Apple on Wednesday unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, priced from $1,999, as new Chief Executive John Ternus led the company’s major product event and sought to reshape the still-niche foldable phone market.
The passport-shaped device opens to a 7.6-inch screen and features Apple’s A20 Pro chip. It is available from October 23. When folded, it offers a smaller front display; when open, it is the company’s thinnest phone to date, though thicker than some Chinese rivals’ models.
Ternus, who took the stage for the most significant overhaul of Apple’s flagship product since the iPhone X in 2017, criticised existing foldables as awkward for everyday tasks.
“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.
He positioned the Duo as a productivity tool capable of handling multi-participant Zoom calls and multiple app windows simultaneously, aiming to deliver an iPad-like experience in a pocket-sized form.
Analysts expect Apple’s entry to boost the category. International Data Corporation forecasts the company could capture 40 percent of the foldable phone market by the end of next year.
“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.
Ternus also emphasised privacy in Apple’s artificial intelligence features. “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.”
Alongside the Duo, Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, starting at $1,199 and $1,299, updated AirPods with noise cancellation from $129, and new Apple Watch models focused on health tracking.
