Foldable iPhone: Apple Duo Launch & Market Impact

Apple on Wednesday introduced the Duo, the company's first foldable smartphone, ending years of speculation about when the tech giant would enter this market segment. The launch represents the most significant redesign of Apple's flagship product in recent years and marks the company's formal entry into a category where competitors Samsung and Huawei have been active since 2019.

The new device features a passport-like design with rounded edges. When closed, users can operate the Duo through a smaller external display; opening it reveals a wide, horizontal screen that can also be used vertically. According to Apple, the device is the thinnest phone the company has produced when in its open position.

This launch is considered the most substantial design change to the iPhone line since 2017, when Apple introduced the iPhone X and removed the physical home button for the first time. The move comes as the iPhone continues to drive Apple's revenue: in the most recent fiscal year, it generated $209.6 billion for the company, slightly more than half of total sales.

New CEO's First iPhone Launch

The event carried additional significance as the first iPhone launch led by new CEO John Ternus, who replaced Tim Cook. Cook himself appeared in the opening video, which concluded with him pointing to Ternus and saying, "Not me. He's your guy."

Alongside the foldable device, Apple presented the new iPhone 18 Pro series. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the Pro Max begins at $1,299, a $100 increase over the previous generation. The models feature the new A20 Pro chip, designed in part to run advanced artificial intelligence models directly on the device.

Apple also showcased an upgraded version of Siri, which the company says will work with approximately 300,000 applications at launch. Ternus emphasized privacy during the event, stating that the company aims to make the iPhone a personal AI hub by performing as many operations as possible on the device itself.

While Apple has not officially announced the Duo's price, analysts estimate it will exceed $2,000. Despite the high price point, research firm IDC predicts significant demand, projecting that Apple could capture roughly 40% of the foldable phone market by the end of next year.

Apple is arriving notably late to this category: Samsung and Huawei have been selling foldable devices since 2019. However, the market still represents a relatively small portion of the global smartphone market, partly due to high prices, visible screen creases, and durability issues that characterized some early generations. Apple now hopes the Duo will do for foldable devices what the original iPhone did for touchscreens—transform an existing technology from a niche product into a mainstream one.