Apple Unveils iPhone Duo Foldable Starting at Dh8,499 Alongside New AirPods 5 and iPhone 18 Pro

Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, during a keenly awaited event at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California, on Wednesday. “This is a thoughtful design that only Apple can provide,” the company's new chief executive, John Ternus, said upon introducing the device. “The other products out there just look like two phones glued together side by side.” He noted that the iPhone Duo, with its hinge design and other details, offers an experience similar to the iPad. Apple stated that the Duo features the largest-ever iPhone screen when unfolded.

The inside screen of the iPhone Duo measures 19cm, while the outside screen is 13.7cm when folded. Johny Srouji, Apple's chief hardware officer, said the device's screen consists of a “non-texture finish” created by Apple that surpasses all other foldables in quality, although it remains unclear if a visible crease exists. Mr. Srouji added that the Duo can be used in any orientation. Promotional video clips demonstrated the iPhone Duo folded on a bedside table with an alarm clock visible, as well as running the Slack messaging app. Available in star white and night sky, Apple stated that it is the thinnest iPhone ever when opened.

With a base model price of $1,999, the iPhone Duo will be available for purchase on October 16 and could ship as early as October 23. Digital ads in the UAE from Apple priced the Duo at Dh8,499. This is not Apple's first product named “Duo”; from 1992 to 1997, the company offered a line of lighter Duo laptops. Apple's stock closed 0.28% lower on Wednesday at $315.34 per share.

Ahead of the launch, attendees at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit in Washington discussed their interest in an Apple foldable. Eric, a cybersecurity seller, noted, “I upgrade every year and it sounds awesome, but at $2,000 I just don't know.” Because he regularly uses both iPhone and Android devices for work, he feels less inclined to purchase a first-generation foldable. Amy, another cybersecurity seller at the summit, expressed satisfaction with her current iPhone and greater interest in rumored AirPods updates, though Apple ultimately introduced the AirPods 5 during the event.

Dave Pakula, a member of Apple's product design division, introduced the AirPods 5 featuring a more durable design, better sound, and improved noise cancellation, with prices ranging from $129 to $149. Meanwhile, analysts predict strong demand for the iPhone Duo despite foldables occupying a small sector of the market. Counterpoint Research forecasts global foldable smartphone shipments to surpass 100 million total lifetime units by the end of 2026, with Apple potentially shipping up to six million foldable iPhones this year to capture a 25 percent market share.

Apple also announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, boasting improved CPUs, GPUs, and displays, along with the upcoming beta rollout of Siri AI. Rich Dinh, Apple's head of iPhone product design, highlighted the 18 Pro's 36-hour battery life and 45-hour battery life for the Pro Max. Kaiann Drance, Apple's marketing chief, detailed the main camera's new variable aperture with six blades. To address authenticity concerns, Apple will adopt the SynthID standard for AI-generated photos. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max start at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively, with orders beginning September 12 and shipping by September 18.

Finally, Apple unveiled the Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models featuring improved fitness-tracking sensors, a new Readiness app, an AI-enhanced Health app, tighter Siri integration, and a new “health age” metric based on tracked data.