Apple's foldable iPhone Duo will reportedly start at $2,000

iPhone Duo Launch Starts at Two Thousand Dollars

Apple will reportedly unveil its first foldable iPhone, called the iPhone Duo, at its Surprise and Shine event in Cupertino on September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the iPhone Duo starts at $2,000 with 256GB storage and sales beginning as early as October. Apple has confirmed the event but has not publicly confirmed the foldable's name, its price, its specifications, or its release timing.

The handset would become Apple's most expensive iPhone ever to go on sale, undercutting analyst forecasts that its first foldable would start near $2,300 rather than $2,000.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is absorbing part of memory-related cost increases to keep the starting price at $2,000. Higher-capacity versions of the foldable with up to two terabytes of storage could climb to roughly $3,000, according to Bloomberg's reporting.

The device was long expected by analysts and leakers to bear the iPhone Ultra name, making the reported Duo designation a surprise for a new Apple product category.

Ternus Presides Over Apple's Foldable Debut Event

Apple Chief Executive John Ternus will deliver his first keynote since he succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive on September 1. The Surprise and Shine event is expected to showcase the iPhone 18 lineup as well as the long-awaited foldable device.

Apple's first foldable enters a market where Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $1,899 and the rival Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra sells for $2,099.99.

The company has reportedly engineered the foldable's display crease to near invisibility, a key factor in how reviewers judge the device. Supply-chain reports point to new high-density battery cells and internal design changes meant to provide additional space for battery capacity.

Apple expects the premium foldable to revive its image as an innovator and open a new high-end product category, according to people familiar with its strategy.

IDC analyst Nabila Popal has said the device could become the Birkin of smartphones in China, a sign of strong demand despite its very high price.

Foldable Specs Include Displays, Touch ID, and Cameras

Apple's foldable reportedly pairs a 5.5-inch cover display with a 7.8-inch inner screen in a book-style foldable design, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo.

The device will reportedly omit Face ID and instead use Touch ID built into the side button to conserve space inside a thin chassis, Bloomberg reported.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that the iPhone Duo has dual 48-megapixel rear cameras and a 12-megapixel front camera for video calls. The reported camera system omits a telephoto lens, a notable compromise for a foldable expected to start at two thousand dollars.

According to Bloomberg, the foldable will come in white and dark blue and support the Apple Pencil stylus, a first for any Apple iPhone handset model.

The foldable is expected to use Apple's A20 Pro chip and its new custom C2 modem, according to recent reports. Bloomberg also described a magnetic hinge system, while accessory makers at a Berlin fair displayed cases for the unannounced device.