Apple opens pre-orders for the iPhone Duo, its first foldable, at $1,999 and in short supply
Since 5 a.m. Pacific time on Friday (noon in Dakar, 2 p.m. in Paris), Apple has been taking orders for its first folding phone, which ships from October 23. At $1,999 in the US and €2,339 in France, it is the most expensive iPhone ever sold, and analysts expect few units before the end of the year.
Why it mattersThe base model costs more than 1.5 million CFA francs at French prices, and comes without the new Siri in Europe. Worth knowing what you are paying for before pre-ordering or importing one.
- On October 16, Apple opened pre-orders for the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, which ships from October 23 in more than 70 countries.
- It costs $1,999 to $3,199 in the US and €2,339 to €3,839 in France, more than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 (€1,999).
- With a 7.6-inch inner screen and an A20 Pro chip, it weighs 254 grams, more than its Android rivals.
- Analyst Jeff Pu expects 6 million units in 2026 because of hinge production problems, and the new Siri is not available in the European Union.
- In Africa, only South Africa gets it from October 23; no date has been announced for French-speaking West Africa.
Californians had to be up early: 5 a.m., Pacific time. At that moment on Friday, October 16, Apple’s online store flipped over and the iPhone Duo went on order, in the United States as well as France, India and the United Arab Emirates. The first iPhone that folds will reach customers and stores on October 23, in more than 70 countries. Unveiled on September 9, it now faces a simple test: how many buyers will pay the price of a high-end laptop for a phone?
In the US, prices start at $1,999 for 256GB, then $2,199 (512GB), $2,599 (1TB) and $3,199 for 2TB, before sales tax. France pays considerably more: €2,339, €2,589, €3,089 and €3,839, which is €40 above Germany at every tier. In India the entry price is Rs 2,99,900; in the UAE, Dh8,499. For comparison, a 256GB iPhone 18 Pro Max costs €1,629 in France, €710 less.
A 7.6-inch book, heavier than the competition
The Duo opens like a book. Closed, it shows a 5.4-inch outer screen; open, a 7.6-inch panel with a matte “nano-texture” coating that Apple says cuts glare and makes the crease less visible. Inside are the A20 Pro chip, a titanium frame and hinge cover, two 48-megapixel rear cameras (main and ultra-wide, no telephoto) and eSIM only. Apple quotes up to 31 hours of video playback on the large screen and 44 hours on the small one.
Unfolded, it is just 5.2mm thick, thinner than the iPhone Air. Folded, it measures 11.3mm and weighs 254 grams, the heaviest iPhone Apple has made. Its Android rivals are lighter, as 9to5Google pointed out: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 weighs 201 grams and is 9.7mm thick when closed, Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold 239 grams. Samsung is also cheaper. The Fold 8, on sale since August 7, starts at $1,899 and €1,999, while the Duo costs €340 more in France.
« Others have created foldables that just feel like two phones awkwardly stuck together. »
John Ternus, Apple chief executive, at the September 9 launch (quoted by the BBC)
The bet belongs first of all to John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook on September 1 and was giving his first keynote. Apple is arriving late to a market that Samsung and Huawei opened in 2019 and that remains narrow: foldables account for about 2% of global smartphone sales, according to Ben Wood, chief analyst at FDM CCS Insight. “The real fight is China, where Huawei owns nearly 80% of foldables,” Francisco Jeronimo, a vice president at research firm IDC, told the BBC.
A hinge that holds back production
Apple has given no stock figures, but the signals point the same way. In mid-September, analyst Jeff Pu cut his 2026 shipment forecast from 7 million to 6 million units, blaming hinge manufacturing problems rather than weak demand, according to a note seen by 9to5Mac. He expects twelve times as many iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max units over the same period. Chinese outlet Jiemian, cited by MacRumors, put final-assembly yields on September 17 at only slightly above 60%, citing a source close to Foxconn’s supply chain. On Friday, Apple said nothing about the pace of orders or any delivery delays.
Europeans, meanwhile, pay more for a bit less. Siri AI, the rebuilt assistant Apple presents as one of the strengths of its 2026 line-up, is not available in the European Union at launch: the company blames the Digital Markets Act, and the European Commission rejected its counterproposal, according to Austrian site Trending Topics.
In Africa, only South Africa gets it on October 23
On the continent, only South Africa clearly features in the first wave: Apple’s South African website listed October 23, according to ITWeb, which expected a price above R50,000. “It’s certainly not going to be your youngsters, well, from an affordability point of view,” said Chris Dodd, chief executive of reseller iStore. Nigeria is in neither wave, according to Profolio; TechCabal estimated a grey-market unit there at between 4.4 million and 5.6 million naira.
For Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and the rest of French-speaking West Africa, Apple has published no date, and the list of 28 countries joining on October 30 has not been released. The first Duos will therefore arrive there as imports. At French prices, the base model already comes to about 1.53 million CFA francs and the 2TB version to more than 2.5 million, before shipping, customs duties and the reseller’s margin.
- Buy iPhone Duo, Apple.
- iPhone Duo: Pricing, Pre-Orders, and Release Date, MacRumors.
- iPhone Duo : Apple fait exploser les prix jusqu’à 3.839 euros, EconomieMatin.
- iPhone Duo thicker and heavier than basically every Android foldable, 9to5Google.
- iPhone Duo could be very hard to get at launch, per report, 9to5Mac.
- Apple’s new boss starts with big gamble on $1,999 first folding iPhone, BBC (via MyJoyOnline).
- Apple’s first foldable iPhone heads to South Africa, ITWeb.
- iPhone Duo pre-order begins today: check price and how to book, Business Today.
- iPhone Duo in UAE: pre-order date, price, features, Gulf News.
- Apple’s iPhone Duo lands in Germany and Austria at €2,300, minus Siri AI, Trending Topics.
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