The iPhone Duo is a foldable smartphone developed and marketed by Apple. It is the first iPhone to feature a foldable design. The device was announced during the Apple Event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 9, 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and is scheduled to be released on October 23, 2026.
Development
Apple Inc. began filing patents for a foldable iPhone display as early as 2011;[3] and a patent for a gesture-controlled flexible display was awarded in January 2015.[4]
In November 2016, Apple received patents for iPhones that could fold into a book shape[5] and a clamshell shape.[6] In October 2017, The Bell reported that Apple was working on a foldable display with LG Display with production expected to begin in 2020;[7] Bank of America corroborated that report in March 2018.[8]
In 2020, then-Apple CEO Tim Cook became convinced that Apple needed to enter the foldable phone market after witnessing their growing popularity in Asian consumers using devices from Samsung and Huawei.[9]
In December 2024, analyst Ross Young reported that Apple would debut a foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026. Early rumors of the foldable iPhone suggested that it could be between 7.9 and 8.3 inches (20 and 21 cm) in size with a clamshell design.[10][11] In January 2025, the phone remained in early planning, with reports saying it would only support eSIMs, as would Apple’s upcoming iPhone Air, which was also in development.[12] In February 2025, Apple began choosing suppliers for ultra-thin display glass, while details about display sizes and creases began to surface.[13][14] Samsung was reported to be the supplier of the OLED display for the phone, and Apple focusing on a 2026 release.[15][16] By March, early reports suggested a book-style design with a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch outer display.[17][18] Soon after, the first signs of the phone’s existence surfaced in the “new product introduction” phase at Foxconn.[19][20]
The phone was initially presumed to be called the “iPhone Fold” because of its OLED folding display. Reports in April 2026 suggested that it would instead be named the “iPhone Ultra”.[21][22] SellCell analyzed the 12-month resale value from flagship brands like Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and OnePlus, and suggested that the foldable iPhone would lose $1,292 of its value within a year on the market.[23][24] In July 2026, references to the phone were discovered in beta releases of iOS 27.[25][26][27]
Early hands-on impressions of the phone were appeared in August 2026, with one mentioning that it fits in a pocket, and commenting on the feel and durability of its hinge;[28][29] early motherboard photos for the phone surfaced soon after.[30]
Production
Production details began to surface in June.[31][32] In early July, Apple reportedly placed orders for 10 million of the foldable iPhones.[33][34] and mass production of the phone[35][36] and other components[37][38] began shortly after. Multiple reports suggested that the foldable iPhone suffered early production hurdles and final mass-production adjustments,[39][40] and in September 2026, reports confirmed that foldable iPhone production was ramping up slowly with only a few hundred units a day by late August.[41][42]