nearly $2,000 on a foldable device, establishing a new price ceiling for a global brand associated with mass-market luxury.
International Data Corporation and other analyst firms expect Apple to sell every foldable iPhone it can manufacture. IDC forecasts that the company could capture approximately 40% of the premium foldable market by the end of next year.
Apple presented the Duo as both an entertainment and productivity device. Demonstrations showed the phone handling Zoom calls with several participants, displaying a wider version of Slack and running multiple applications simultaneously on its larger internal screen.
The iPhone Duo will go on sale on October 23. It will be powered by Apple’s A20 Pro processor and a new in-house C2 modem, continuing the company’s effort to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm’s wireless technology.
Apple said the battery would provide up to 24 hours of mixed use across both displays. It can also be charged to 50% capacity in approximately 20 minutes.
“Apple showed up years after everyone else, yet it walks in and sets the rules. Apple entered the foldable market and, in one keynote, set the price and the standard every rival will now be measured against,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for Data and Analytics, Devices, at IDC EMEA.
“The real fight is China, where Huawei owns nearly 80% of foldables. Apple has just given Chinese buyers a reason to look up. Huawei owns China’s foldable market today. Apple has just handed Chinese buyers their first genuinely compelling reason to reconsider.”
Ternus Emphasises Privacy and Artificial Intelligence
Former chief executive Tim Cook formally handed the presentation to Ternus through a video showing the pair joking about who should open the event. The clip ended with Cook saying, “Not me. That’s your guy,” while pointing towards his successor.
Ternus described the iPhone as a personal artificial intelligence hub built around user privacy, contrasting Apple’s approach with companies that collect and retain personal information.
“Honestly, trust only goes so far when your data is no longer yours to control,” he said. “That’s why Apple Intelligence runs on device whenever it can.”
Lilian Rincon, who oversees Apple’s iPhone AI products after joining from Google earlier this year, also introduced an upgraded version of the Siri virtual assistant.
Alongside the foldable Duo, Apple presented the conventional iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Prices will begin at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively, representing a $100 increase over the starting prices of the previous generation.
Apple Expands Product Line-Up
Apple also announced new technology intended to address concerns about AI-generated and manipulated photographs. Its “Apple Reference Image” standard is designed to verify the authenticity of pictures captured by the iPhone 18 Pro cameras.
The company will additionally support SynthID, an emerging system for detecting images created or modified using artificial intelligence. Apple Reference Image will not initially be available in the European Union or China.
The iPhone 18 Pro will use the same A20 Pro processor found in the Duo, offering greater capacity to run advanced AI models directly on the device.
Apple also unveiled new AirPods starting at $129, bringing noise cancellation to its entry-level earbuds for the first time. The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 were introduced as major health-focused updates, with improved heart-rate monitoring and new tools for measuring fitness and recovery.
