Apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the launch of the iPhone Duo, unveiled on Wednesday, September 9, at an event named ‘Surprise and Shine.’ The event marked the first major product launch led by Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, and introduced a device that Apple is marketing as a premium productivity and entertainment smartphone, not a mass-market model.

Key takeaways

• The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable smartphone, featuring a book-style design with a compact outer display and a larger inner screen.
• It is powered by the A20 Pro chip and C2 modem, supports the Apple Pencil, and brings back Touch ID integrated into the side button.
• Apple expects to ship the iPhone Duo as early as October, later than the iPhone 18 Pro models, with prices starting at around $2,000 for the 256GB model.
• The first-generation foldable comes in white and dark blue, aiming to challenge Samsung’s dominance in the foldable market.

Apple’s first foldable smartphone: the iPhone Duo

The iPhone Duo represents Apple’s first major redesign of the iPhone form factor in years. The device features a book-style design that opens from a compact outer display into a larger, tablet-like screen. When folded, the iPhone Duo has a passport-style form factor, making it highly portable.

Reports indicate the outer screen measures approximately 5.4 to 5.5 inches, while the inner display measures approximately 7.6 to 7.8 inches. The larger inner screen is designed for multitasking, video, gaming, and side-by-side applications, positioning the device as a productivity powerhouse.

Software and ecosystem integration

Apple has introduced software features to make the transition between folded and unfolded states more seamless on the iPhone Duo. The device supports the Apple Pencil, enabling note-taking, drawing, and other productivity tasks on its inner display. This integration leverages Apple’s wider ecosystem, a key differentiator as the company enters a category after competitors have established it.

Performance and camera: A20 Pro chip and dual 48MP cameras

The iPhone Duo is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip and C2 modem, according to reports surrounding the launch. This hardware foundation is expected to deliver high-end performance for both productivity and entertainment use cases.

On the camera front, the iPhone Duo has a dual rear-camera setup with two 48-megapixel cameras, and it does not include a dedicated telephoto lens. Apple is expected to rely heavily on computational photography and its latest processing capabilities to maintain premium camera performance on the iPhone Duo, ensuring users still get exceptional image quality despite the hardware compromise.

Touch ID returns due to thin foldable design

One of the most notable changes is the return of Touch ID on the iPhone Duo, with the fingerprint sensor integrated into the side or power button. This departure from Face ID is due to the device’s thin foldable design and the difficulty of accommodating Face ID hardware within the constraints of a foldable chassis.

This move highlights the engineering trade-offs Apple made to achieve the slim, book-style form factor while maintaining security and usability.

Pricing and availability

The iPhone Duo is expected to be one of Apple’s most expensive smartphones. The 256GB model starts at around $2,000, and the highest-capacity version could approach $3,000. This premium pricing aligns with Apple’s strategy of marketing the device as a niche, high-end product rather than a mass-market iPhone.

According to reports, Apple is offering the first-generation foldable iPhone Duo in white and dark blue. The device is expected to reach customers as early as October, later than the iPhone 18 Pro models, giving Apple additional time to fine-tune production and software.

Market context and competitive landscape

Apple is entering a foldable smartphone market already dominated by companies including Samsung, with Google and several Chinese manufacturers also having developed competing devices. Reuters reported that Samsung currently leads the global foldable market, with Huawei also holding a significant share.

Foldable smartphones accounted for only a small share of global smartphone sales in 2025, but analysts expect Apple’s entry into the foldable market to accelerate growth in the category. The iPhone Duo could help determine whether foldable smartphones move beyond their current niche status.

Apple’s strategy has long been to enter a category after competitors have established it, then differentiate through hardware integration, software, and its wider ecosystem. With the iPhone Duo, Apple is betting that its approach can convince mainstream consumers to embrace foldables, potentially reshaping the market landscape.