A company that has spent nearly two decades refining one familiar object has now stepped into a smaller room that others built first. Apple's foldable iPhone Duo, priced at $1,999, reached buyers so quickly that delivery dates slid into late January, a sign that the appetite for a new shape of phone may be larger than anyone quite expected. Reviewers admire its hinge and polish while doubting whether it can replace the device people already carry in their pockets. What it ultimately means will depend less on the first rush of pre-orders than on whether the format can settle into ordinary life.
Apple's iPhone Duo Goes on Sale, Testing Whether a Foldable Can Reshape the Market
Demand had outrun supply almost at once.
Mark
Apple has barely touched the iPhone's basic design for almost twenty years. Why does this launch feel different?
Mimi
Because it's a new category for Apple, not another upgrade. It's a $1,999 foldable, and the company is openly betting it can do for foldables what the iPhone did for smartphones.
Mark
And demand looks strong.
Mimi
Delivery estimates slipped to late January within minutes of pre-orders opening, and Apple called the response "nothing short of extraordinary."
Luke
Careful, though. That word is Apple's. We don't have order numbers, so we know demand beat supply, but not by how much. Limited supply can look like huge demand either way.
Mark
What are reviewers saying?
Mimi
They like the design and the hinge, which hides the crease problem that has dogged foldables. But there's no telephoto lens, some apps aren't adapted, and the folded phone is less handy for quick tasks.
Luke
And the verdicts split. Gruber called it a polished prototype, while Brownlee said it's a fun phone if $2,000 doesn't matter to you. Several prominent reviewers recommended against it for many customers.
Mark
IDC expects Apple to lead the category by 2027.
Luke
That's a forecast from one firm, not a result. The 44% value share on 31% of units for 2026 is IDC's projection too. It reflects the high price, but nobody has measured it yet.
Mimi
Jeronimo himself says the next test is availability and adoption, so even the optimist is treating this as unproven.
Il Polso
- Pre-orders for Apple's first foldable sold out so fast that delivery dates slipped to late January.
- Reviewers praise the nearly invisible hinge, yet the missing telephoto lens and unfinished app support expose real compromises.
- Stock is tight across most markets, with some buyers restricted to online orders and fans queuing for hours in Macau.
- IDC expects Apple to lead the foldable category by 2027, and the coming months of supply will show whether that bet holds.
A company that has spent nearly two decades refining one familiar object has now stepped into a smaller room that others built first. Apple's foldable iPhone Duo, priced at $1,999, reached buyers so quickly that delivery dates slid into late January, a sign that the appetite for a new shape of phone may be larger than anyone quite expected. Reviewers admire its hinge and polish while doubting whether it can replace the device people already carry in their pockets. What it ultimately means will depend less on the first rush of pre-orders than on whether the format can settle into ordinary life.
Within minutes of pre-orders opening last Friday, the delivery estimate for Apple's first folding phone had slipped to late January. Demand had outrun supply almost at once, and Apple called the response from customers "nothing short of extraordinary." The iPhone Duo goes on sale in stores this Friday.
The launch is a departure for a company that has made only modest changes to the iPhone for nearly two decades. At $1,999, the Duo is a wager that Apple can do for foldables what the original iPhone did for smartphones, even though Samsung and Huawei have sold premium foldables for years. For John Ternus, who unveiled the phone barely a week into his tenure as CEO, its reception will be an early measure of his leadership.
Reviews are mixed. Critics praise the premium design and a sturdy, almost invisible hinge, which addresses the creased screen that has long put buyers off. But the camera lacks a telephoto lens, many apps still need updating for the larger display, and the folded phone is clumsier for everyday tasks. John Gruber called it an "extraordinarily polished prototype," and Marques Brownlee suggested most people should pass, though he found it a genuinely fun device for those who can afford it.
Availability is uneven. Stock is limited in the US, Canada, Europe and elsewhere, and in several markets only online customers can receive a unit. In Macau, fans were already lining up hours before the doors opened.
IDC expects Apple to hold 44% of foldable market value this year and to lead the category in units by 2027. Its analysts believe Apple could bring the format to a far wider audience. Whether that happens will depend on whether excitement can be converted into steady supply and lasting adoption.
Within minutes of pre-orders opening last Friday, the delivery estimate for Apple's first folding phone had slipped to late January. Demand had outrun supply almost at once. Apple called the response from customers "nothing short of extraordinary," and on Friday the iPhone Duo goes on sale in stores.
The launch breaks a long pattern. For nearly two decades Apple has made only modest changes to the iPhone, the product that earns the company most of its money. The Duo, priced at $1,999, is a bet that Apple can do for the small foldables market what the original iPhone did for smartphones. Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies have sold premium foldables for years, so Apple is entering a niche that others built.
The stakes are also personal. John Ternus, the former hardware chief, unveiled the Duo barely a week after becoming Apple's CEO in September. How the phone is received will serve as an early test of his tenure.
Early reviews are mixed. Reviewers praised the premium design and a sturdy, barely visible hinge. That matters because the creased screen has long been the main drawback of foldables and a likely deterrent for buyers. But they also pointed to compromises: the camera has no telephoto lens, and many third-party apps still need to be reworked for the new display size. In its smaller, folded state, the Duo is also less handy for the many quick tasks people do on a standard iPhone every day. Several prominent reviewers recommended against it for many Apple customers.
John Gruber, the longtime Apple commentator behind the blog Daring Fireball, wrote that after a week with the Duo it felt like "an extraordinarily polished prototype" rather than a finished product he would want to buy and carry. Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, said in a YouTube review that a regular person who mostly texts, uses social media and browses should probably pass. But if $2,000 doesn't mean much to you and you like the idea, he said, then once you get past the learning curve and the absence of facial identification, it is a really fun phone.
Getting one may be hard. Apple told Reuters that walk-in availability will vary by country, with limited stock in the US, Australia, Canada, Mexico and much of Britain and Europe. In China, France, Hong Kong, India and Japan, units will go only to customers who ordered online. In Macau, where the Duo will be sold to walk-in customers only, fans began lining up hours in advance, according to social media posts and media reports.
Research firm IDC is bullish. It expects Apple to take 44% of foldable market value in 2026 on 31% of units, and to become the category leader in both value and units shipped by 2027. Francisco Jeronimo, an IDC vice president, said foldables have been established for years but adoption has stayed limited compared with conventional smartphones, and that Apple's entry could bring the format to a much broader audience. After a week with the Duo, he said Apple had made a convincing case for the form factor.
Jeronimo framed what comes next as the real test: turning excitement into availability, adoption and a lasting new chapter for the smartphone market. With deliveries already pushed into January, supply is the first thing to watch.
Citazioni salienti
It feels like I've gotten to use an extraordinarily polished prototype — not a finished product that I'd want to buy and carry.— John Gruber, Daring Fireball
Apple has made a convincing case for this form factor.— Francisco Jeronimo, vice president at IDC
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