Apple finally folds: Is the iPhone Duo too late?

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Apple has finally entered the foldable smartphone race with the iPhone Duo, nearly a decade after the technology began moving from experimental concept to commercial product. The question now is not whether Apple can build a foldable phone, but whether it can make the format feel new again.

The iPhone Duo opens into a 7.6-inch OLED display and closes into a 5.4-inch phone. It uses a titanium foldable design, a precision hinge and Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, with a dual-battery system and thermal management designed to support demanding workloads. Apple says the inner screen is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s display.

But Apple is entering a market others have already spent years developing. Samsung launched its first Galaxy Fold in 2019, and has since refined the design through multiple generations. Huawei and Xiaomi have also continued experimenting with different foldable formats, including tri-fold designs.

Apple’s advantage may be its ecosystem. The company has redesigned iOS 27 for the two-screen experience, while features such as Apple Intelligence, multitasking and new camera functions are designed around the larger display.

The biggest obstacle could be the price. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,599 in the US, making it significantly more expensive than conventional flagship phones. In the UAE, it starts at AED 8,499.

So, is Apple late? Technically, yes. But arriving late also allows Apple to learn from the industry’s first generation of foldables. The real test will be whether the Duo can turn a technology that has existed for years into something mainstream.

Apple may be late to folding — but it could still change how the world sees foldable phones.