Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo foldable launch as the centrepiece of its annual product event, with the book-style folding handset carrying a UK starting price of £1,999 and marking the first major redesign of the iPhone in nearly two decades.
John Ternus, who became Apple’s chief executive after Tim Cook stepped down earlier this year, took to the stage on Wednesday to introduce the Duo. The device is the largest iPhone ever made and, at a US starting price of $1,999 rising to $3,200, the most expensive. UK prices begin at £1,999.
iPhone Duo foldable launch: what the new device does
When unfolded, the Duo resembles a small iPad. Folded in half, it takes on the look of a wider iPhone. Ternus said the design was ‘inspired by the iPad’ and described the folding mechanism as ‘fluid and completely intuitive.’
Apple has been developing a foldable phone internally for several years. Ternus, who spent many years leading Apple’s hardware division before being appointed chief executive, was directly involved in that work. He said the Duo is the ‘result of a series of remarkable innovations that we think will redefine the experience of using a foldable phone,’ and that Apple deliberately sought to avoid the feel of rival foldables, which he said ‘feel like two phones stuck together… making a larger screen feel much smaller.’
According to Tech Insider, the Duo goes on sale on 23 October 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Market forecasts and analyst reaction to the iPhone Duo
The commercial stakes are steep. Ben Wood, chief analyst at technology research firm FDM CCS Insight, said Ternus’s promotion was likely timed ‘to coincide with what will be arguably one of the biggest iPhone launches for many years.’ Wood added: ‘Nothing happens by accident at Apple.’
Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies who attended Wednesday’s presentation, said the spotlight on Ternus made it feel ‘almost like he was a product himself.’ She also flagged the challenge of shifting consumers away from a familiar form factor. ‘Foldables are interesting devices,’ Milanesi said. ‘A lot of people are intrigued by it, but the software and the learning curve that you have from moving from a traditional phone to a foldable is real.’
Wood noted that foldable smartphones from Samsung, Huawei and others currently account for only 2% of global smartphone sales. Even with Apple entering the category, sales are only expected to reach 4% of the total market in the next decade, according to FDM CCM Insight.
Against that backdrop, Futurum Group points to IDC’s 2026 forecast, which puts the global foldable market at 22.9 million units. Apple is projected to capture roughly 31% of that total, equivalent to about 7.1 million units.
Dipanjan Chatterjee, an analyst at Forrester, offered a more cautious view. ‘The foldable risks becoming a premium-priced ornament in the portfolio, imparting badge value but not meaningful growth,’ he said. Chatterjee drew a parallel with Apple’s Vision Pro headset, priced at $3,699 in the US, which has not been a hit with buyers. He also suggested the Duo could follow a different path, becoming a product bought by millions each year without matching iPhone volumes, in the same way the Apple Watch has performed.
Previously, the highest starting price for the newest iPhone was $900. Apple also confirmed the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which in the US start at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively. The iPhone Duo foldable launch sits well above both.
Siri AI and the wider product refresh
Wednesday’s event also confirmed a broad refresh of Apple‘s AI stack, alongside the Apple Watch Series 12. The company’s audio and chat assistant, now rebranded Siri AI, will from the iPhone 18 onwards be able to search across a user’s messages and emails to find information, answer queries and take action on their behalf.
Some Siri AI features will also be available on the new Apple Watch, including the ability to record and transcribe conversations if a wearer enables that option. Ternus described the new AI capabilities as an ‘intelligent personal hub’ and acknowledged that Apple would be drawing on ‘the most private details of your daily life.’ He said all data would remain private, with AI features running on-device where possible, and through a private remote server when a third party is required. ‘Others see that data as something to collect and store,’ Ternus said. ‘Here, not even Apple can access what’s yours.’
The iPhone accounts for more than half of Apple’s annual sales. The iPhone Duo foldable launch goes on sale on 23 October 2026.
