Apple has entered the foldable smartphone market with the launch of the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The Duo opens into a 7.6 inch display with a 5.4 inch outer screen and starts at $1,999, making it the most expensive iPhone in Apple’s lineup. The device is powered by the new A20 Pro chip, supports Apple Pencil and enables split screen multitasking across its larger display, as reported by Reuters and The Times of India.
The launch represents one of the biggest design changes to the iPhone in years and places Apple directly into a foldable market dominated by established rivals including Samsung. Apple is positioning the Duo as a device capable of combining smartphone portability with a larger screen suited to work, entertainment, content creation and artificial intelligence applications. Preorders for the Duo begin October 16, with sales starting October 23.
Alongside the foldable, Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, starting at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively. Both models feature the A20 Pro chip and a new 48 megapixel main camera with variable aperture, while Apple has also introduced new image authentication capabilities designed to help users identify authentic photographs and AI generated or edited content. The Pro models will be available from September 18 following preorders beginning September 12.
For Apple, the Duo is both a technological statement and a major bet on a category that remains relatively small within the global smartphone market. Analysts expect strong initial demand from Apple’s existing customer base, but the $1,999 starting price could restrict the device largely to affluent consumers and early adopters. Apple’s entry could nevertheless accelerate wider adoption of foldable phones, with Omdia forecasting 22.3 million foldable smartphones to be shipped globally in 2026.
