iPhone Duo Is An Intriguing Foldable, But Will Price Push People Away?
After a lot of rumors, leaks, and speculation about the "iPhone Ultra", the foldable iPhone Duo has finally been revealed, with deliveries starting on October 23. It's generally what you would expect from an iPhone that can fold. It has a decently sized screen on the outward facing display that measures 5.4 inches diagonally, but when unfolded, the inner display stretches to 7.6-inches, giving it the biggest display that's ever been used on an iPhone before now.
Under the titanium, ceramic, and glass that make up the phone's chassis and screen is the newly revealed A20 Pro chipset that also calls the newly revealed iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max home. The Duo also carries a 48-megapixel camera, as well as compatibility with Apple Intelligence features made possible by the new processing horsepower. Apple also claims the new batteries (there are two inside of the Duo) will provide "all-day" battery life.
That's all well and good, and phone connoisseurs are likely getting excited that Apple has finally joined Samsung and others in the folding phone game. But here's the kicker: With all the Apple tech, comes an Apple price tag. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999. Yikes.
More expensive than a MacBook
For comparison, the iPhone Duo is exactly $100 more than the recently released Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, a phone that has already been on the market enough to go through several iterations, upgrades, and wrinkle smoothing sessions. And $1,999 is only the starting price. The maximum storage 2TB model will set you back $3,199, which is the price of a decent older used car. Among Apple products, it's more expensive than a 16-inch MacBook Air. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at an also somewhat ridiculous $1,199, but at least that price is a little closer to earth.
There's no question the iPhone Duo will be capable. The fact that the hinge alone has over 100 parts and yet still offers some measure of water resistance shows that Apple put a lot of engineering knowhow into the Duo. And it doesn't seem like it will be half-baked when it launches next month.
But charging two grand for a phone may turn off a lot of people, even Apple diehards who will probably have to settle for an iPhone 18 Pro or whenever the regular iPhone 18 launches. But who knows, maybe the iPhone Duo will be good enough to warrant the price, or perhaps it will become an expensive novelty for Apple acolytes only.