The iPhone folds! Apple unveils its first-ever foldable ‘iPhone Duo’ at Rs 2,99,900

At Apple’s annual September launch event, the Cupertino-based tech giant officially enters the foldable smartphone market with “iPhone Duo.” Yes, the iPhone finally folds after a decade-long period of research, planning, and development, marking one of the biggest design shifts in the device’s history.

The iPhone Duo launched under Apple’s new Chief Executive, John Ternus, who took the stage today at the Apple event 2026. Besides launching under a new CEO, the foldable iPhone flaunts a talked-about passport-like form factor, dual camera support, and Pro-level performance with the new A20 Pro processor.

"iPhone Duo is unlike any iPhone you've experienced before. It's entirely new and at the same time remarkably familiar. The same size as your passport," Ternus said while introducing the device at the Apple event.

Also read: Apple launches iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max: Brings upgraded performance, camera, and more

Meet iPhone Duo: Apple’s 1st foldable iPhone

Design and display: As anticipated, the iPhone Duo flaunts a passport-like form factor with a wider display size that is said to offer "immersive viewing for both landscape and portrait use." It features a titanium frame, bringing a premium and durable design.

It features a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR main display, which is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 80% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro. It also features a 5.4-inch outer display, and it will also come with Apple Pencil support later this year for either display. It supports Touch ID on the side button, but users can also unlock iPhone Duo using Apple Watch.

The display also comes with a custom nano texture layer that reduces glare and reflections. "The unique texture creates a perceptually flat matte surface that minimises crazed visibility and also feels premium to the touch. We create this by using maskless laser lithography, where every micro lens is written pixel by pixel," Apple said.

It also uses a novel structural system with a multi-layer lamination design that helps to keep the display flat and provides durability. It also has a titanium plate and Carbon fiber for further durability.

Must read: Apple Watch Series 12 launched: Ceramic option, Readiness app and smarter daily insights

The iPhone Duo comes in two colours: Star White and Night Sky.

Performance and battery: The iPhone Duo is powered by the A20 Pro processor, similar to the iPhone 18 Pro models, which claims to offer up to 35% higher sustained performance compared to iPhone 17 Pro models. The foldable is also equipped with a C2 cellular modem that offers up to 50% faster speeds and adds 5G mmWave support in the US. Apple says, "It's optimised to improve everyday user experiences, including using AI algorithms to improve cellular reliability, like reconnecting faster in low coverage areas."

The foldable includes two batteries that operate as one battery, and it claims to offer up to 31 hours of video playback on the main display and 44 hours on the cover display. Apple says it offers up to 24 hours of charge when using both screens equally.

Camera: The iPhone Duo features a dual camera setup that includes a 48MP Fusion camera and a 12MP 2x telephoto lens. It also includes a 12MP Centre Stage front camera on the cover screen and a new FaceTime camera on the main screen. It also comes with upgraded photographic styles.

Also read: Apple AirPods 5 launched with best-in-class ANC, Siri AI and Live Translation

Software: The biggest upgrade comes to the software, as Apple has refined iOS 27 to suit the foldable form factor, making better use of the larger display and enabling a more seamless experience across its different screen configurations. The software offers features like multi-window screens across display orientations, new StandBy mode with widgets like music, calendar, weather, and others. Furthermore, it also comes with Apple Intelligence upgrades and the new Siri AI that makes the foldable more intelligent

Apple’s iPhone Duo price and availability in India

Apple's iPhone Duo comes at a starting price of Rs 2,99,900 for the 256GB storage variant, and goes up to Rs 4,49,900 for the 2TB storage variant. Pre-orders for the foldable will begin on October 16 and will be available for sale on October 23.