Apple has finally made a foldable iPhone. But the bigger surprise may be its price. The new iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the United States. That makes it one of Apple's most expensive mainstream products. It also raises a simple question: who is this phone really for?
Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo on September 9. It is the company's first foldable iPhone. The device looks like a regular smartphone when closed. Open it, and it becomes a larger device with a 7.6-inch display. A 5.4-inch screen remains available on the outside.
Apple says the design aims to give users a larger screen without making them carry a tablet.
That could appeal to people who work from their phones. The Duo can show multiple apps at once.
Apple demonstrated uses involving Zoom, Slack and other apps. It also supports the Apple Pencil.
The phone uses Apple's new A20 Pro chip. It also has a new C2 modem. Apple says the device can deliver up to 24 hours of mixed dual-screen use. It can also charge to 50 per cent in about 20 minutes.
The company has also focused on the design. Apple says the Duo is its thinnest iPhone when opened. It uses a titanium body and a custom hinge.
But Apple is entering a market that already exists. Samsung has been making foldable phones since 2019. Chinese companies such as Huawei have also released several foldable models. Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Fold8 is already an established product in the category. The iPhone Duo is therefore not the first foldable phone. It is Apple's first attempt.
Apple has often entered markets after other companies. The company did not invent the smartwatch or wireless earbuds. But the Apple Watch and AirPods helped make both categories more popular.
Apple may now be hoping to do the same with foldable phones. The question is whether people will pay Apple's price.
At $1,999, the Duo costs about $100 more than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 at comparable base storage levels, Reuters reports. The highest-storage Duo can cost as much as $3,199. That is a lot of money for a phone.
For many users, the regular iPhone 18 Pro may make more sense. Apple launched the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max alongside the Duo. The Pro models start at $1,199 and $1,299.
They do not fold. But they still bring major upgrades.
Their main camera now has a 48-megapixel sensor with a variable aperture that adjusts to lighting conditions. The new Pro models also bring more AI features.
Another interesting change in Apple's strategy is also underway.
The company did not launch a regular iPhone 18 alongside the Pro models at this event. Instead, Apple focused on the Pro range and the new foldable Duo.
That could make the new products feel even more premium.
For Bangladeshi buyers, the price question is even bigger. The $1,999 US starting price doesn't reflect the final retail price in Bangladesh. Import costs, taxes, retailer margins and other charges can push the local price higher. So the real question is not whether Apple can make a foldable iPhone.
It can.
The question is whether consumers think a foldable iPhone is worth paying nearly $2,000 for.
For someone who wants a large screen, multitasking and the Apple ecosystem, the Duo could be attractive.
For everyone else, a conventional iPhone may still do the job.
And that may be Apple's biggest challenge. The company has to convince people that folding an iPhone is not just a new way to use a phone.
It has to convince them that it is worth the money. Would you spend $2,000 on a foldable iPhone, or would you buy a regular iPhone and keep the rest of the money?
