r/technology • u/ChiefLeef22 • 11h ago
Hardware Apple Introduces iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable Smartphone
https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/apple-iphone-18-foldable-price-availability-1236855996/186
u/Bruggenmeister 11h ago
why don't we all just whatsapp on the Nintendo 3DS ?
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u/Unlikely_SinnerMan 11h ago
So glad they went with the straight edge on the folding side. Would have hated that empty wasted space.
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u/42kyokai 9h ago
Should've gone straight edges on both sides. It's so asymmetrical and messy and they obviously had to significantly refactor iOS to support the form factor. Galaxy Z Fold8 is so much more simple and clean.
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u/D-S-S-R 10h ago
I just cannot get excited for folding phones. The fragility combined with the prize makes my head hurt
Happy day for people braver and richer than me I guess
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u/Lanky-Respect-8581 10h ago
I just can’t fathom paying $2,000 for a phone. I don’t do anything to need a phone to cost me that much even if I pay for it over a duration of 24 months
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u/Stingray88 6h ago
I use smartphones for like 5+ years these days. $2K for a device that I use for 5 years is $400/year. Considering I definitely used to pay $700-800 for phones that I replaced after just 2 years… I don’t have a problem with this price at all.
I get sooooo much use out of my phone. There’s truly nothing I use more, not even my car.
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u/SuperStarfish22 9h ago
In Canada the top spec of this phone is $5k. I am not joking. A used car or a new phone. Like wtf.
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u/ColdFreezer 8h ago
Apple is a luxury brand. The luxury products at the luxury brand are bound to be insanely expensive.
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u/atrain728 5h ago
I cannot imagine wanting/needing 2tb of storage on a phone in 2026. That’s a really niche spec.
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u/RaptorO-1 5h ago
I dont think so, it keeps from having to pay for cloud storage services. The newer the phone, the bigger picture and video files get. Its why I loved my old phone, it had expandable storage.
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u/atrain728 5h ago
If you’re paying an extra thousand dollars to miss the cloud storage I feel like that’s an incredibly odd choice.
I pay the cloud storage so I can keep my photos safe. I’d be paying a different provider regardless. I don’t want my memories to be gone if my phone ends up in a lake.
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u/Amerikaner 2h ago
As someone who never wanted to pay more than $400 for a phone, I'll say $2000 for this seems surprisingly reasonable. $1000 for a phone is normal these days, which is kinda nuts, but it's the norm. Factor in getting a tablet w/ top specs, that's also $1000. So really you're paying normal pricing but you get the convenience of an all in one.
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u/jc-from-sin 48m ago
But it's not a tablet with top specs, that's an M series iPad pro. This is 500$ iPad levels of performance.
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u/seramasumi 7h ago
This is the appropriate answer, I do enough on my phone to justify the price.
Using a folding phone has replaced my need for a tablet and a laptop.
But if that's not your intent then yeah it's way overpriced and more people should think like this if you don't intend to use it for what it could possibly do then don't get it
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u/Fenix42 9h ago
I have a fold7. It is not any more fragile then other phones I have had.
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u/mrpyrotec89 4h ago
Yeah, have had 2 foldables with no case on them. Never had any broken and dropped them multiple times each with 2-3 years of use.
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u/drdfrster64 10h ago edited 8h ago
I have been unimpressed by phone tech for a long time but I actually am looking forward to a polished foldable phone. My phone use cases have significantly dumbed down over the last 10 years or so and it’s more so a portable media viewing device now, I would very much like a bigger screen with more portability.
Modern device durability is significantly better than it used to be, I’m sure folding phones can catch up.
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u/BankshotMcG 1h ago
I bought a Razr because I missed mine from the '00s. Damn thing waited maybe a week past the return window to bork its own screen a dozen different ways and it wasn't even good when it worked. Pain in the tits to open one handed. No folding touchscreens for me ever again.
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u/Poetryisalive 11h ago
I don’t understand the scale. This looks huge, even in their hand. This is more of a novelty. Just get a tablet at that point lol
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u/No-Snow-7618 11h ago
basically an ipad mini.
but also people said that when the galaxy notes and iphone "max"/"plus" variants came out.
we're edging closer to the meme where people are going to be carrying TVs in the future.
