CUPERTINO, United States — Apple unveiled its first foldable iPhone on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
The $1,999 iPhone Duo will go on sale on October 23.
The device has a display on its exterior and unfolds to provide a larger screen inside, introducing a new form for Apple’s most important product nearly two decades after the original iPhone appeared.
John Ternus presented the phone during his first major product event as Apple’s chief executive, having succeeded Tim Cook earlier in the month.
Ternus said the iPhone Duo “will redefine the experience of using a foldable phone.”
Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 during the event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.
A 7.6-Inch Inner Display
When closed, the iPhone Duo has a 5.4-inch exterior screen and is roughly comparable in size and shape to a passport.
Opening the device reveals a 7.6-inch internal display, close to the dimensions of an iPad Mini.
Apple described the unfolded Duo as the thinnest iPhone it has produced. The phone includes cameras on its exterior, rear and inner screen.
The internal display has a matte surface intended to limit glare and fingerprints while making the crease along the fold less visible.
Early folding smartphones were frequently criticised for pronounced creases, although newer devices from competing manufacturers have reduced their visibility.
At $1,999 for its least expensive configuration, the Duo is the costliest base-model iPhone Apple has released.
The highest-priced version can reach $3,199.
Software Built Around the Hinge
Apple has adapted the Duo’s software to respond to the position of the display.
Content can move between the two screens as the phone is opened, while applications can divide across the internal display when the device is partially folded.
Users can operate two applications beside each other on the larger screen.
Video can also expand from the exterior display to the internal panel without restarting when the phone is opened.
The folding design provides additional options for photography and video calls.
The exterior screen can display a preview while a photograph is being taken, and the phone can transmit images from two cameras during a FaceTime conversation.
A version of Apple’s StandBy feature allows the Duo to function as a clock, photograph display or information panel when it is folded and placed on a surface.
The feature is available on conventional iPhones, but the hinged device can support itself without a separate stand.
Ternus also presented the iPhone as Apple’s principal personal computing device for artificial intelligence, citing the company’s privacy protections.
The Duo is designed to accommodate AI functions alongside applications running on its larger internal screen.
Apple Enters an Established Market
Apple is joining a foldable smartphone category already occupied by Samsung, Huawei, Motorola and other manufacturers.
Those companies began selling hinged devices years before Apple, although foldable models still represent a small portion of global smartphone sales.
Some of the Duo’s functions, including split-screen applications and camera previews on an exterior display, have previously appeared on folding phones produced by Samsung and Google.
The iPhone Duo announcement nevertheless represents the first major alteration to the iPhone’s physical structure.
Recent versions have generally retained the familiar single-screen design while adding larger displays, improved cameras and faster processors.
The iPhone remains Apple’s largest source of income, accounting for more than half of the company’s revenue.
The Duo gives Apple a new premium model as the company seeks to expand the ways its phones can be used, particularly for multitasking and artificial intelligence.
