iPhone Duo: Apple's first foldable starts at $2,000 — here's what you get

By: Anton Kratiuk | today, 11:13

Apple's first foldable phone is official in all but name — Bloomberg's Mark Gurman spilled the full picture hours before today's announcement. The device is called iPhone Duo, not Fold or Ultra as earlier rumors suggested, and it starts at $2,000 for the 256GB model. A top-tier 2TB version will run close to $3,000.

The name and the price

After months of conflicting rumors — iPhone Fold, then Ultra, then Duo — Bloomberg (Gurman) has settled the debate. The "Duo" branding emphasizes the two-screen design rather than a performance tier, which is a deliberate choice to separate it from the iPhone 18 Pro line.

At $2,000, the Duo is the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold. Gurman notes Apple exceeded its own cost targets because of a memory shortage — the company absorbed some of that overage to keep the entry price from going higher, then offset the rest by charging significantly more for higher-storage versions. UK buyers should expect that $2,000 figure to translate to £1,600 or more once VAT and currency adjustments are applied, per Wi-Fi Planet.

What's inside

The Duo runs Apple's A20 Pro chip alongside the in-house C2 modem. The main camera system uses two 48MP sensors; the front camera is 12MP. It supports split-screen multitasking at the same level as the iPad, and — confirmed after earlier reports cast doubt — it works with Apple Pencil. That last point matters: Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 drops S Pen support, which gives the Duo a clear productivity angle for anyone who sketches, annotates, or takes handwritten notes on their phone.

The phone ships in white and dark blue.

October, not September

One thing the Duo won't do is arrive alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Gurman confirmed it launches in October — a separate window that gives Apple room to manage supply and build momentum independently from its standard fall lineup. Whether a $2,000 foldable finds a wide audience or stays niche will become clear quickly once early US and UK sales data comes in.

For context, $2,000 puts the Duo above Samsung's base Z Fold 8 but below the ultra-premium tier. It took Apple more than a decade to ship a foldable; the question now is whether the wait produced something worth the price.