iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable iPhone, unveiled on September 9, 2026 at the Surprise and Shine event: a 7.6-inch inner display, the 2nm A20 Pro chip, and prices from $1,999 for 256GB up to $3,199 for 2TB. It's the most expensive iPhone ever made, with sales starting October 23, 2026.
Key facts
- iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable iPhone: a 7.6" inner screen and an outer display covering over 90% of the front.
- US pricing: from $1,999 (256GB) to $3,199 (2TB) - the most expensive iPhone ever.
- Touch ID replaces Face ID, built into the side button; European pricing will be announced separately.
- Pre-orders open October 16, sales start October 23, 2026.
- iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max (from $1,199) are already on sale from September 18, 2026 - and Cybermarket already stocks cases for them from €12.09, VAT included.
iPhone Duo: a foldable flagship built without compromise
Apple resisted building a foldable phone for years while rivals - Samsung, Huawei, Honor - refined the format for almost a decade. When Cupertino finally committed, it went straight to the top of the price range: iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB and reaches $3,199 for the top 2TB configuration - the most expensive iPhone in the line's history.
For that money, buyers get a 7.6-inch inner display - the largest screen ever on an iPhone, about 50% bigger in area than the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The screen has a nanotexture coating that reduces glare and gives the surface a matte feel. The outer display covers over 90% of the front panel, almost like a regular smartphone - solving the main problem of earlier foldables: a cramped, narrow outer screen.
The body is built from aerospace-grade titanium, making iPhone Duo the thinnest iPhone ever made. The hinge uses variable torque - the phone resists opening differently at different angles - plus a magnetic array that snaps the two halves shut.
One unusual choice: a fingerprint sensor instead of face recognition. Touch ID is built into the side button, and Face ID is absent entirely - Apple says Touch ID was simpler and more reliable for a folding design than duplicating Face ID cameras on both halves. The phone can also be unlocked from an Apple Watch.
Inside is the A20 Pro chip, built on a 2-nanometer process, with a vapor chamber cooling system three times larger than the iPhone 17 Pro's. The battery is split into two cells, one in each half, working as a single system for up to 44 hours of video using only the outer screen, or about 24 hours of mixed use.
| Spec | iPhone Duo |
|---|---|
| Inner display | 7.6" (largest ever on an iPhone) |
| Outer display | over 90% of the front panel |
| Chip | A20 Pro, 2nm |
| Body | aerospace-grade titanium, the thinnest iPhone ever |
| Biometrics | Touch ID in the side button (no Face ID) |
| Battery life | up to 44h video (outer screen only) / about 24h mixed use |
| US price | from $1,999 (256GB) to $3,199 (2TB) |
| Pre-order / on sale | October 16 / October 23, 2026 |
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: big news overshadowed by their foldable sibling
At the same event, Apple showed the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. In any other September, they'd have grabbed every headline; this time their launch felt almost routine. Both phones get the same 2nm A20 Pro chip and a triple-camera system with a 48MP main sensor featuring a physically variable aperture, which improves shots in tricky lighting. iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, Pro Max at $1,299. Pre-orders opened September 12, with sales starting September 18, 2026 - five weeks ahead of the foldable model.
The other notable news was what wasn't there: a standard iPhone 18 without the Pro label. Apple pushed its launch to spring 2027, splitting the line's update cycle into two parts for the first time in years - breaking the industry's habit of releasing every iPhone model together each fall.
Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 and AirPods 5: what else Apple showed
Apple also introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 (from $399) and Apple Watch Ultra 4 (from $799, up to two days of battery life). Plus AirPods 5: the standard version costs $129, and the wireless-charging case version costs $149. The watches and earbuds go on sale September 18 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro.
Where our catalog fits in
While the headlines focus on hinges and folding screens, owners of the already-released iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have a more down-to-earth question: what to protect their new phone with in the first week. Our catalog already carries cases for both models: Apple silicone MagSafe cases at €29, designer HC MagSafe IML cases from €49, and Camera Lens Protector Armor at €12.09 - all prices include VAT. For iPhone Duo, matching accessories aren't available yet: the format is too new, and suppliers are only starting to design cases for the folding body.
What this means for the market
iPhone Duo's production run will likely stay small: the price and format target enthusiasts and early adopters who want to be first. But until now Apple was the only major maker without a foldable in its lineup, and that argument is gone for its rivals - their foldables will now be compared to an actual iPhone on the shelf. Apple also rewrote its own calendar: with the standard iPhone 18 pushed to spring 2027, a single fall release for the whole lineup is no longer a given, even in Cupertino.
How much does iPhone Duo cost?
In the US, iPhone Duo costs from $1,999 for the 256GB version to $3,199 for the top 2TB configuration - the most expensive iPhone in the line's history. Apple will announce European retail pricing separately closer to the October 23, 2026 launch.
When does iPhone Duo go on sale?
Pre-orders for iPhone Duo open October 16, 2026, with sales starting October 23, 2026 - five weeks after the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which launch September 18.
How is iPhone Duo different from the iPhone 18 Pro Max?
iPhone Duo folds in half and opens into a 7.6-inch inner display, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max is a regular smartphone with a fixed screen. Duo replaces Face ID with Touch ID in the side button, and starts at $1,999 versus $1,299 for the Pro Max.
Will iPhone 18 Pro cases fit iPhone Duo?
No - iPhone Duo is a new foldable format, and matching cases haven't been made yet. For the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, though, Cybermarket's catalog already has MagSafe cases from €29 and camera protection from €12.09, VAT included.
When does the standard iPhone 18 (without Pro) launch?
Apple pushed its release to spring 2027, splitting the lineup's update cycle into two parts for the first time - previously every iPhone model launched together each fall.
