The iPhone Duo is Apple’s answer to foldables. But what is the question?
Apple’s first foldable iPhone combines a larger display with a starting price of $1,999, while the top storage version costs $3,199. Analysts expect loyal iPhone users to drive early sales but say Apple has yet to clearly define the device’s purpose or target audience.
Apple’s new foldable iPhone launched on Wednesday with impressive features and a premium price tag, starting at $1,999 in the U.S. But some observers at the packed launch event in Cupertino, California, were left questioning its appeal beyond wealthy tech enthusiasts.
Apple executives demonstrated the iPhone Duo running a variety of apps, including Zoom, Slack and Netflix, on its expanded display, showcasing its potential for work, content creation and entertainment.
New Apple CEO John Ternus highlighted how the “larger display that feels as natural and intuitive as iPad” could open the door for the iPhone Duo to serve as a user’s personal AI hub.
“Apple doesn’t usually define who the buyer is, but in this case specifically, they really shied away from it,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies.
Analysts say Apple’s brand cachet should be enough to ensure strong initial sales of the iPhone Duo. But once the euphoria fades, they warn, the device’s high price and Apple’s lack of a clearly defined target buyer could confine it to a niche of wealthy early adopters, a pattern that has plagued the category since foldable phones emerged.
Foldable phones are on track to account for less than 3% of the global smartphone market in 2026, according to research firm IDC, which also does not expect that share to change much in 2027, even with Apple’s entry.
“Definitely there was a little bit of a lapse in positioning,” said Neil Shah, vice president of Counterpoint Research. “From our end, it was not clear whether it’s for work or play, but I think what iPhone has always stood for is being a versatile device.”
By choosing a broad marketing strategy, Apple did not clearly articulate the audience it envisioned would be willing to pay as much as $3,199 for the phone with the highest storage capacity.
When Apple co-founder Steve Jobs launched the iPad in 2010, he framed the tablet as creating a new category of device, emphasizing its potential for media and entertainment consumption.
By 2015, then-Apple CEO Tim Cook had positioned the tablet’s new Pro line as a tool for creative professionals.
The Apple Watch, which the company initially promoted as a fashion item, evolved into a health and fitness companion.
Apple also stumbled out of the gate in 2023 with its Vision Pro augmented reality headset, which analysts similarly praised for its technology while questioning its high price and lack of a clear use case beyond entertainment.
Counterpoint’s Shah estimated that Apple could still sell close to 6 million units of the iPhone Duo by the end of the year, driven by pent-up demand among existing iPhone users. Those sales alone would give Apple roughly a quarter of the global foldable-phone market, Shah said.
Samsung, the incumbent market leader in foldable phones, has been selling its devices since 2019. Other options are available from companies including Alphabet’s Google and China’s Huawei.
Samsung overcame a debacle at launch dubbed by some as “foldgate,” which was marked by widespread reports of broken screens and peeling components. It now holds 40% of the market, according to Counterpoint data, and unveiled a redesigned passport-style foldable phone in July.
That device has outperformed its predecessors and added weight to a publicity campaign Samsung launched in response to the iPhone Duo, mocking Apple for “reheating our leftovers.”
Still, the market’s growth has slowed in recent years after foldable phones struggled to attract buyers beyond a niche audience.
Apple’s entry is expected to provide the biggest year-to-year boost in foldable smartphone shipments since 2021, according to technology research firm Omdia, which forecasts 22.3 million units for the global market in 2026.
Bob O’Donnell, chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research, said the iPhone Duo’s high price narrowed its potential audience, particularly among younger consumers, but Apple diehards would bolster early sales.
“It’ll be something that’ll be lusted after,” he said. “It’ll be a status symbol, for a while, because I think it’s going to be hard to get.”
