Apple’s $1,999 iPhone Duo Targets 6 Million Sales in 2026
Counterpoint projects 6 million units sold this year as the $1,999 device enters a market hardened by seven years of Android engineering.
Apple expects to sell 6 million units of its new iPhone Duo by the end of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research data reported by Bloomberg. The device starts at $1,999 and features a 7.6-inch internal display alongside a 5.4-inch external screen. Reviewers have called the iPhone Duo Apple’s most exciting device in a decade.
The Cupertino company entered the market only after Android manufacturers spent seven years solving the mechanical failures that plagued early devices. Samsung recalled its first Galaxy Fold units in February 2019 when reviewers peeled off what they thought was a standard plastic screen protector. It was structural. Huawei took a different approach with the Mate X later that year at MWC 2019, wrapping a single high-resolution display around the outside of the chassis. The outward fold looked elegant but left the glass exposed to scratches. U.S. sanctions imposed under then-President Donald Trump kept the phone out of the American market entirely. Huawei abandoned the outward design for the Mate X2.
Royole beat both companies to the punch. The Chinese display manufacturer unveiled the FlexPai at CES 2019 as the world’s first commercially available foldable smartphone. Engadget reporters described the device as rough around the edges and janky. It proved flexible OLED panels could ship inside a real product.
Hardware durability improved incrementally across the Android ecosystem between 2020 and 2025. Samsung introduced ultra-thin glass on the inner screen of the Galaxy Z Flip in 2020. Water resistance arrived with the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 in 2021 via an IPX8 rating. Dust protection lagged behind. The Fold 6 achieved partial dust resistance (IP48) before the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold reached full IP68 certification in 2025. Oppo solved the visible crease problem with its 2021 Find N. Honor’s Magic V series pushed chassis thickness down until Samsung responded with the slim Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Clamshell models like the rebooted Motorola Razr and the $999 Galaxy Z Flip 3 brought pricing closer to standard flagship tiers. Current competitors include the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Folded, the passport-sized iPhone Duo relies on this resolved hardware foundation. Apple waited for the crease problem to disappear from competitor devices before manufacturing its own model.
