A participant takes a selfie with the new foldable iPhone Duo, presented during an Apple event at the Steve Jobs Theater, at Apple Park, in Cupertino, California, on Sept. 9, 2026. (Credit: Karl Mondon/AFP)
Seven years after its Korean rival Samsung, American company Apple redefined its flagship smartphone on Wednesday with the launch of the Duo, a foldable iPhone priced at $1,999, banking on its design and promises of data privacy to gain an edge over competitors who have been present for several years in this market.
The new senior vice president, John Ternus, led the event held in Cupertino, California, which featured the most significant iPhone redesign since the iPhone X in 2017.
The Duo is the size and shape of a passport, with rounded edges. It opens onto a 7.6-inch (19 cm) display, usable vertically as well, while a smaller screen sits on its front face when folded. Once opened, it is the thinnest smartphone ever designed by Apple, according to the company, but it remains thicker than some Chinese foldable phones.
The "Duo" could disrupt a market long dominated by Samsung and Chinese companies like Huawei, whose devices have struggled to move beyond the niche market stage. Analysts have long believed that Apple’s entry could act as a catalyst, helping to bring this category of smartphones into the mainstream.
In a sign of the intense competition, Xiaomi and Huawei have both unveiled new foldable models in recent days, while Samsung — coinciding with Apple’s announcement — launched an advertising campaign highlighting its technological edge and early entry into the market, Reuters reports.
Less than $2,000
The Duo will therefore sell for $1,999 in the United States for the base model — only about $100 more than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. "Keeping the iPhone Duo’s price just under the $2,000 mark — at $1,999 — and only about $100 above [Samsung’s] Galaxy Z Fold 8 seems like a particularly bold move by Apple," Liz Lee, an associate director at market research firm Counterpoint, told Reuters.
During the announcement, John Ternus criticized existing foldable smartphones, deeming them impractical for everyday tasks like scrolling or watching videos, and also presented the iPhone as a personal, privacy-focused artificial intelligence "hub."
Other tech companies poked fun at the launch. Duolingo — the language-learning app featuring a green owl mascot named Duo — wrote on X, "We’ve been ripped off," before following up with more posts in a similar vein. The Samsung Mobile U.S. account chimed in with a reply.
Turkey, France, UAE: Sample countries
Apple stated that the iPhone Duo, available beginning Oct. 23, will feature the A20 Pro chip to manage its displays, as well as a new C2 modem chip designed in-house, as part of its effort to gradually move away from Qualcomm wireless data chips. Its battery provides up to 24 hours of use with both screens and can be recharged to 50% in about 20 minutes.
Customers in more than 70 countries and regions will be able to pre-order the iPhone Duo starting Friday, Oct. 16. Apple states that the product will arrive in another 28 countries and regions starting Oct. 30. The company did not provide exact lists, citing only 18 countries as examples, including the United States, France, China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Lebanon is not included.
Contacted, the customer service department of authorized reseller Adkom believes it would be reasonable to expect the new Apple smartphone before November. iStyle, for its part, says it has not yet received any definitive information from its management, while a third reseller in the Mansourieh area expects a wait of about a month and a half.
In contrast, the new iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, the latest versions of Apple’s iconic lineup that are not foldable, can be pre-ordered starting Sept. 12, and will be available from Sept. 18. They will be sold starting at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively, which is $100 more than the starting prices of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
It will be up to John Ternus, previously a hardware executive little known to the wider public, to convince Apple customers that they need a foldable device costing about $2,000 — a new high for a global brand that has defined mass-market luxury. Analysis firms such as International Data Corporation (IDC) expect Apple to sell every foldable iPhone it is able to produce and to seize 40% of this highly lucrative niche market by the end of next year.
AI, AirPods and Apple Watch
It will be up to Apple to convince the general public that they need a foldable device costing nearly $2,000. Analyst firms like International Data Corporation (IDC) expect Apple to capture 40% of this highly lucrative niche market by the end of next year, even though users remain divided on the technology and its utility.
Some have embraced it, while others feel it is not yet sufficiently refined — particularly due to the crease that can appear at the hinge and worsen over time. Others view this type of phone as a gadget aimed solely at wealthy consumers.
Other highlights of the event included Apple unveiling "Apple Reference Image," a new standard designed to ensure the authenticity of photos taken with the iPhone 18 Pro, along with support for SynthID, which can identify images created or modified by AI. However, Apple Reference Image will not be available in the European Union nor in China.
Apple also announced new AirPods starting at $129, equipped for the first time with noise-cancelling functionality, as well as the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, described as major health-focused updates.