Apple has finally entered the foldable smartphone market with the launch of the iPhone Duo, seven years after Samsung introduced its first Galaxy Fold. Priced from Rs 2.99 lakh in India, the foldable iPhone will be available for pre-order from October 16 and will go on sale from October 23.
The iPhone Duo will be offered in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage variants. Apple has positioned the device as its thinnest iPhone yet, combining a passport-style foldable design with a larger screen experience.
The device is powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chipset, built using TSMC’s 2nm process. The same processor also powers the newly launched iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
The iPhone Duo features a dual rear-camera system, comprising two 48-megapixel cameras. It also has cameras positioned on both the inner foldable display and the outer cover screen. The device supports MagSafe wireless charging.
When folded, the iPhone Duo features a 5.4-inch outer display, while unfolding the device reveals a 7.6-inch inner screen, the largest display ever offered on an iPhone. Apple said the inner display is 50% larger than the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Battery life is another key focus of the new device. Apple claims up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display, 44 hours using the outer display and 22 hours with combined display usage. The company also claims that a five-minute charge can deliver up to five hours of video playback.
Counterpoint Associate Director Jan Stryjak described the pricing as a significant statement from Apple, noting that expectations had been for a substantially higher price tag. He also pointed to Pencil support as a potential advantage over Samsung’s recent foldable models.
Ternus takes centre stage
The launch also marked a significant change in Apple’s annual product showcase, with John Ternus appearing as the company’s new CEO and leading the keynote at the Steve Jobs Theatre for the first time.
The event opened with a cinematic video montage before former CEO Tim Cook appeared briefly to introduce Ternus.
“I’ve spent much of my life at this company, and I continue to be inspired every single day by the curiosity, invention and relentless pursuit of excellence that define Apple,” Ternus said during his opening remarks.
Ternus led the keynote and introduced Apple’s latest hardware before teasing the company’s biggest announcement nearly an hour into the event.
“Actually, there is one more thing,” he said before pulling the foldable device from the back pocket of his jeans.
“This is the iPhone Duo,” Ternus said, unveiling Apple’s first foldable iPhone.
Rather than presenting the device as a radical technological breakthrough on the scale of the original iPhone launch in 2007, Ternus positioned the Duo as an evolution of the existing iPhone experience.
He said the device would “redefine the experience of using a foldable phone”, as Apple looks to establish itself in a category that Samsung has dominated since 2019.
