Apple Anticipates Strong Demand and 6 Million Sales for New Foldable iPhone Duo

Apple is projected to ship approximately six million units of its newly introduced foldable iPhone Duo this year, driven by robust consumer demand bolstered by a strategic pricing strategy, according to Counterpoint Research. The innovative foldable device carries a starting price tag of $1,999, positioning it roughly $100 higher than the Galaxy Z Fold8.

“Apple’s pricing was one of the most impressive parts of the launch,” stated Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research. “Keeping the iPhone Duo just under the $2,000 mark ... looks like a pretty bold move, especially for a first-generation foldable. At this price, we think demand potential could be quite strong, particularly among existing iPhone Pro series users and early adopters who have been waiting for an Apple foldable.” Mr. Pathak noted that the six million sales target represents the upper projection and relies on how rapidly production scales up.

Apple officially unveiled the iPhone Duo earlier this month. Describing it as a “thoughtful design,” the company's new chief executive, John Ternus, remarked that “the other products out there just look like two phones glued together side by side.”

Pre-orders for Apple's inaugural foldable phone are scheduled to commence on October 16 in the UAE. Prices will start at Dh8,499 ($2,300) for the base model, with higher-storage configurations potentially reaching up to Dh13,600.

“The key challenges remain pretty much the same - durability, crease visibility, hinge reliability, thickness, weight and battery life,” Mr. Pathak observed. “Apple will not solve all of these overnight, but its scale and strict quality requirements should push suppliers to invest more in engineering, capacity and yield improvement. Over time, that should help improve both performance and cost across the industry.”

Apple's latest offering is anticipated to deliver a substantial catalyst to the foldable smartphone sector, arriving amidst a broader contraction in the overall smartphone market. Global smartphone shipments are projected to drop by 16.7 percent this year to just over one billion units, marking the steepest annual decline the industry has ever experienced, according to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Conversely, the foldables category is forecast to expand by 12.6 percent in 2026, reaching 22.9 million units, before accelerating to an 18 percent growth rate in 2027 to total approximately 27 million units, IDC reported. “The rapid growth is thanks to Apple’s entry into the category in the second half of this year. Apple is not only adding a new model or increasing competition in the foldables category; it is converting a segment that was about to decline into the fastest-growing part of the industry,” the report highlighted.

Counterpoint noted that 2026 will serve as a “structural inflection point” for the global foldable smartphone market, shifting past a traditional cyclical recovery and into a sustainable expansion phase. “The bigger message is that foldables are moving beyond being just a technology showcase and becoming a more established premium smartphone category,” Mr. Pathak concluded. “In the end, adoption will still depend much more on better usability, thinner and lighter designs, improved durability, stronger software and whether consumers feel the extra price is worth.”