Headline: Apple Launches £1,999 Foldable iPhone Duo

Date: 9 September 2026

Tags: Apple, Technology, Smartphones, Artificial Intelligence

Summary:

• Apple has launched the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone and most expensive iPhone to date.

• UK prices start at £1,999, while US prices range from $1,999 to $3,200.

• The Duo represents the biggest physical redesign of the iPhone since its original 2007 launch.

• New chief executive John Ternus helped develop the device during its eight-year development programme.

• The Duo resembles a small iPad when unfolded and a wider conventional iPhone when folded.

• Apple enters a market where Samsung and Huawei already sell established foldable devices.

• Foldables currently represent around 2% of smartphone sales, with analysts forecasting approximately 4% within a decade.

• Huawei controls nearly 80% of the foldable smartphone market in China, presenting Apple with significant competition.

• Apple also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, starting at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively.

• Siri AI will access information across users’ devices to answer questions and perform tasks, with Apple emphasising privacy protections.

Why this matters: The iPhone generates more than half of Apple’s sales, making the Duo a major test of its ability to create a new premium product category.

What’s next: Apple will compete against established foldable manufacturers while testing whether consumers will pay substantially more for the new design.