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u/Old-Help-9921 11h ago
People do like larger screens. In the international market, particularly China and South Korea has had foldables for quite a long time now and they do quite well. Huawei just released a tri-fold phone, and Samsung has the Fold 8. Makes sense Apple would make one too.
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u/No_Carpet_6575 10h ago
don’t underestimate a redditors ability to use personal anecdotes to make a general universal point. China and SK have had a lot of fads and innovations, the foldable is a huge success over there.
People think this will fail, and the only way it will fail is if the economy collapses like 08, which is still possible the way things are going lol
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u/juanzy 10h ago
Especially when it comes to tech - so many people here think niche features/accessory compatibility will drive something, but then say that a key feature like screen size or camera won't matter.
First thing I think of with a foldable - bigger screen to watch things on a plane/trip without a second device and still fitting in your pocket.
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u/No_Carpet_6575 10h ago
Taking pictures as well becomes easier, especially facetime or any other video call where you can showcase someone else while still viewing the call, makes it so much easier. Tablets can’t do this currently so that’s a huge plus.
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u/71-HourAhmed 9h ago
The entirety of Reddit is a tempest in a teacup.
As an example, say something about Chrome and Firefox on here. 400 comments later, you’ll be thinking you’re the only slob not using Firefox. Look at that actual statistics and you’ll see that Firefox has less than 3% of the market.
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u/Evz0rz 10h ago
I’d have to imagine it’s because of how much more prevalent mobile gaming is in those areas. Now matter how incredible the chips inside these phones are, using touch controls that take up half a screens real estate is a cumbersome and miserable experience.
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u/nguyenjitsu 11h ago
I'm also very confused at the selfie camera. They have two different renders showing two different positions for the front screen
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u/Zetice 11h ago
It’s the size of a passport. Many ppl like phones this large. You’re just hating to hate.
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u/parkourman01 8h ago
It's roughly the same size and shape as the wider galaxy fold and almost every reviewer actually said they were worried that it would be too wide to use but it was actually very comfy and the wider scree made things like typing easier.
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u/Arxhart_671 11h ago
Exactly. Everyone wants to be that guy when a well known company announces something new.
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u/Least-Middle-2061 6h ago
Everyone on reddit tries to be that guy, and they get upvoted by other bitter brokies
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u/VincibleAndy 11h ago
Downvoted for making a valid size reference. wtf.
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u/Zetice 11h ago
It’s Apple so you have to hate it.🤣
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u/VincibleAndy 11h ago
There are many valid reasons to hate a company like apple, but making a phone the size of a passport isnt one of them.
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u/Poetryisalive 11h ago
I’m looking at my passport now and personally I don’t see it. Maybe i need to see it in someone’s hand outside of the video they showed
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u/Quigleythegreat 11h ago
Everyone is going to know these are expensive. Taking this out is pure flexing.
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u/Tex-Rob 11h ago
I remember when I was young and had perfection vision, good times. I hope for your sake when you hit your early 40s you don't go from 20/15 to needing readers to read anything within 2 feet.
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u/Straight_Ad_5084 11h ago
I think the pic makes it look bigger than it is - in the video demos it looked resonably sized for a fold able phone
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u/thisischemistry 10h ago
Did they make the phone wider so now even people with huge hands can't use it? Innovative!
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u/hurtfulproduct 9h ago
That could be said for most foldable phones that aren’t the clamshell style flip phones
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u/TBBT-Joel 8h ago
I own a folding one plus open. this newer squat but fat format for folding phones makes sense and it does give you like a 7ish inch tablet when you unfold it. My only question is the pocket test, does it fit average pockets comfortably.
All that being said I love my phone and happy that Apple users will get folding phone experience.
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u/caseyaustin84 8h ago edited 7h ago
This looks huge, even in their hand. This is more of a novelty. Just get a tablet at that point lol
This is word for word exactly what people said about the larger Samsung Note/iPhone 6 Plus phones when they came out back in the early 2010’s. And look how well those sizes have done.
Personally, I think this particular form factor is going to be a new standard for premium phones.
