GoKawiil
Tech News
Apple has entered the foldables market with the iPhone Duo, adopting a shorter, wider form factor similar to Samsung's Galaxy Fold 8 and Google's Pixel Fold rather than taller folding designs. CNET's hands-on coverage notes the device is priced near $2,000 and offers Apple's typical build quality, though it lacks the camera and battery upgrades found in the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Apple's foldable iPhone Duo, priced from $1999 to $3199, features an inner display cover that can be peeled off and replaced once creasing becomes visible, hardware lead Kate Bergeron confirmed. The replacement costs $19 for AppleCare customers and $49 without it.
Apple's product page now allows customers to select color, storage, carrier and trade-in options for the $1,999 iPhone Duo foldable before preorders officially open at 8am ET on October 16th. Shoppers who complete these selections will only need to confirm checkout once ordering begins, rather than configuring everything from scratch.
Apple has published out-of-warranty repair pricing for its new foldable iPhone Duo, which starts at $1,999 for 256GB and reaches $3,199 for 2TB. Repairs range from $49 for cover layer damage to $999 for inner display replacement and $1,499 for unspecified 'other damage,' according to Apple's support documentation.
Apple has published estimated out-of-warranty repair costs for its new iPhone Duo, ranging from $49 for cover layer damage to $1,499 for general 'other damage'. Inner display repairs cost $999 and battery service costs $229, while AppleCare+ is priced at $19.99 per month and sharply lowers many of these fees.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has granted regulatory approval for Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen (Qwen) language models and Tongyi Wanxiang image/video tool to power Apple Intelligence on the mainland. Network access permits have also been issued for the upcoming iPhone Duo and 18 Pro, with the Duo set to launch in China next week featuring the revamped Siri.
Apple delayed the standard iPhone 18 until early next year while launching only the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone Duo this cycle. Leaker Fixed Focus Digital reports that component inventory levels tied to the base iPhone 18, set to begin production in late November, suggest a substantial stockpile is being built.
Apple has published out-of-warranty repair pricing for its foldable iPhone Duo, with costs ranging from $49 for cover layer damage up to $999 for inner display damage and $1,499 for unspecified "other damage." With AppleCare Plus, which costs $19.99 monthly, $199.99 yearly, or $399 flat, many repairs drop sharply, including $0 battery service and $99 for inner display or other accidental damage. The device starts at $1,999, launching October 23rd with preorders beginning Friday.
Apple has introduced a 'Get Ready' feature on its Online Store and Apple Store app, letting customers pick their iPhone Duo model, color, storage, carrier, trade-in and accessories ahead of time. Shoppers can also set up payment and shipping details before pre-orders officially open on Friday. Apple will then automatically place the order once the purchase window begins.
Apple has released the fourth developer beta of iOS 27.2, which follows the public iOS 27 release and bypasses iOS 27.1, a version reserved for the iPhone Duo foldable. The beta brings the redesigned Health app shown at the iPhone 18 Pro event, dual capture for Group FaceTime, expanded Siri language support, Apple TV profiles on iPhone, and Apple Podcasts interface tweaks.
Apple's iPhone Duo foldable has two 48-megapixel rear cameras, a main and an ultrawide, but lacks the dedicated telephoto camera found on the iPhone 18 Pro. Both phones can crop into their 48MP sensors for 2x zoom, but only the 18 Pro offers up to 8x 'optical quality' zoom via its 4x telephoto lens. The Duo also omits variable aperture, another headline feature of the 18 Pro, relying instead on a fixed aperture like earlier iPhones.
Comparison of Apple's iPhone Duo and Xiaomi's 18 Fold shows both have 7.6-inch inner and 5.4-inch outer screens at 120Hz, but Xiaomi claims 4,000-nit peak brightness versus Apple's 3,000 nits. Apple uses a titanium frame, Ceramic Shield glass and IP68 rating with a 2nm A20 Pro chip and 12GB RAM, while Xiaomi's aluminum-framed phone weighs less at 219g, lacks a listed IP rating, and runs a 3nm XRING O3 chip with 16GB RAM.