Apple launches the iPhone Duo, its first foldable device, combining ambitious design with potential commercial risks due to usability and pricing concerns, as pre-orders open amid expectations of a second-generation model in 2027.
Apple’s first foldable iPhone arrives with the sort of price and engineering ambition that will appeal to early adopters, but it also lands with two obvious commercial risks: whether the device is comfortable enough to use every day, and whether buyers will simply wait for a later model. The iPhone Duo, unveiled on 9 September, starts at $1,999 and enters the market as Apple’s most expensive handset yet. Reuters has not reported on the launch itself, but Apple says pre-orders begin on 16 October, with sales from 23 October.
The company’s new device is built around a book-style fold. It carries a 5.4-inch outer display and opens to a 7.6-inch inner screen, giving users a far larger viewing area than a conventional iPhone. Apple says the phone uses an A20 Pro chip, a precision hinge and a nano-texture finish intended to reduce glare. The design is also tied to new software behaviour, including split-screen multitasking and support for Apple Pencil, which Apple is bringing to an iPhone for the first time.
Even so, the larger format may be part of the problem. Analysts cited by Yahoo Finance warned that the phone could be awkward for people with smaller hands, particularly when used one-handed while messaging, paying, taking photos or checking maps. That matters because a foldable only makes sense if the convenience of the larger screen outweighs the practical compromises of carrying a heavier and more complex device.
The second concern is familiar to buyers of first-generation technology: many may prefer to wait. MacRumors says Apple is already planning a second-generation foldable for 2027, and Edison Lee of Jefferies, in a note cited by Yahoo Finance, said supply-chain checks suggest a follow-up model could arrive then with a conventional size and a higher price. That prospect could temper demand for the first version, especially among customers financing the purchase over two or three years.
Price will be the hardest part of the sales pitch. At $1,999, the Duo costs about $800 more than the iPhone 18 Pro and roughly $700 more than the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple appears to be asking buyers to pay a large premium for novelty, screen size and multitasking capability, while also accepting the usual uncertainties that come with a new product category. For consumers, the sensible move is to handle the device in person, compare it with Apple’s other flagship phones, and wait for independent reviews on hinge durability, battery life and everyday usability before deciding whether the foldable form justifies the cost.
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