TL;DR
At its fall event on September 9, 2026 (Eastern Time; 1:00 a.m. Beijing time on September 10), Apple launched its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo: a book-style inward-folding design with a 7.6-inch hole-free Super Retina XDR inner display and a 2nm A20 Pro chip, priced from CNY 15,999 (256GB) in mainland China; pre-orders open October 16, shipping October 23.
Event overview
On September 9, 2026, Apple held its fall new-product event, unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, the first foldable iPhone Duo, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5. The iPhone Duo marks the biggest design change since the original iPhone in 2007: a book-style inward fold with a 5.4-inch outer display when closed and a 7.6-inch inner display when open, 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Announcement | September 9, 2026 (ET); 1:00 a.m. Beijing time, Sept 10 |
| Design | Book-style inward fold, Grade 5 titanium frame |
| Inner display | 7.6-in Super Retina XDR foldable OLED, hole-free via under-display FaceTime camera, 3,000-nit peak brightness, up to 120Hz ProMotion |
| Outer display | 5.4-in Super Retina XDR OLED, over 90% of iPhone 18 Pro's area; same aspect ratio on both screens |
| Chip | A20 Pro, 2nm, 6-core CPU + 7-core GPU, 32-core NPU, 50% higher memory bandwidth |
| Cameras | 48MP Fusion main (2x optical telephoto), 48MP Fusion ultra-wide (macro), under-display FaceTime camera |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB |
| China pricing | From CNY 15,999 (256GB); CNY 26,499 for 2TB |
| US pricing | From USD 1,999 |
| Availability | Pre-orders Oct 16, 8 p.m.; shipping Oct 23 |
| Colors | Midnight Sky, Starlight White |
Related: Apple also detailed its AI approach at the event, described as an "intelligent personal hub"; Siri AI supports Chinese but is not available in mainland China at launch.
Background and impact
The iPhone Duo completes the foldable lineup — Apple, Huawei and Xiaomi now all have foldable flagships. The US starting price of USD 1,999 came in below the widely expected USD 2,500+; Apple said it absorbed part of the cost increase from tight memory supply and higher manufacturing costs to keep the base price. It was also the first iPhone event hosted by Apple's new CEO John Ternus (Tim Cook handing over on stage). AI features in the mainland China version still await further adaptation.
Official sources
- NetEase Tech: Apple launches first foldable iPhone Duo, from CNY 15,999: link
- Shenzhen Economic Daily: Apple's first foldable iPhone Duo arrives: link
- PConline: Apple iPhone Duo launched: 7.6-in inner display + under-display camera: link
- Beijing Daily: Apple's new CEO unveils foldable iPhone Duo: link
- China Daily: Apple debuts foldable iPhone Duo: link
- IT Home: Apple Siri AI announced, supports Chinese but not in mainland China at launch: link