On September 9, 2026, Apple unveiled the all-new iPhone Duo, the first foldable phone in the company’s history. Anticipation had been building for months around “Surprise and Shine,” the Cupertino event that also marked the debut of John Ternus in the role of CEO. After years of rumors and patents, Apple is entering a segment so far dominated by Samsung and Huawei — with a different approach, since the phone opens horizontally rather than vertically.

iPhone Duo is built around two displays with matching aspect ratios, a titanium hinge made of more than 100 components, and a price that puts it in the highest bracket ever seen for an iPhone, starting at 2,369 euros in Italy. Alongside the foldable, Apple also introduced the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, leaving out a base model this cycle.

What is iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable smartphone and the first iPhone compatible with the Apple Pencil, though that support will arrive later. Unfolded, Apple calls it the thinnest iPhone ever made.

Folded, it has compact, pocketable dimensions for everyday use. What sets it apart from the competition is that the inner and outer displays share the same aspect ratio, so content scales proportionally moving from one screen to the other without cropping or distortion.

Display

Unfolded, iPhone Duo features a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR panel, the largest display ever fitted to an iPhone — 50% bigger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s. Built from ten ultra-thin layers, it uses nano-texture technology to cut down on reflections and glare, along with a scratch-resistant coating designed for the folding surface.

The FaceTime camera sits beneath the display and stays hidden when not in use. Folded, the 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR outer display offers a surface equal to 90% of the iPhone 18 Pro’s screen. Both panels reach up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, support ProMotion, and include an Always-On mode. The outer screen also houses a 12-megapixel Center Stage front camera.

Design

The frame is made of grade-5 titanium with a mirror-polished finish, while the hinge cover has a contrasting micro-sandblasted texture. The hinge mechanism, made up of more than 100 components, keeps the center of the display flat when unfolded and opens and closes smoothly thanks to a built-in magnet array.

On durability, the back is protected by Ceramic Shield and the front by Ceramic Shield 2. iPhone Duo also carries an IP68 rating against water and dust, tested to a depth of 6 meters for 30 minutes — no small feat for a foldable device, since hinges typically make dust and debris protection harder. Internally, reinforcement ribs and ceramic-fiber antenna bands add structural rigidity.

Specs

Under the hood, iPhone Duo runs the new A20 Pro chip with vapor-chamber cooling to sustain performance. On the back is a dual 48-megapixel Fusion camera system. The battery uses a dual-cell design intended to deliver all-day battery life.

One choice likely to spark debate is the absence of a physical SIM slot: iPhone Duo ships exclusively as an eSIM-only device worldwide, a decision Apple says frees up internal space and improves overall battery life.

In place of Face ID, iPhone Duo uses Touch ID, built into the side button. It supports unlocking via Apple Watch and includes the Camera Control button for quickly launching the camera, aided by the new Siri Camera mode.

Software

Given the unprecedented foldable format, Apple’s engineers had to adapt the new iOS 27 for the dual-screen design. The general rollout is set for Monday, September 14, 2026, and introduces a number of changes tailored to Apple’s first foldable.

Among them are new multitasking modes designed to take advantage of the extra space on the inner display, a redesigned Standby mode, and the ability to use the device in any orientation, including partially folded, book-style use.

Sustainability

Apple also highlighted the sustainability profile of iPhone Duo’s production. The foldable phone contains 35% recycled materials overall, including 100% recycled cobalt in the battery and 100% recycled titanium in the hinge cover.

Production uses 60% renewable energy across the supply chain, while the packaging is made entirely from recyclable fiber.

How much does iPhone Duo cost

In the United States, iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for the 256GB version and goes up to $3,199 for the 2TB model.

In Italy, prices run higher: it starts at 2,369 euros for the 256GB version, or 98.71 euros a month over 24 months. Pricing climbs to 2,619 euros for 512GB, 3,119 euros for 1TB, and 3,869 euros for the top-tier 2TB model.

When does iPhone Duo launch

Preorders for iPhone Duo officially open on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM Italian time (8:00 AM ET). The device goes on sale starting Friday, October 23 in more than 70 countries, including Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, China, Canada, Australia and South Korea.

Apple said an additional 28 countries will have to wait until Friday, October 30 for iPhone Duo to arrive on shelves.

Dedicated accessories

Apple also introduced two accessories designed specifically for the new form factor. The first is the iPhone Duo Case, a dedicated cover available in sand and navy colors for 89 euros. The second is the iPhone Duo Folio Case, which includes a built-in stand and comes in navy and taupe for 149 euros.

Both accessories go on sale October 16, alongside the opening of phone preorders.

Editor’s note

This article was originally published in Italian on money.it by Pasquale Conte on September 10, 2026 as «iPhone Duo, la guida. Prezzo, quando esce e tutte le caratteristiche del primo pieghevole Apple». It has been translated and adapted for an international audience by the Money.it International desk.