iPhone Duo pre-orders open 16 October: price and dates
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We at Daily Techocracy are back with some juicy info for all you kind readers....lets get to it !!
Apple's first foldable phone goes on sale tomorrow. Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo open on Friday 16 October, and the phone reaches shops a week later. If you've been waiting to see what Apple's folding phone costs and whether it's worth the money, here's everything in one place.
Quick answer: The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the US and Dh8,499 in the UAE. Pre-orders open on 16 October in more than 70 countries, and the phone arrives on 23 October. It has a 5.4-inch outer screen, a 7.6-inch inner screen, an A20 Pro chip and a 48MP main camera.
When can you pre-order the iPhone Duo?
Pre-orders open on Friday 16 October 2026. In the US, Apple says they start at 5 a.m. Pacific time. The phone ships to customers and reaches shops on Friday 23 October in more than 70 countries and regions, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, China and India.
Another 28 countries and regions get it a week later, on Friday 30 October. Apple's cases and folios can be ordered from 16 October too. The UAE is on the first list, with pre-orders from 16 October and sales from 23 October, according to Khaleej Times.
How much does the iPhone Duo cost?
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the US for 256GB. You can also buy it with 512GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage, though Apple's announcement doesn't list the price of each step. In the UAE it starts at Dh8,499.
That's about $700 more than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which starts at $1,299. It's also $100 less than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra at $2,099. Analysts had guessed Apple would charge $2,500, so $1,999 came as a pleasant surprise.
If you don't want to pay in one go, Apple lists $83.29 a month for 24 months. Apple's lease plan, Apple Upgrade, starts from $57.99 a month on a 24-month term, before tax and trade-in credit. Apple One also comes free for three months in some countries.
What are the iPhone Duo screens like?
The iPhone Duo has two screens: a 5.4-inch one on the outside and a 7.6-inch one inside. Fold it shut and it works like a small phone. Open it and you get a screen about the size of a small tablet.
Apple says the screens reach 3,000 nits of peak brightness outdoors and stay on all the time. A nano-texture finish is meant to make the crease less visible, but Apple doesn't claim it disappears. Ceramic Shield 2 protects the front.
The software is built for the two-screen shape. You can run apps side by side, save app pairs and use a vertical Dynamic Island. Apple says the phone launches with iOS 27.
What chip, battery and cameras does it have?
It uses the A20 Pro chip, the same one as the iPhone 18 Pro, and it has two batteries that work as one. Apple says video playback lasts up to 31 hours on the inner screen and 44 hours on the outer one. With both screens used equally, it promises up to 24 hours.
Charging is quick for a phone this size. Apple says you get 50% in about 20 minutes with a wired charger, or about 30 minutes on MagSafe or Qi2.
The rear has two 48MP cameras. One is the Fusion Main camera, which also gives you an optical-quality 2x zoom. The other is a Fusion Ultra Wide camera with macro. The main camera records 4K video at 120 frames per second in Dolby Vision. The front camera is a Center Stage camera, and one report says it sits under the inner display and hides when you're not using it.
What's different from other iPhones?
A few things will surprise you. There's no Face ID. Touch ID sits in the side button and works whether the phone is open or closed, and you can also use an Apple Watch to open it. The phone is eSIM-only everywhere, so there's no SIM tray. It's rated IP68 for dust and water, and Apple Pencil support is coming later this year.
Siri AI is another point to check. It's in beta on iOS 27 for English, and Apple says it isn't available in the EU at first. If you live in a country where it's missing, some of the new features won't work on day one.
Which colours and accessories can you get?
You can choose Star White or Night Sky. Both have a titanium body. Apple also sells the iPhone Duo Case for $79 in navy blue or sand, and the Duo Folio with Kickstand for $129 in navy blue or taupe.
Should you buy the iPhone Duo?
Buy it if you want one device that works as a phone and a small tablet, and the price doesn't scare you. It makes less sense if you mostly take photos and scroll social media, because an iPhone 18 Pro costs $800 less and has the same chip.
My own take is to wait for real reviews before you pre-order. Folding phones are the kind of product where the crease, the hinge and the real battery life only show up after a week of daily use. Reviews should land around the 23 October release.
If you already follow Apple's other autumn launches, we covered the Apple HomeView and HomePod mini 2 price and release date earlier this week. You can read Apple's full announcement on its newsroom page.
We'll keep an eye on the first reviews and any price changes once the phone is out.
Image credits: iPhone Duo product photos by Apple. Graphics by Daily Techocracy. Specs and prices from Apple Newsroom, The Next Web, Channel Insider and Khaleej Times.
