Apple’s first foldable iPhone could do more than add another premium model to the lineup. In a post on X, Mark Gurman (@markgurman) predicts that the iPhone Duo will help turn foldable phones into the dominant smartphone design, with the category accounting for most new phone sales within a decade.
The prediction follows unusually strong interest in the Duo across social platforms, where its $1,999 price, 7.6-inch inner display and missing Face ID have produced far more discussion than the smaller items in Gurman’s latest newsletter. Apple’s reach matters because foldables still represent only about 2% of global smartphone shipments, according to Gurman’s report.
Why the Duo could change the market
Gurman writes that the Duo has “game-changing potential” because Apple has paired polished hardware with clear reasons to unfold the device. Video, gaming and photography receive dedicated two-screen features, while StandBy widgets and FaceTime can use the phone in a propped-up position.
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- The inner display measures 7.6 inches and is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max screen.
- Apple uses the outer screen for camera previews and shared FaceTime views.
- Split View lets two apps run together, although our iPhone Duo multitasking comparison found it less flexible than iPad multitasking.
Apple’s official iPhone Duo announcement confirms the large inner display, A20 Pro chip, IP68 rating and October 23 availability. Those details help address the durability and software concerns that kept earlier foldables from becoming everyday purchases. Our early Duo and Galaxy Z Fold8 crease comparison also shows how close the competition has become.
Price remains the largest barrier. The Duo begins at $1,999, and Apple has not promised that the category will quickly become affordable. Gurman’s argument is longer term: Apple can create demand, competitors will invest more heavily, and component costs should fall as production grows. That is similar to the market shift the original iPhone helped accelerate, even though Apple never controlled every smartphone sale.
The Duo does not need to outsell every conventional iPhone this year to change the direction of the industry. It only needs to make a folding screen feel useful and reliable to buyers who previously dismissed the category. Do you think your next phone could be a foldable, or is the price still too high? Share your view in the comments.
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