Apple officially unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, with a starting price of $1,999 for the 256GB model. This pricing is notably below the $2,500 that analysts, such as IDC, had anticipated. The Duo can be configured with up to 2TB of storage, with the highest-end model costing $3,199. Pre-orders for the device begin on October 16th, and it will be released on October 23rd in over 70 countries.
Compared to competitors, the iPhone Duo's $1,999 entry price is $100 more than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 but $100 less than the Z Fold 8 Ultra, which sells for $2,099. Analysts had previously expected Apple to price its foldable about $400 higher than the Z Fold 8 Ultra, making the actual $100 lower price a significant strategic move. This competitive pricing comes despite rising memory prices and increased component costs across the industry.
The iPhone Duo opens to a 7.6-inch screen and features the same A20 Pro chip found in the $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro. The $800 price difference between the iPhone 18 Pro and the Duo primarily accounts for the foldable's hinge, second display, titanium construction, and dual battery, rather than superior silicon. While some critics, like Dipanjan Chatterjee of Forrester, view it as a "premium-priced ornament" that might not drive significant growth, others are impressed by its design and integrated software innovations.
Market analysis suggests that foldable smartphones currently constitute only 2% of total smartphone sales. Even with Apple's entry, data and analytics firm FDM predicts that foldable sales will only reach 4% of the total market in the next decade. Despite this, some believe Apple's brand power could lead to substantial sales, challenging earlier predictions that it wouldn't sell many units.
