Apple announced its first-ever foldable iPhone at its annual products event on September 9, 2026, ending an eight-year wait since foldable phones first reached the market in 2018. The device, called iPhone Duo, folds open like a book into one continuous screen that is 80% larger than the latest iPhone Pro and, when opened, is the thinnest iPhone ever, according to Apple. Pricing starts at $1,999, with pre-orders opening October 16 and in-store availability on October 23. The launch also marked the public debut of new CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1 after 25 years at the company.

2026 is shaping up as a pivotal year for the category: Samsung and Google both recently updated their foldables with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Pixel 11 Fold Pro, and Apple's entry gives the market its most prominent challenger yet. CNET reports Apple sells more phones in the US than Android rivals but trails Samsung globally and sits just ahead of Chinese makers like Xiaomi, so the Duo matters commercially as well as symbolically. Apple shares have surged 22% over the past six months, outpacing the S&P 500's 13% gain, and the company leans heavily on its smartphone business as the world's second-largest company by market capitalization.

The Duo's $1,999 price caps a broader trend of increases that Tim Cook foreshadowed in June, warning of a "RAMageddon" component shortage; CNET reports iPhone 17, 17E and iPhone Air prices each rose $100 in September, and the pattern suggests future affordable models may not come cheaper. Under Ternus, Apple is pursuing a record-setting slate: Bloomberg, via The Times of India, reports a possible October 27 event with Apple's first touchscreen MacBook, M6-chip MacBook Pro and iMac versions, and a new iPad mini, following an October 13 smart home event expected to feature a display-equipped hub competing with Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show.

The iPhone Duo goes on sale October 23, and CNET expects Apple to unveil the rest of the lineup — a base iPhone 18, an iPhone 18E and possibly an iPhone Air 2 — in February or March 2027, potentially with upgraded 24-megapixel front cameras, an A20 chip built on TSMC's 2-nanometer process and between 9GB and 12GB of RAM depending on which analyst you believe. The Air 2's fate is uncertain after reportedly disappointing Air sales, though leakers point to a second 48-megapixel ultrawide camera if it arrives. With the original iPhone's 20th anniversary approaching and Google's Gemini set to power Siri later this year, Apple's next moves under Ternus will define whether the Duo is a one-off experiment or the start of a new flagship line.