Apple's First Foldable iPhone Is Real: iPhone Duo Pre-Orders Open October 16

Sunday, October 4, 2026 — Apple has finally done it. After years of rumors, the company has officially entered the foldable phone arena with the iPhone Duo — and pre-orders open in less than two weeks.

Pre-orders begin Friday, October 16, 2026, with first retail availability slated for October 23. The initial rollout covers more than 70 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, the United States, Vietnam, and numerous European nations.

The design

When closed, the iPhone Duo has a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR outer display. Unfold it and you get a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR main display — the largest ever featured in an iPhone. The main display uses a nano-texture coating to reduce glare and make the crease less visible.

Both displays support ProMotion, Always-On Display, and up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Apple also plans to add Apple Pencil support via USB-C by the end of 2026.

The price

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for the 256GB base model — surpassing many MacBook models. It is unambiguously a luxury device, priced well above the iPhone 18 Pro Apple released earlier this year.

The competition

Apple is late to foldables — Samsung, Google, Motorola, and China's vivo (whose X Fold 6 just launched globally) have been iterating for years. But Apple's entry instantly makes the category mainstream in the US, where foldables have remained a niche. The October 23 street date puts it head-to-head with the holiday shopping season.

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