Apple enters the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, aiming to make the format more familiar and premium, potentially disrupting the current niche industry and attracting a broader consumer base.
Apple has entered the foldable market with the iPhone Duo, a device that looks designed to make the format feel familiar rather than experimental. In a CBS News segment, CNET senior technology reporter Abrar Al-Heeti said the handset “kind of feels like an iPad mini”, reflecting the larger, tablet-like impression created by its inner screen and revised form factor. The device is set to arrive at a premium price, with pre-orders due to open about a month after the launch event.
According to Apple’s announcement, the iPhone Duo has a 7.6-inch internal display and a 5.4-inch cover screen, paired with a precision hinge and a nano-texture finish intended to cut glare. The company says the phone runs on its A20 Pro chip and uses a dual-battery system aimed at delivering all-day battery life. Apple is also positioning the handset as part phone, part productivity device, with support for Apple Pencil using USB-C.
Design and durability appear central to Apple’s pitch. MacRumors reported that the phone uses a titanium frame, Ceramic Shield on the front and back, and carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The hinge reportedly contains more than 100 precision components, while The Week said the fold itself is meant to be barely visible, underscoring Apple’s effort to reduce the compromises that have often defined folding phones. Tom’s Guide, after a hands-on look, described the hardware as unusually refined for a first-generation foldable.
The launch also matters beyond Apple’s own product line. Android Central reported that Google sees Apple’s arrival in foldables as potentially good for the wider market, because a major entrant could bring more consumers into the category. Analysts cited by the site suggested Apple may quickly take a sizeable share of the foldable segment, though such forecasts remain speculative. For now, the iPhone Duo looks like Apple’s attempt to make foldables less niche and more mainstream, while still charging a price that keeps it firmly in the high-end tier.
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