NEW DELHI — Apple opened preorders in India on Friday for its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, marking the company’s entry into the foldable phone market with a premium device featuring its largest iPhone display to date.
Preorders began at 5:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time, with retail sales scheduled to start October 23.
The iPhone Duo is among Apple’s most expensive smartphones, with prices starting at 299,900 rupees for the 256GB model. The 512GB version costs 324,900 rupees, while the 1TB and 2TB models are priced at 374,900 rupees and 449,900 rupees, respectively.
Despite its high price, industry projections suggest considerable demand for the device, with global shipments potentially approaching 6 million units in 2026.
Customers can place preorders through Apple’s online store, authorized retail partners and physical retail outlets.
The iPhone Duo features a book-style folding design with a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR interior display and a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR exterior screen.
According to Apple, the interior display provides 50% more viewing area than the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The company also describes the Duo as its thinnest iPhone yet.
Both screens support Apple’s ProMotion display technology, Always-On functionality and peak outdoor brightness of up to 3,000 nits. The interior display includes a nano-texture finish intended to reduce glare.
The smartphone is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro processor and incorporates a custom vapor chamber cooling system to manage heat during demanding tasks.
It runs iOS 27, which has been adapted for the foldable design. The operating system automatically adjusts its interface depending on whether the phone is open, closed or positioned at different angles.
Multitasking features include Split View, which allows two applications to operate side by side, and saved app pairs that provide quick access to frequently used combinations.
Apple has also reintroduced Touch ID through a fingerprint sensor integrated into the side-mounted power button.
The device features a Grade 5 titanium construction, Ceramic Shield protection on the rear and Ceramic Shield 2 on the front. It carries an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
For photography, the iPhone Duo includes a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with integrated 2x telephoto capability and a 48-megapixel Fusion Ultra Wide camera supporting macro photography.
The October 23 launch will bring Apple into direct competition with established foldable smartphone manufacturers as it seeks to expand its presence in India’s premium mobile device market. (Source: IANS)
