Apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, the company’s first iPhone that opens into a larger, tablet-like display.
Starting at $1,999 in the United States, the new device represents one of Apple’s biggest changes to the iPhone design in years and puts the company directly into competition with established foldable-phone makers.
Apple’s First Foldable iPhone 📱
The iPhone Duo features two displays.
When closed, users get a 5.4-inch outer display for everyday smartphone tasks.
Open the device and it reveals a much larger 7.6-inch inner display, providing more room for videos, games, productivity and multitasking.
Apple says the Duo is its thinnest iPhone ever when opened.
Powered by the A20 Pro
Inside, the iPhone Duo uses Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, the same generation of processor powering the new iPhone 18 Pro lineup.
Apple is positioning the device not simply as a larger iPhone, but as a premium platform for multitasking and artificial intelligence.
Users can take advantage of the larger screen to work across multiple apps while Apple’s latest AI features are integrated throughout the software.
Apple Pencil Support ✏️
One particularly notable addition is Apple Pencil support.
The larger foldable screen allows the iPhone Duo to function more like a compact tablet when opened, giving users additional options for writing, drawing and productivity.
It marks a major expansion of what Apple expects users to do with an iPhone.
Apple Enters the Foldable Battle
Apple is arriving relatively late to the foldable-phone market.
Samsung and several other manufacturers have been selling foldable smartphones for years.
Samsung remains a major player in the category and has already responded to Apple’s arrival as competition between the two smartphone giants enters a new phase.
Foldables still represent a relatively small part of worldwide smartphone sales, but Apple’s entry could bring significantly more attention to the category.
The Price Could Be the Biggest Question
The technology comes with a premium price.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the U.S., making it considerably more expensive than a traditional flagship smartphone.
Higher-storage configurations push the price even further.
That raises the biggest question surrounding Apple’s new device: will mainstream iPhone users pay nearly $2,000 for a foldable phone?
iPhone 18 Pro Is Here Too
Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
The new Pro models feature Apple’s A20 Pro processor, improved battery performance and a new 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with variable aperture.
Apple says the variable-aperture system gives photographers greater control over depth of field and different lighting conditions.
The new iPhones also run iOS 27, with Apple’s latest generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features.
A New Era for the iPhone?
The original iPhone helped transform the smartphone industry.
Nearly two decades later, Apple is experimenting with one of the biggest physical changes ever made to its most important product.
Whether the iPhone Duo becomes a mainstream success or remains an ultra-premium device for early adopters remains to be seen.
But one thing is certain: Apple has officially joined the foldable-phone race.
Sources: Apple, Reuters — September 2026