admin The book-style device was presented on Wednesday at Apple’s product event in Cupertino, California, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The Duo folds into a passport-like form and opens into a larger display intended to combine conventional phone use with tablet-style viewing and multitasking.
Apple’s move brings the world’s most valuable consumer technology brand into a foldable market led by Samsung, Huawei, Google and other manufacturers. Foldable phones remain a relatively small part of smartphone sales, but Apple’s arrival is expected to test whether the format can move beyond its premium niche and attract a broader group of buyers.
The iPhone Duo uses two displays, with a smaller outer screen for normal smartphone tasks and a larger inner panel when the device is unfolded. Early details shown at the launch indicated a design centred on portability when closed and more screen space when opened, giving Apple a new hardware format without abandoning the familiar iPhone interface.
The launch also puts renewed attention on durability, hinge engineering and the visible crease that has challenged foldable devices since the category emerged. Apple has typically entered established product segments only after spending years refining hardware and software integration, and the Duo represents one of its major tests of that strategy.
The device arrives under John Ternus, who took over as Apple chief executive on September 1 after Tim Cook moved aside. Wednesday’s presentation was Ternus’s first product event as chief executive and placed the foldable handset at the centre of Apple’s premium iPhone strategy.
Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which use the new A20 Pro chip. The company said the processor is manufactured using a 2-nanometre process and is designed to improve performance and support more advanced artificial intelligence models directly on the device. The Pro models start at $1,199 in the United States.
Artificial intelligence was another major theme of the event. Ternus stressed Apple’s focus on processing personal data on the device where possible, while executives outlined an upgraded Siri designed to work across hundreds of thousands of apps. Apple has been under pressure to demonstrate progress in generative AI as rivals expand assistants and automated services across their devices.
The foldable launch could carry an even higher price than Apple’s conventional flagship phones. Industry expectations before the event had placed the entry model at about $2,000, with higher-storage configurations potentially costing substantially more. Apple had not immediately provided a complete global pricing and availability schedule for the Duo across all markets as details from the launch continued to emerge.
The company’s late arrival gives it both an opportunity and a disadvantage. Samsung has spent several generations improving its Galaxy Fold range, while Google, Huawei, Honor, Oppo and Xiaomi have developed their approaches to foldable displays. Apple, however, enters with an installed base of hundreds of millions of iPhone users and a tightly integrated ecosystem of apps, services and accessories.
Analysts have said Apple could quickly claim a large share of the foldable segment even if volumes remain modest. International Data Corporation has projected that Apple could secure about 40 per cent of the category by the end of next year, reflecting expectations that pent-up demand among existing iPhone users could offset the device’s premium price.
The broader smartphone market has also been affected by rising component costs and supply constraints, adding pressure on manufacturers to protect margins through more expensive devices. Apple’s latest Pro phones are priced $100 above their predecessors in the United States, reinforcing the company’s emphasis on higher-value products at the top of its range.
