Apple launches its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, priced at $1,999, in a market where flagship device costs and chip shortages are driving up prices and influencing buyer strategies in 2026.
Apple’s first foldable phone is now real, and it arrives with a premium price tag that underscores how costly flagship devices have become in 2026. The iPhone Duo, unveiled by Apple in September, is the company’s first handset with a folding design. It combines a 7.6-inch inner display with a 5.4-inch outer screen, a titanium frame and the A20 Pro chip. Apple says pre-orders begin on 16 October, with sales starting on 23 October, and the 256GB model is priced at $1,999.
That launch places the Duo in a market where even established premium phones are getting more expensive. Mashable noted that Apple, Google and Samsung have all pushed up launch prices this year, while Apple also raised some older iPhone prices by $100 after its latest announcements. Samsung has increased prices on its S26 range by between $100 and $200 as of 1 October. The result is a sharper than usual hurdle for buyers who want top-tier hardware without waiting for promotions.
The price pressure is not limited to phones. The main driver is the global shortage of memory and storage chips, which has been intensified by demand from AI data centres. Tom’s Hardware reported that Micron expects RAM and NAND supply constraints to persist through 2028, with demand still outpacing supply in 2027 and 2028. TrendForce has separately said memory prices are still rising, although the pace has eased from the extreme spikes seen earlier in the year.
That broader supply squeeze helps explain why consumer devices are being repriced across the board. AI infrastructure is absorbing large volumes of DRAM and SSD capacity, leaving less room for mainstream electronics. Reuters has not been cited here, but Axios reported that Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook has warned AI could keep adding inflationary pressure in the short term through the build-out of data centres and related infrastructure.
For buyers, the practical implication is simple: shopping carefully matters more than it did a year ago. Carrier promotions, trade-in offers and bill-credit deals can still cut the effective cost substantially, especially for customers willing to change network or upgrade plan. Mashable said some carriers are offering the new iPhone 18 Pro at no upfront cost through eligible trade-ins and qualifying plans, which may prove more attractive than paying full retail for a device like the Duo. Apple’s foldable also introduces a display design intended to address a familiar weakness in the category: Tom’s Guide reported that the inner panel uses a replaceable Nano Texture cover layer to reduce crease visibility and extend the life of the screen.
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