The iPhone with a folding screen is the first radical redesign of Apple's flagship handset in years. A great deal hinges on its success.
Screenshot Photograph: Courtesy of Apple Save this story Save this story The iPhone Duo is Apple's first folding smartphone . The company announced the device at its annual September event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, alongside new iPhone 18 Pro models.
Apple is a late entrant to the foldable phone market, which has been around since Samsung debuted the first Galaxy Fold in 2019. Since then, phone makers like Honor , Google , Motorola , and Oppo have all made folding phones. In recent years, devices have rapidly gotten slimmer, lighter, and more durable.
The iPhone Duo has a book-like shape and is similar in size to Samsung's recent Galaxy Z Fold8 , reminiscent of Google's original Pixel Fold . This "passport-style" fold - which stands shorter and unfolds wider than many of the first wave of foldable designs - is better suited for media consumption since it eliminates the severe letterboxing that places thick black bars around the TV show or movie you're watching.
Apple is expected to help grow a category that has been declining for five straight quarters by 13 percent year over year - potentially capturing up to 30 percent of the foldable market share by the end of 2026, according to IDC's Nabila Popal, a senior research director. But the folding phone market is still niche, "around 2 percent by the end of this year of the global smartphone market."
Popal says a recent IDC survey asked consumers whether they were interested in buying a foldable smartphone when it was time to upgrade, and 60 percent said they are not likely to buy one. However, when asked if Apple released a folding smartphone, almost 33 percent said they "absolutely" would.
"Apple has such a strong market pull," Popal tells WIRED. "The average consumer didn't know about [ memory price increases ] until Apple made an announcement that they're going to increase prices . "Coming into foldables, it's going to create overall excitement for the category. And it's good for the consumer too. It's always good to have more competition and more choice."
One area of concern is the device's durability and repairability, as folding phones are notoriously more prone to damage and are tough to fix. Elizabeth Chamberlain, director of Sustainability at iFixit, tells WIRED her team has never taken apart a foldable they'd call truly repairable.
"Manufacturers have come a long way since the Galaxy Fold first dropped," she says. "But the gains in durability haven't come with gains in repairability."
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Julian Chokkattu is Senior Editor, Gear at WIRED, overseeing personal technology, gadgets, and gizmos. He has been reviewing consumer products for a decade, specializing in mobile - from smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches to smart glasses and virtual reality. This is his sixth year at WIRED. Previously, he was the mobile and wearables ... Read More Senior Editor, Gear Topics apple iPhone folding devices ios phones smartphones Mobile Read More Here's Samsung's Advice for Apple and Its Upcoming Folding iPhone The competition is "absolutely welcome" by the pioneering Korean giant, but Samsung warns that the device's "weight" is crucial. Julian Chokkattu There May Not Be an iPhone 18 This Year Apple is expected to announce several products at its September event next week - including a folding phone - but the iPhone 18 might not be among them. It would be a first for the company. Boone Ashworth You Can Finally Buy a Fairphone in the US More than a decade after launching in Europe, the Netherlands company is now selling its repairable phones in the US, starting with the Fairphone (Gen 6+). Julian Chokkattu The Best Android Tablets That Aren't Just for Cheapskates and Apple-Haters Whether you need a portable, around-the-house entertainment center or a full-on laptop replacement, these are the best Android tablets. Scott Gilbertson After Testing Hundreds of Laptops, These Are the Best Options I Recommend I've been reviewing laptops for over a decade, and here's my advice on how to find the right laptop for you. Luke Larsen Honor's Robot Phone Has a Gimbal-Powered Camera for Vloggers Honor's new China-exclusive Android phone features a pop-out motorized gimbal camera designed to replace your action cam. Julian Chokkattu This Beautifully Weird Necklace Is Secretly a USB Drive Noware's Puff necklace whimsically reimagines flash drives, turning something functional into personalized jewelry. Reece Rogers We Just Got Our First Real Look at AI PCs With Nvidia's RTX Spark 'Superchip' At IFA 2026, Nvidia and its partners showed off the first RTX Spark-powered laptops and mini PCs, designed to run AI models right on your computer. Luke Larsen Samsung Promo Codes: 20% Off in September 2026 Save 30% or 10% with Samsung coupon codes, up to $1,000 on appliances, plus limited-time deals on the Galaxy Z Fold7, Flip7, and S25. Molly Higgins I Upgraded My Apple Watch Without Buying a New One These are the Apple Watch accessories I recommend adding to your setup. Boutayna Chokrane A Stealth Startup Thinks It Just Hacked the Memory Shortage Kepler Computing claims a new approach to chip design - and a proprietary material - can help end the supply bottlenecks that have sent memory prices surging. Lauren Goode Everything Google Announced at Today's Pixel 11 Event The Pixel 11 smartphone lineup is here, alongside the Pixel Watch 5 and the all-new Pixel Tag. Julian Chokkattu Wired Coupons Canon Promo Code 10% Off Canon Promo Code + Up to 30% Off
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