Apple has officially entered the foldable-phone market with the iPhone Duo, its first folding iPhone and the biggest change to the iPhone's physical design in years. In India, the iPhone Duo starts at ₹2,99,900 for 256GB, making it considerably more expensive than the new iPhone 18 Pro series.
iPhone Duo price in India and sale date
Apple has confirmed a starting price of ₹2,99,900 in India. Storage options are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB, with star white and night sky finishes. Pre-orders begin Friday, October 16, and retail availability starts Friday, October 23. That later launch schedule separates the Duo from the iPhone 18 Pro models, which reach stores in September.
Two displays and Apple's first foldable iPhone design
Closed, iPhone Duo uses a 5.4-inch outer Super Retina XDR display. Open it and the device expands to a 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR display, which Apple says is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max display. Both panels support ProMotion, Always On and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. Apple says the inner screen uses a nano-texture finish intended to reduce glare and make the crease less noticeable.
The hinge supports the centre of the display when the phone is opened flat, while magnets secure it when closed. Apple uses grade 5 titanium for the body and has integrated Touch ID into the side button rather than relying on Face ID for authentication.
A20 Pro powers the Duo
The iPhone Duo uses the same A20 Pro generation as the iPhone 18 Pro family. Apple pairs it with a custom vapour chamber and a new display engine designed to drive both screens. The company claims up to 35% better sustained performance than iPhone 17 Pro, while the new neural hardware is aimed at on-device Apple Intelligence and Siri AI workloads.
iOS 27.1 is built around the folding screen
Apple is not treating the larger inner screen as simply a stretched iPhone interface. iOS 27.1 adds Split View so two apps can run side by side, supports two windows from the same app in cases such as Safari comparison shopping, and lets users save app pairs. The interface also adapts as the device is folded or rotated. Apple says Pencil support will arrive later this year, extending the Duo beyond the usual phone form factor.
Camera system uses the fold itself
The rear camera system centres on a 48MP Fusion Main camera with optical-quality 2x telephoto capability. The foldable layout allows the outer display to act as a preview for the person being photographed, while users can take selfies with the higher-resolution rear camera. Apple also includes an under-display FaceTime camera on the inner screen and supports 4K video at up to 120 fps in Dolby Vision on the main camera.
Battery life and charging
Apple places a battery on each side of the fold and manages them as one system. Its official figures claim up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display and up to 44 hours using the outer display. Wired charging can reach 50% in around 20 minutes under Apple's stated test conditions, while MagSafe or Qi2 wireless charging can reach 50% in around 30 minutes.
One important India detail: iPhone Duo is eSIM-only
Unlike many iPhones sold in India, the Duo is eSIM-only worldwide. Apple specifically lists Airtel, Jio and Vi among supported carriers. Buyers who regularly move physical SIM cards between devices should account for that change before considering the phone.
Is ₹2,99,900 justified?
The Duo is clearly positioned above Apple's conventional Pro phones rather than as a replacement for them. Its appeal comes from the large folding display, multitasking, compact closed form and new camera use cases. The ₹2,99,900 starting price, however, puts it firmly in early-adopter territory. Buyers focused mainly on cameras and performance have a substantially cheaper route through the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.
For comparison, see Headline Thread's iPhone 18 Pro India launch coverage, our recap of Apple's September 9 event, and the 128GB vs 256GB storage comparison for broader buying context.
What happens next
The next milestone is October 16, when pre-orders open in India, followed by the October 23 release. Independent durability, battery and crease testing will matter more for the Duo than for a conventional iPhone because this is Apple's first generation of folding hardware. Until those reviews arrive, Apple's confirmed specifications make the Duo one of the most distinctive but also one of the most expensive phones entering the Indian market this year.
