Apple unveiled its first foldable smartphone, "iPhone Duo."
Apple on the 9th (local time) unveiled the iPhone Duo at its "Surprise and shine" product launch event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. It entered the foldable market seven years after Samsung Electronics released the first foldable phone, "Galaxy Fold," in 2019.
Apple Chief Executive Officer John Turners said, "iPhone Duo is the most innovative change since the original iPhone," adding, "With an entirely new design and intuitive experience, it shows what is possible when hardware and software come together, and it redefines what it means to use a foldable phone."
◇ First launch of a foldable iPhone
iPhone Duo measures 5.4 inches when folded, about the size of a passport, and 7.6 inches when unfolded, the largest display ever on an iPhone. The unfolded screen is about 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, allowing users to run multiple applications (apps) at once or use it like a small tablet. The chip inside iPhone Duo is Apple's new A20 Pro processor. Built on a 2-nanometer process, it features a 6-core central processing unit (CPU) and a 7-core graphics processing unit (GPU) up to 40% faster than the A19 Pro, delivering AI processing performance twice that of the A19 Pro.
The camera is a dual setup with a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera and an ultrawide camera. Leveraging the foldable form factor, it includes foldable-only features such as "Smart Take," in which AI recognizes poses and shoots automatically, and "Duo Preview," which shows a preview on the cover screen when taking selfies with the rear camera. iOS 27 supports "Split View" multitasking, which opens two apps side by side for the first time on iPhone. Starting late this year, it will support a USB-C Apple Pencil, which could differentiate it from the Galaxy Z Fold that does not support a separate pen (S Pen). It features a titanium exterior, a precision hinge made of over 100 parts, and IP68 water and dust resistance.
iPhone Duo will be available in Star White and Night Sky, starting at $1,999 (about 2.68 million won) for 256GB. The 512GB model is $2,199 (about 2.95 million won), 1TB is $2,599 (about 3.48 million won), and 2TB is $3,199 (about 4.29 million won). Preorders begin Oct. 16, with the official release on Oct. 23.
◇ iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max unveiled
Apple also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max the same day. Both devices are equipped with the same A20 Pro processor as the iPhone Duo. The centerpiece of Apple's launch was the camera. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are the first iPhones to feature a variable aperture. Six laser-precision-machined blades transition smoothly between different f-stops. Apple said that, combined with features that automatically adjust depth of field and light, anyone can easily take the best possible photo.
A new feature to verify the authenticity of photos has also been added. When shooting in the dedicated "Reference Mode," the camera captures signed sensor data, and private cloud computing generates it into an immutable reference image.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will come in black, silver, glacier, and burgundy, priced at $1,199 (about 1.61 million won) for the Pro and $1,299 (about 1.74 million won) for the Pro Max with 256GB. Each is up $100 from the previous generation. Preorders begin Sept. 12, with the official release on Sept. 18.
Compared with earlier market expectations that prices for the iPhone 18 series would rise by $200 to $300, the increase turned out smaller than expected. However, Apple did not unveil a base iPhone 18 that day, raising the entry price. Consumers waiting for the base model will have to wait about half a year longer than usual, and those who want a new model this fall have only the Pro, Pro Max, or the foldable. The strategy appears to be to build a lineup around high-end products amid surging component costs such as memory. Apple is expected to release the base iPhone 18 in the first half of next year.