Apple will call its first foldable iPhone the iPhone Duo, with a starting price of $2,000, according to a last-minute report. The starting price is lower than many previous predictions. But those who opt for configurations wth additional storage could pay nearly $3,000.
Apple could give iPhone Duo some iPad superpowers
While a lot about the foldable iPhone is already known, its marketing name and pricing remain a mystery. Some think Apple will call the foldable the iPhone Ultra, while others think it will be the iPhone Fold.
But it will instead be the iPhone Duo, according to a last-minute report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Tuesday. The foldable will have a similar form factor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, a “short-and-wide design that is ideal for watching video.” A “magnetic hinge” will be a key part of the device’s design.
Internally, the foldable will use Apple’s 2nm-based A20 Pro chip along with a new in-house C2 modem.
To enable full use of the inner display, Apple will allow running multiple apps side-by-side and offer iPad-like multitasking features. Even better, the foldable will apparently support Apple Pencil, reports Gurman. (A previous report from Gurman indicated the folding iPhone would not work with the stylus.)
Dual rear cameras and October availability
Gurman said the iPhone Duo will sport dual 48MP rear cameras, with a 12MP front camera. Unlike iPhone Pro models, the folding phone will lack a telephoto camera.
While Apple will unveil the iPhone Duo on September 9, the foldable supposedly won’t go on sale until early October. It will come in white and dark blue colors, according to Gurman.
While the starting $2,000 price tag will sting, it could have gone higher. Gurman says Apple is absorbing some of the increased memory and storage costs.
“The entry-level version will include 256 gigabytes of storage, with Apple offering higher-capacity versions that will take the price all the way up to roughly $3,000. Apple blew through its cost goals due to the recent memory shortage, so it’s eating some of the expense to keep within reach of $2,000. It’s also passing the costs along to consumers who buy higher capacities,” said Gurman in the report.
With Apple’s Surprise and Shine product-launch event just a few hours away, we won’t have to wait long to know more about the iPhone Duo.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
You can reach out to him at mail[at]rajeshpandey.me.
