Apple launches iPhone Duo, its first foldable, seven years after Samsung

Apple unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, on Wednesday, September 9, at Apple Park in California, marking the company's entry into the market seven years after Samsung. The device was presented by new CEO John Ternus in a highly anticipated video. The iPhone Duo folds to the size of a passport and unfolds to a 19.3-centimeter screen, with a price of about $2,000 and availability starting October 23. Apple claims it reduced the visible crease, a key criticism of foldables, and expects to capture nearly a third of the niche market, which represents under 2% of global smartphone sales. Chinese rivals Huawei and Xiaomi recently launched competing foldable models, and Apple also announced a $100 price increase for its iPhone 18 Pro models, the first rise since memory chip shortages began.