Apple Reveals Its Game-Changing Foldable iPhone Duo
Apple’s book-style iPhone Duo arrives in the UK on 23 October, starting at £1,999 with a 7.6-inch internal display.
What you need to know
- Apple announced its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, on 9 September.
- UK prices start at £1,999, with pre-orders opening at 1pm on 16 October.
- The phone combines a 5.4-inch outer display with a 7.6-inch inner screen.
Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, with UK prices starting at £1,999. The book-style handset was announced in Cupertino on Wednesday 9 September and will reach the UK on Friday 23 October.
Pre-orders open at 1pm UK time on Friday 16 October through Apple’s UK website, Apple Stores, selected network providers and retailers. The 256GB model costs £1,999, rising to £2,199 for 512GB, £2,599 for 1TB and £3,199 for 2TB.
A large screen in a folding iPhone
The iPhone Duo has a 5.4-inch outer Super Retina XDR display and a 7.6-inch internal Super Retina XDR display when unfolded. Apple says the latter is the largest screen fitted to an iPhone, while both panels support ProMotion, Always-On display and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness.
It uses a grade 5 titanium frame and hinge cover, comes in Star White or Night Sky, and has IP68 splash, water and dust resistance. Apple says the inner display has a nano-texture finish intended to reduce glare and make the crease less visible.
Inside is Apple’s A20 Pro chip, with a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU and dual 16-core Neural Engine. The company claims up to 24 hours of use per charge when the two displays are used equally, alongside up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and 44 hours on the outer one.
Cameras, software and eSIM
The phone has a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system, including main and ultra-wide cameras, plus a 12MP Centre Stage front camera and an under-display FaceTime camera. Video recording reaches 4K at 120 frames per second in Dolby Vision, according to Apple.
It launches with iOS 27.1, which has been adapted for the folding design with Split View, two windows of the same app, a redesigned Dock and interfaces that change as the handset is opened or rotated. Apple Intelligence and Siri AI are included, although Apple says Siri AI is rolling out in beta with iOS 27 and some functions vary by language or region.
The iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide. Apple says support for the USB-C Apple Pencil will arrive later in 2026.
A costly entry to foldables
Apple chief executive John Ternus called the Duo “the most transformational change to iPhone since the original”. It is Apple’s first move into a category already served by Samsung, Motorola and Google.
For UK buyers, the central appeal is straightforward: a pocketable iPhone that opens into a screen better suited to video, games and two-app multitasking. The trade-off is price. The Duo starts £700 above the £1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max, so it is positioned as a premium alternative rather than a replacement for Apple’s conventional flagship phones.
Apple will also sell an iPhone Duo Case for £79 and an iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand for £129, both available to order from 16 October.
Why it matters
The iPhone Duo gives UK buyers an Apple alternative to established foldable phones from Samsung, Motorola and Google, but it comes at a substantial premium. Its £1,999 starting price is £700 more than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, making this a product for buyers who value the larger screen and multitasking features over a conventional flagship design. The eSIM-only approach also means buyers will need to use a compatible network setup.
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