Apple Unveils $2,000 Foldable iPhone Duo

Apple announced its first foldable phone Wednesday at a launch event in Cupertino, California, capping the keynote with a reveal of the iPhone Duo, which starts at $1,999 in the US and can be configured up to $3,200. New CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook this month, presented the device at his first keynote as chief executive. The Duo folds to roughly the size of a passport and opens into what the BBC described as a small iPad-like display. It ships next month.

Ternus framed the design as a break from rival foldables. "Others have created foldables that just feel like two phones awkwardly stuck together," he told the audience, arguing Apple's version redefines the category. Ars Technica reported the phone has a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.6-inch foldable inner panel built from multiple layers of flexible glass on a titanium base, with a stiff polymer top layer that Apple says resists developing a visible crease over time.

Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, which start at $1,199 and $1,299 in the US and feature variable-aperture cameras. The company raised prices on older iPhone models by $100, and no model in the lineup got cheaper.

The context

The iPhone Duo represents the first major redesign of the iPhone in nearly 20 years, since the original launched in 2007. The BBC reported the device took eight years to develop, work Ternus was directly involved in during his years leading Apple's hardware division. Apple arrives late to a foldable market that Samsung and China's Huawei have occupied for years; Samsung recently released the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which shares the Duo's wider, shorter closed shape. Apple used its presentation to criticize foldables that open into a square aspect ratio, saying that shape stretches single apps and leaves large black bars on video; the Duo instead uses a 1:1.4 aspect ratio both open and closed. The pricing marks a step up for the lineup: the previous highest starting price for a new iPhone was $900. Analysts told the BBC that Ternus's promotion appeared timed to this launch, with CCS Insight's Ben Wood saying "nothing happens by accident at Apple."

Why it matters

The launch raises prices across Apple's entire phone lineup, so buyers face higher costs this fall whether or not they want the foldable. It is also a test of whether Apple can compete in a category rivals have built for the better part of a decade — and of Ternus himself, whose tenure opens with the company's biggest hardware bet in years. Analysts are split: Forrester's Dipanjan Chatterjee warned the Duo could become a "premium-priced ornament" that adds prestige without meaningful growth, while IDC's Francisco Jeronimo noted the tougher contest is in China, where Huawei holds nearly 80% of the foldable market.

What’s next

The iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro models ship next month. Key open questions include how the Duo sells against established foldables from Samsung and Huawei, whether Apple's crease-resistant display claims hold up in real-world use, and whether the higher prices across the lineup affect demand. The device's performance in China, where Huawei dominates foldables, will be a particular point to watch.