Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, goes on sale today, October 23, a week after pre-orders opened. Priced from $1,999, it is Apple’s most expensive iPhone and its biggest design change in more than a decade. Here is what you need to know before you buy.
iPhone Duo at a glance
- Displays: 7.6-inch inner screen, 5.4-inch outer screen
- Chip: A20 Pro · Build: titanium, IP68 water and dust resistance
- Battery: up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display (Apple’s figure)
- Price: from $1,999
Design: a book-style foldable
The Duo opens like a book, turning a compact 5.4-inch phone into a 7.6-inch tablet-like display. The titanium frame aims to keep weight down while improving durability, and the IP68 rating is a notable step — water and dust resistance has been a weak point for many foldables.
Performance and software
Inside is the A20 Pro chip, part of Apple’s first generation of processors built on a 2-nanometre manufacturing process. iOS 27 adds multitasking features designed for the larger inner screen, and the new AI-powered Siri — currently in beta in English and expanding to more languages this month — is supported. Remember that AI Siri features are not yet available in the European Union.
How it compares
Samsung, Google and several Chinese brands have sold foldables for years, steadily improving hinges, creases and battery life. Apple’s pitch is integration: app optimisation, ecosystem features and long-term software support. Whether that justifies a price at the top of the market will depend on early durability reports.
Apple rarely arrives first — it arrives when it believes it can make a category mainstream. The Duo is that bet for foldables.
Questions to ask before buying
- Crease and hinge: Try one in store if you can; sensitivity to the crease varies by person.
- Repair costs: Inner displays on foldables are expensive to replace; consider extended coverage.
- Cases and screen protectors: Accessory choices are limited at launch.
- Do you need it? If you mostly use your phone one-handed, the iPhone 18 Pro may be the better value.
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