The key facts
- iPhone Duo sales started on October 23 at an Apple store in Sydney; pre-orders opened on October 16 and quickly pushed delivery dates to the end of January (Reuters).
- Prices: from $1999 for 256 GB to $3199 for 2 TB — the most expensive iPhone model.
- Instead of Face ID — Touch ID in the side button; many third-party apps are not yet adapted to the 5.4-inch and 7.6-inch screens (Wired).
Sales launch and demand
An Apple store in Sydney was the first to begin selling the foldable iPhone Duo on October 23. Despite high demand, no long queues have been observed outside stores around the world — as Reuters reports, this was due to a limit on the number of purchases per person. Interest in the new product was shown by pre-orders: a few minutes after order-taking opened on October 16, delivery dates were pushed to the end of January.
Pricing and positioning
The Duo is the most expensive iPhone in Apple's history: the price starts at $1999 for the 256 GB version and reaches $3199 for 2 TB. For the company, it is also a test at the same time: Samsung and Huawei have been selling foldable smartphones for several years already, and the question arises whether Apple can change this narrow market segment. In addition, the Duo is the first test for John Ternus, who has been running the company as interim CEO since September 1.
What Wired notes: apps and Touch ID
Wired listed eight important points worth knowing before buying. First, apps are not yet adapted: on the 5.4-inch external screen and the 7.6-inch internal screen, navigation elements are shifted to the edges. Apple's own apps have been adjusted to the format, but many third-party ones still open as a narrow strip with black bars on the sides. Second, instead of Face ID, the Duo uses a fingerprint scanner built into the side button. According to Wired's assumption, there was no room for a facial recognition system in the thin body.
