Apple Debuts the iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable Phone

The phone has a 7.6-inch inside display and a 5.4-inch cover display. It’ll be available in October.

Senior Technology Reporter

Abrar Al-Heeti

Senior Technology Reporter

September 9, 2026, 2:22 pm ET

It’s finally here: Apple on Wednesday unveiled its first foldable iPhone, called the iPhone Duo. It’ll start at $1,999 for 256GB in the US. Preorders for the iPhone Duo begin on Oct. 16, ahead of an Oct. 23 release.

Apple debuted the new device during its fall event in Cupertino, California, along with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

The iPhone Duo is compact, with a passport-sized design and titanium build. Apple says it’s the thinnest iPhone ever when opened. It has a 7.6-inch display on the inside and a 5.4-inch outer display. It’ll be compatible with the Apple Pencil. To unlock, it supports Touch ID, rather than Face ID. The iPhone Duo will come in two colors, dubbed star white and night sky.

Apple says the matte inner display reduces the phone’s crease while also curbing reflections. A titanium plate helps to improve the iPhone Duo’s durability, according to the company. The phone is powered by the A20 Pro chip.

The iPhone Duo has a 48-megapixel main camera and a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera. It supports 4K video at 120 frames per second, as well as 4K time-lapse. Dual capture in FaceTime lets you capture video using both the rear and inside cameras.

Apple says the iPhone Duo will give you up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display, and 44 hours when using the outer screen. When using both equally, the company says you’ll be able to go 24 hours before needing to charge.

With the iPhone Duo, Apple enters an increasingly competitive foldable phone market, with key players including Samsung, Google and Motorola, as well as Chinese brands like Honor, Oppo and Huawei. Now, it’s Apple’s turn to further shape the space – and likely nudge it forward.

Analysts predict the iPhone Duo could give foldables, which remain a niche smartphone category, a significant boost. IDC forecasts that global foldable shipments will grow by more than 12% this year, with Apple’s entry driving much of that growth. The research firm also expects Apple to ship more than 17 million foldable iPhones by 2027, giving the company nearly 40% global market share by the end of next year.

This is a developing story; check back soon for updates.

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