Apple Unveils Its First Foldable, the iPhone Duo

Apple has unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, marking the tech giant's long-awaited entry into a field dominated by Samsung, Huawei, and others for several years.

Announced at Apple's September product launch in Cupertino, the iPhone Duo has a book-style design that unfolds to reveal a 7.6in internal display, with the outer screen measuring 5.4in. The larger panel is the biggest ever on an iPhone, and Apple said that it will be able to accommodate two applications on the same screen.

The Duo, which begins at £1,749 ($1,999) with 256GB of storage (the most expensive entry-level iPhone), will climb to £2,199 for the 512GB storage variant, then to £2,649 for 1TB and £3,099 for 2TB. Pre-orders go live on October 16, before the devices will become available in stores from October 23.

Physical design has been Apple's number one priority to tackle common criticism on previous foldable devices; Apple claimed to be incorporating a titanium framework, a layer of ceramic-fiber reinforcement and a specific screen structure to drastically reduce the visibility and formation of its hinge crease. Like its larger brothers, the Duo is also IP68 water and dust resistant.

Hardware under the hood relies on Apple's latest A20 Pro chip and C2 modem; built on the same 2-nanometer manufacturing process, it will be the most powerful chip on any foldabale device and coupled with Apple's larger vapour chamber to manage demanding gaming and on-device AI tasks. Apple has confirmed that the devices will offer up to 24 hours of general use.

Standard iPhone elements had to be reconsidered for Apple's new folding device; the Duo would rely on Touch ID (built into the physical side-button) rather than Face ID, and will still use an under-display camera for the folding panel. There are two rear cameras which both sport a 48-megapixel sensor, and the devices would also support the Apple pencil range.

This move from Apple signals a bold stride for the manufacturer, foldable phones only constituted a fraction of global smartphone shipments in 2025, but with Apple's massive following it will become a key feature among more users; experts expect the company to take up nearly 30% of market share in 2026, reaching 40% by 2027. The task for Apple will now be transforming the premium iPhone Duo into more than a 'showstopper' – and if its ecosystem is enough to push foldable technology to the mainstream for the first time.