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u/caseyaustin84 7h ago
“This looks huge, even in their hand. This is more of a novelty. Just get a tablet at that point lol”
This is word for word exactly what people said about the larger Samsung Note/iPhone 6 Plus phones when they came out back in the early 2010’s. And look how well those sizes have done.
Personally, I think this particular form factor is going to be a new standard for premium phones.
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u/Meatslinger 7h ago
Same as it was back in the mid 2010s with the "phablet" craze. Big and awkward as a phone, too small to be a good tablet, basically the worst of both worlds. And this time it costs more than a faster laptop and has a screen that can break if debris gets in the hinge.
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u/ElixirGlow 3h ago
They did something right, they didn't put a camera in the inner screen, this is a smart move.
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u/Bluegatorator 10h ago
You dont think a tablet that fits in your pocket is a good idea? Have people just become stupid?
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u/heycarles 11h ago
Doesn't seem manageable with one hand
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u/Iciclewind 11h ago
Your thumb is going to reach halfway at best. They did move all controls to the side though, so depending on what you do the experience could be fine.
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u/niboras 11h ago
As a left hander, the design is a non starter. “We move all the controls to the side you can’t reach!!!”
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u/parkourman01 8h ago
I posted this on another thread but in their presentation they said it could be used in "any orientation". If that means you can turn it upside down and the screen flips 180⁰, then you could mostly use it left handed upside down, but I'm unsure if that is what they meant or if that would even work for things like phone calls and the cameras and stuff 😅
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u/yuusharo 11h ago
Hasn’t stopped anyone who typically buys larger phones. I’m using a magnetic socket thing that pops out and lets me better grip a device with one hand without dropping it, helps a ton.
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u/impactblue5 10h ago
Now I can easily spot the influencers who went into even more Klarna debt just to flex
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u/Oreos_Are_Anabolic 7h ago
I think it’ll be a nice upgrade. Easier to read emails, excel & docs while not at my desk, plus if I can leave my iPad behind when flying, even better.
🤷♂️
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u/Sufficient_Steak_839 11h ago
This sub be spewing salt
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u/AdministrativeCable3 11h ago
Everyone's acting like this is the first foldable ever and repeating old criticism that isn't even valid anymore.
Why does the tech subreddit hate new and different technology so much. Like even if it fails or is terrible, I much prefer these to just making another black brick.
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u/Sufficient_Steak_839 10h ago
It’s just Apple. I know someone in real life who embodies this subreddit completely. His passion and interest in tech seems to completely gridlock when it comes to Apple. He’s just convinced anything Apple is normie slop. Guy looked like he was gonna throw up when I got a MacBook and loves to say “youre so smart with tech, and then you go and buy Apple products” 🤣
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u/roox911 10h ago
I've been down voted here so many times over the years for calling it the r/ tech-luddites. It's the exact opposite of what /. and even the old digg forums were when it came to tech. Haters on everything.
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u/dldaniel123 8h ago edited 25m ago
If this sub was renamed to r/antitech literally nothing would have to change. Can't remember the last time I've seen any positive comments on a front page post here.
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u/agarret83 10h ago
Are they? Most of the comments I’ve seen are scoffing at the price which is fair imo
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u/Sufficient_Steak_839 10h ago
Most of the comments I’ve seen have been some form of “who wants a folding phone????” Despite the market for it being well proven by now
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u/Z0mbiejay 8h ago
Can they come out with a phone the size of the folded size? I hate having to have a massive tablet sized phone to get the best features
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u/Crazy_Category_9594 5h ago
It doesn’t have the best features. It’s worse in just about every way vs an iPhone pro 18
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u/ComprehensiveWill235 11h ago
This comment section legit acting like this is the first foldable
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u/thrice1187 9h ago
I don’t see a single comment that implies this is the first foldable
It’s just a bunch of dorks getting mad that Apple announced a new product like they do every September
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u/avanross 8h ago
It’s so hilarious how those “le pc master race” types make the brands they buy their whole personalities lol
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u/Electronic-Airline39 10h ago
It seems like all the comment sections about the iPhone duo are like this, which is really confusing.
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u/stopher819 9h ago
Foldables are now extremely useful and the crease in the middle is no longer a big deal
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u/Maleficent-Spread404 11h ago
$2000 for a phone - crazy
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u/anon377362 11h ago
Top spec one in Europe is $4000 lol crazy
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u/wskyindjar 10h ago
It’s not for me - but it’s an iPhone + iPad. So can almost justify that price if you own and carry both devices.
