Apple’s iPhone Duo Pushes Smartphone Prices Past $3,000

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple Inc. used its “Surprise and Shine” product launch to introduce the iPhone Duo, its first dual-screen foldable smartphone, while also refreshing its standard flagship handsets and wearable device portfolio.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max form the newly introduced standard flagship tier, with the iPhone Duo positioned above both models. The release marks Apple’s first expansion into a new smartphone form factor since the home button was removed with the iPhone X.

With 2 terabytes of internal storage, the highest-specification iPhone Duo costs more than $3,000 in the United States. Its price exceeds €3,000 in European markets, with corresponding figures in Mexican pesos, placing it well above current premium flagship tiers and making it the highest retail price point for a mass-production smartphone in Apple’s history.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max begin Saturday, Sept. 12. Apple will start retail shipments and in-store availability for those models on Friday, Sept. 18, while the foldable iPhone Duo will not enter pre-orders until Oct. 16 and will formally launch on Oct. 23.

Apple’s flexible-display entry arrives several years after the technology first appeared commercially across competing Android platforms. Samsung Electronics began selling foldables with the Galaxy Fold, and Xiaomi later introduced its Mix Fold hardware line. The category had previously been occupied predominantly by Asian hardware manufacturers.

The presentation also included accessory announcements led by executive John Ternus. Apple debuted the AirPods 5 in two variants, both equipped with integrated active noise cancellation technology.

The company announced the Apple Watch Series 12 as its core wearable option and introduced the Apple Watch Ultra 4 for high-durability and outdoor performance use cases. Both smartwatch models joined the broader hardware update cycle accompanying the new iPhone generation.