Apple joins foldable phone race with $1,999 passport-shaped iPhone Duo

Business Recorder reported that Apple has entered the foldable phone market with the Duo, a folding iPhone priced at $1,999 and launched on Wednesday. The device is shaped like a passport, opens into a horizontal 7.6-inch screen and is described by the company as its thinnest phone when unfolded. The launch was led by new chief executive John Ternus, and Apple framed it as the most visible overhaul of its flagship line since 2017, when the iPhone X arrived.

Samsung and Chinese makers such as Huawei have dominated foldables, yet their devices have not moved far beyond a niche audience. Analysts quoted in the report say Apple's entry could be the push the category needs, much as the company helped lift smartwatches and wireless earbuds into the mainstream. Apple is pitching the Duo as a productivity tool, with a larger screen that supports several app windows at once and Zoom calls with multiple participants.

Ternus stressed privacy, arguing that trust fades when people no longer control their own data, and that Apple Intelligence runs on the device whenever it can. Apple also introduced Apple Reference Image to verify photos taken with the iPhone 18 Pro, a feature that will not be available in the EU or China. Shares rose less than 1% after the presentation, while the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and a new AirPods model starts at $129.