Apple's $1,999 Bet On Its New Foldable iPhone Duo — What Early Reviewers Want You to Know Before You Buy

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Apple CEO John Ternus holds the iPhone Duo during Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event at the company's corporate headquarters, Apple Park, on September 9, 2026 in Cupertino, California. The event featured Apple product announcements and was Apple CEO John Ternus’s first keynote address in his new role. (Credit: Photo by Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)

• ---

  Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo on September 9, 2026, its first foldable phone, starting at $1,999 and climbing to $3,199 for top configurations, with preorders opening October 16 and sales beginning October 23.

• Hands-on coverage from CNN, Bloomberg, Tom's Guide and TechRadar zeroes in on the 7.6-inch inner screen's barely-there crease and an IP68 rating, a first for any folding phone.
• The sharpest criticism targets the cameras: no dedicated telephoto lens, no variable aperture, and no Face ID, replaced by a cropped digital zoom and a side-mounted Touch ID button.
• The launch also doubled as the first flagship product unveiled since John Ternus formally took over as Apple's CEO on September 1, 2026 — a detail some early coverage got backward.

  ---