Key facts
- Apple launched its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, with a 7.6-inch unfolded display and a 5.4-inch outer screen.
- The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 and is inspired by the iPad.
- The device offers improved selfie-taking capabilities and enhanced movie-watching on its wide screen.
- Apple's entry into the foldable market is expected to significantly impact its trajectory, according to IDC.
- IDC forecasts Apple will ship over 17 million foldable iPhones by 2027, capturing about 40% of the global market.
Apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the launch of its iPhone Duo, unveiled during the company's "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday. The new device features a book-style foldable design, opening to a 7.6-inch inner display and equipped with a 5.4-inch outer screen that allows for side-by-side app usage. This marks a significant departure from Apple's traditional single-screen iPhone design, which has been a popular consumer product since 2007.
CEO John Ternus described the iPhone Duo as "the most transformational change to iPhone since the original," signaling Apple's strategic bet on the foldable form factor. The company aims to persuade consumers to spend more on a device that functions as both a pocketable phone and a small tablet, highlighting improved selfie capabilities and enhanced movie-watching experiences.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, making it $800 more expensive than the newly announced iPhone 18 Pro. This pricing places it in direct competition with other high-end foldable devices from manufacturers like Samsung, Google, Huawei, and Motorola, which have also been vying for a share of this niche market. However, foldable phones have historically remained expensive and have yet to capture a substantial portion of the overall smartphone market.
Industry analysis firm IDC expects global foldable-phone shipments to reach 22.9 million units in 2026, representing just over 2% of the total smartphone market. Despite this, IDC forecasts that Apple's entry could "fundamentally alter the market's trajectory," with projections of Apple shipping over 17 million foldable iPhones by 2027, capturing approximately 40% of the global foldables market. Nabila Popal, a senior research director at IDC, noted that without Apple's participation, foldable shipments would have otherwise declined year-over-year.