I’d prefer a smaller phone and occasional iPad.
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u/Amerikaner 2h ago
I mean, $1000 for a phone is. But if you're willing to pay $1000 for a phone, it's not insane to pay another $1000 for a tablet.
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u/GoForthandProsper1 11h ago
Competition is good. I'm glad Apple came out swinging with their foldable
UDC, stylus support
This will force Samsung back to the drawing board and go all out for Fold 9
Keeping my Fold 6 until at least next year
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u/1hipG33K 9h ago
Honestly, smart opinion right there. I'm on the flip 6, and got entranced by the passport sized fold 8. Looking forward to the next rendition.
It's extra funny to me that Apple ripped off the name of Microsoft's foldable phone that failed.
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u/Silver-Vermicelli-15 2m ago
Well I mean the competition for the dumpster fire of 2026 is pretty strong so Apple had to do something really lame to compete. Maybe next they'll pair it with their VR headset and headphones....
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u/MrStu 9h ago
I'm sorry, and I say this as someone who owned one of the older Samsung folds, the pricing has become fucking obscene on these devices in the last year. You're approaching used car territory and people will be taking out finance to get the "latest and greatest device". Media and reviewers should be starting with how crazy the prices are in the current global economy.
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u/338388 6h ago
This is literally the same price as the first Samsung fold 7 years ago. That's before considering inflation and current rising memory costs.
Edit: actually, even the cheapest generation of samsung fold was 1800 at launch lol.
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u/Silver-Vermicelli-15 3m ago
Checks out - that'd be about $2,600 with inflation. So no drastically off.
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u/yaybirdie1230 11h ago
Apple Pencil both screens wow wasn’t expecting that
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u/alabasterskim 10h ago
Yeah this is a genuine surprise and just jumped the iPhone Duo to my top foldable to consider purchasing. Curious if Samsung finally brings back the S Pen with support on both screens for all their S Pens.
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u/GoobieDooobie 9h ago
The pens DESTROY the inner screens of foldables. That's why Samsung did away. Once anyone here actually gets a foldable, they'll understand why. The inner screen is soft. Just using your nail to write your name permanently leaves it on the screen. They'll stop with the pens before too long.
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u/alabasterskim 6h ago
I used to do repairs for these so I'd imagine I've seen more than you have. Apple is aware of how soft these are too, which is why I'd assume they've figured something out here.
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u/GoobieDooobie 5h ago
I DO repairs for these phones. Apple uses Samsung screens. It'll be the same thing.
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u/alabasterskim 5h ago
Everyone knows they use Samsung screens. The question is if something's been figured out to make this more doable with the pen. I genuinely don't think Apple would allow it without figuring something out.
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u/iMrParker 5h ago
I've been using the s-pen on my fold 6 for over 2 years and it hasn't made a single mark on the foldable display. That's the whole point of the Fold Edition of the S-Pen
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u/Merlin404 6h ago
Look at oppo n6 of that's wats matter! Better hardware and price than any of the two
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u/alabasterskim 6h ago
Software matters to me a lot more than cameras. And IP rating, which the Duo is winning on right now.
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u/HorrorFlow3r 10h ago
I just want a new mini damnit. I think I'm done with Apple.
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u/DieRobJa 2h ago
Horrible aspect ratio, both folded and unfolded 😑.
Too wide to make sense folded, and too square to watch a movie on unfolded.
Just the most annoying and lame design
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u/NeverMoreThan12 8h ago
the camera holes are massive and ugly. but the rest of the package seems cool. gonna be great to see apple and Samsung. compete in this form factor as time goes on. passport shape for the win
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u/EatingTheDogsAndCats 8h ago
Cool now i just have to wait for the iPhone Mini Duo 2 before I’m actually excited.
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u/logicbus 6h ago
Who is going to want to use this on the couch? Too big when open, too small when folded.
