Apple’s launch of its first foldable iPhone, the Duo, has ignited memes and debates over its high cost in India, even as industry analysts see it redefining the foldable market with premium features and ecosystem integration.
Apple’s first foldable iPhone has drawn as much attention for its cost as for its engineering. In India, the iPhone Duo begins at Rs 2,99,900, and that price quickly turned the launch into an online joke factory, with users on social media mocking the device’s premium positioning more than debating its specifications. According to the report by Free Press Journal, the most common punchlines centred on the name itself, the dual-screen design and the size of the monthly instalments such a purchase would require. Reuters-style reporting from Tom’s Guide also notes that pre-orders begin on October 16, with general availability on October 23.
The humour was often rooted in Indian consumer comparisons. Posts contrasted the phone’s price with motorcycles, hatchbacks and even annual salaries, while the old “kidney joke” resurfaced as a shorthand for something wildly unaffordable. Free Press Journal said some users joked that “Duo” implied the buyer would need two incomes, while others treated the handset less like a phone and more like a luxury purchase competing with transport or household spending.
Beneath the memes, Apple is presenting the Duo as its most ambitious iPhone redesign yet. Tom’s Guide says it has a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer screen, with Apple Pencil support, ProMotion and Always On features, an A20 Pro chip, a C2 modem, 12GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage. The company also claims a 4,883mAh battery, IP68 resistance and a titanium-and-Ceramic Shield build, while TechRadar highlights the device’s focus on tighter integration between iPhone and iPad-style use cases, even as it omits Face ID, a telephoto camera and the Action Button.
Analysts quoted by Tom’s Guide argue that Apple’s software polish and ecosystem integration may give it a stronger case than many existing foldables, despite the price. Android Central reported that the announcement also prompted quick jabs from Samsung and Duolingo, underlining how Apple’s entry changes the tone of the foldable market. Creative Bloq meanwhile suggested that Apple is framing the device as a hybrid of the iPhone Air and iPad mini, which helps explain both the product concept and the size of the debate around whether it justifies its cost.
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