Apple Unveils Foldable iPhone “Duo” in Biggest Redesign Since 2017

Apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the launch of its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo. The device starts at $1,999 in the US for the 256GB model, which is approximately Rs 553,700.

Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo at its “Surprise and Shine” event alongside the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Preorders will open on October 16, followed by the official launch in the US and more than 70 other countries on October 23.

The iPhone Duo uses a compact, passport-sized design with a titanium build. Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone it has ever made when fully opened. The phone also supports the Apple Pencil.

iPhone Duo Brings Two Displays and A20 Pro Chip

The foldable features a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display. Apple has used a matte finish on the inner screen to reduce reflections and make the display crease less noticeable. A titanium plate has also been added to strengthen the phone and improve its durability. Unlike recent iPhone models, the iPhone Duo uses Touch ID instead of Face ID for unlocking.

The device is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip and comes in two colors, star white and night sky. The camera setup includes a 48-megapixel main camera and a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera. The iPhone Duo can record 4K video at 120 frames per second and supports 4K time-lapse capture. Its Dual Capture feature also allows users to record from the rear and inner cameras at the same time during FaceTime calls.

Battery Life and Apple’s Foldable Market Push

Battery performance depends on how the two displays are used. Apple claims up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and 44 hours on the outer display. When both screens are used equally, the iPhone Duo delivers up to 24 hours of video playback. These figures give users different battery expectations depending on how they use the foldable.

Apple is entering a crowded foldable market led by companies such as Samsung, Google, and Motorola. Chinese brands including Honor, Oppo, and Huawei are also competing in the segment.

Research firm IDC expects global foldable smartphone shipments to grow by more than 12 percent this year. The firm expects Apple’s entry to play a major role in that growth. IDC also projects that Apple could ship more than 17 million foldable iPhones by 2027. That would give Apple nearly 40 percent of the global foldable smartphone market by the end of that year.

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