Apple has unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, with a starting US price of $1,999 (approximately Rs 553,700) for the 256GB model. Preorders begin on October 16, with the device launching in the United States and more than 70 other countries on October 23.
The iPhone Duo was unveiled at the “Surprise and Shine” event alongside the newly announced iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The foldable features a compact, passport-sized design with a titanium build and, according to Apple, is the thinnest iPhone ever produced when opened.
The device has a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display, and supports the Apple Pencil. Unlike other current iPhone models, it uses Touch ID rather than Face ID for unlocking.
It will be available in two colors: star white and night sky. Apple said the matte inner display reduces crease visibility and minimizes reflections, while a titanium plate reinforces the overall durability of the phone. The device runs on Apple’s A20 Pro chip.
On the camera front, the iPhone Duo includes a 48-megapixel main camera and a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera. It supports 4K video recording at 120 frames per second and 4K time-lapse capture. A dual capture feature in FaceTime allows simultaneous recording from both the rear and inner cameras.
Battery life varies by display use. Apple says the phone offers up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner screen, 44 hours on the outer screen, and 24 hours when both displays are used equally.
With the iPhone Duo, Apple enters an increasingly crowded foldable phone market that includes Samsung, Google, and Motorola, along with Chinese manufacturers such as Honor, Oppo, and Huawei.
Research firm IDC forecasts that global foldable phone shipments will grow by more than 12 percent this year, driven largely by Apple’s launch. IDC also projects that Apple will ship over 17 million foldable iPhones by 2027, giving the company nearly 40 percent of the global foldable market by the end of that year.