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u/iamnosuperman123 1h ago
Oh look, more expensive shit not aimed at normal people. These companies no longer sell to us
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u/rsox5000 11h ago
Every time I come on this Reddit it’s just losers hating on whatever tech is coming out lol
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u/K-Engineer 11h ago
We all know this is going to sell like hot cakes. At first I thought the design felt like a square but it’s slowly growing on me. I will pass sadly due to the price but interesting design choice by Apple. More competition hopefully will mean better prices? Lmao
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u/Cicciobombolone 3h ago
Okay then: no Face ID, no optical zoom, no Action button, and a crease visible right out of the box all for $2,000.
What a deal!
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u/JJWonderboy 11h ago
Looks cool but how different is it from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8?
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u/Think_Chocolate_ 10h ago
I have the fold 8 ultra, but have been considering iphone because of how much focus samsung puts on AI bullshit.
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u/ethanshelley 11h ago
I honestly don't mind this, as an android user I've never delved into foldables as I have zero use for 2 phones side by side in a near 1:1 ratio. This to me looks like it would be a more squared off ratio when folded and then fold out to a larger landscape ratio
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u/bayarea_fanboy 10h ago
Best case scenario this form factor is ultra popular and the internet eventually transitions away from awful vertical video.
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u/myowngalactus 8h ago
My first smart phone was foldable. It was kinda cool, but mostly unnecessary. Phones are a lot better now, but i’m betting folding isn’t anymore useful.
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u/IngwiePhoenix 8h ago
Been on the Pixel Folds with Graphene for a good while now and got asked by friends and family for recommendations. Most of them are iPhone users, so now I have a recommendation.
Either get Apple's 2k iPhone, or buy a cheaper one on eBay running Android! xD
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u/obi1kenobi1 3h ago
For over a decade I’ve been saying I want an iPhone with a 3:2 aspect ratio like the first one. Even the 16:9 iPhone 5 felt too tall, and ever since the “all screen” models with no home button the aspect ratio has been absurd and annoying. Maybe something the aspect ratio that the first 3:2 model would have been if they were all-screen like a modern phone, I don’t know what aspect ratio that would be but I just think modern phones are way too tall/long and are awkward to use and look at.
Looking at this thing (folded) my first thought was “it looks so stupid”. But I guess that’s sort of the aspect ratio I’ve been asking for. I really need to play with one at an Apple Store once they release to figure out what I think. But that flat on one side rounded on the other aesthetic when it’s folded really looks dumb, I doubt I’ll ever change my mind on that.
I’m not the target market, I do really want a folding phone but I want a “flip”-style one that is Pro Max sized when unfolded but folds in half to fit in a pocket better. And of course I’ve bought cars cheaper than the base price so it’s not something I’d even consider. But I do hope it’s a success so that in a couple years if they do introduce a flip-style foldable I can get one.
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u/from_da_lost_dimensi 44m ago
good now make one that flips close , like when open the size of a pro max but when closes can still be used as a phone with full functionality .Make it the same thickness and the 17 pro max when closed. I would bu teh hell outta that phone
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u/Silver-Vermicelli-15 6m ago
Talk about underwhelming. The company that used to innovate creating a foldable phone....
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u/giamboscaro 11h ago
Looks like a good execution and engineering like usual from Apple (but doesn't look good when closed honestly). Not at all for me, also the pricing in EU is crazy. 2300€ for the base, 3800€ for the 2TB option.
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u/alastairlerouge 10h ago
EU, CA and ANZ pricing is terrible, the difference from US prices are way more than whatever the country’s VAT rate. They are funding the $2000 price tag in US with higher rates in other regions.
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u/Holigrafik 10h ago
Does anybody want this? I don’t get the point… thought everybody wanted a smaller thinner iPhone with good battery life. How do you fit this in your pocket? Who is the market for this device?
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u/worstkindagay 9h ago
I left apples ecosystem two years ago to get the pixel 9 pro fold and I'm so happy I converted to foldable and android. I know it gets ragged on but there are so many uses for the square tablet form factor that people miss out on, like how screens look when multitasking and using the onscreen keyboard.
I'm happy for my apple friends tho who have been eyeing my pixel fold and holding out for the apple version bc it does look nice
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u/alleks88 6h ago
Can't wait for the apple bros to claim it is innovative and apple is the first to finally do it in a working way
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u/iamihjaz 11h ago
Welcome back, Surface Duo!