Apple's First Foldable iPhone Becomes Its Priciest Phone Yet

Apple’s first foldable iPhone has become one of the most talked-about consumer gadgets in China before it even goes on sale, as the US tech giant enters a premium market long dominated by Huawei, Samsung and other Android brands.

The company unveiled the iPhone Duo at its fall launch event in Cupertino early today Beijing time. Apple described it as the first foldable iPhone, with a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.6-inch inner display, making it the largest screen ever offered on an iPhone when unfolded. It will be available for preorder in the Chinese mainland from 8pm on October 16 and go on sale on October 23, according to Apple’s China website.

The China price starts at 15,999 yuan (US$2,250), while the top configuration reaches 26,499 yuan, making it the most expensive iPhone ever sold to general consumers. The US starting price is US$1,999, positioning the Duo above comparable foldables from Samsung and Google.

Early hands-on reactions focused less on raw specifications and more on the “wow” factor of opening the device. Chinese tech media said testers were impressed by the unfolding animation and Apple’s handling of the screen crease. Apple said the inner display uses special nano-texture glass and a multilayer structure designed to reduce reflection and allow the folded screen layers to move smoothly. The company did not claim the crease had disappeared, only describing the screen as very flat and smooth. Some testers said the crease was among the shallowest they had felt, but still detectable by touch.

The launch quickly dominated Chinese social media, with iPhone Duo-related topics repeatedly appearing near the top of Weibo’s trending list. Much of the discussion centered on two questions: Whether Apple had finally made foldables mainstream, and whether a phone priced above many laptops could justify its cost.

The gray market has already reacted. Tech media outlet Blue Whale reported that secondhand platforms were filled with listings offering preorder assistance for the iPhone 18 series and the foldable iPhone, with service fees ranging from 200 yuan to 1,000 yuan. Scalpers told the outlet that the iPhone Duo was expected to carry a much higher premium than the iPhone 18 Pro series, with markups of more than 4,000 yuan for some versions.

Apple is entering a Chinese foldable market where domestic brands have already shaped consumer expectations. Huawei has strong brand loyalty and deep integration with the HarmonyOS ecosystem. Its Mate X7, launched from 12,999 yuan before later promotions, emphasizes large screens, high brightness, slim hardware and flagship-level imaging, while its newer Mate XT2 pushes the category further with a tri-fold design, improved hinge and privacy display.

Xiaomi’s foldable strategy is different. Its latest foldable push has centered on price-performance, self-developed chips and integration with the company’s wider smart-device ecosystem. Xiaomi’s new foldable uses its in-house XRing O3 AI processor, highlighting the company’s attempt to reduce reliance on outside chips and build a more complete hardware-software loop.

Compared with Huawei and Xiaomi, Apple’s Duo is less about being first and more about turning the foldable phone into a polished iPhone experience. Its strengths are likely to be industrial design, system animation, app adaptation and brand appeal. Its weaknesses are equally clear: a very high price, late entry and the absence of some AI features in China and Europe at launch, according to Reuters.