Skip to content
Editorial standardsAdvertise
MeridiansIndependent reporting, reviews and buying advice
LIVE
Reviews/News

Apple's iPhone Duo Is Real: Here's What It Costs and What's Inside

Apple's first foldable phone starts at $1,999, folds around a 7.6-inch inner display, and ships October 23 — alongside a refreshed, pricier iPhone 18 Pro. Meridians hasn't tested either yet; here's what Apple has announced.

Meridians Reviews Desk

Published 11 September 2026 · Updated 11 September 2026 · 4 min read

Apple's iPhone Duo Is Real: Here's What It Costs and What's InsideReviews
Photo: Photo by Tyler Lastovich / Pexels (Pexels License — free to use, no attribution legally required (credited above as good practice).)

The short answer

  • The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB, with a 7.6-inch inner display, 5.4-inch outer display, Apple's A20 Pro chip, and dual 48MP cameras.
  • Pre-orders open October 16 at 5 a.m. PT; it ships October 23 in more than 70 countries, running iOS 27.1.
  • It's eSIM-only worldwide, with a C2 modem Apple says is up to 50% faster than the previous C1X.
  • The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launched the same day with the same A20 Pro chip, a redesigned cooling system, and a $100 price increase over the prior generation.

Apple's September 9 event confirmed what had been rumored for months: the company's first foldable iPhone is real, has a name, and has a price. Meridians has not tested the iPhone Duo or the refreshed iPhone 18 Pro — what follows is what Apple has officially announced about specs, pricing and availability.

iPhone Duo: the specs Apple gave

  • Starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model
  • 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR display; 5.4-inch outer display
  • Apple A20 Pro chip; dual 48MP cameras (main and ultra-wide)
  • IP68 water resistance; Grade 5 titanium enclosure
  • Battery rated up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display, 44 hours on the outer display
  • eSIM-only worldwide; new C2 modem Apple says is up to 50% faster than the C1X

Release date and colors

Pre-orders open October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific time. The phone ships October 23 in more than 70 countries, with 28 additional countries following on October 30. It runs iOS 27.1 and comes in Star White and Night Sky.

The Pro line got pricier too

The same event introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, built on the same A20 Pro chip — Apple's first 2-nanometer smartphone chip — with a variable-aperture camera system and a redesigned vapor chamber for cooling. The base price rose by $100 over the prior generation. Pre-orders for the 18 Pro line open September 12, with sales starting September 18.

Sources

Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.

About this byline

Meridians Reviews Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.

Sponsored

Paid placement · not editorial

Related reading

The Meridians Brief

One considered email a week

What changed, what it costs you, and what to do about it — from the Meridians desks. No sponsored picks disguised as recommendations.

Sign-up opens with our launch issue. Nothing is sent or stored yet.