iPhone Duo preorders open today at 5 a.m. PT: Apple's first foldable starts at $1,999

Preorders for iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone, open today, Friday, October 16, at 5 a.m. Pacific (8 a.m. Eastern) on apple.com and in the Apple Store app. Availability begins one week later, on Friday, October 23, in more than 70 countries and regions, including the US, the UK, Canada and Australia.

In the US, iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, or $83.29 a month over 24 months. It comes in four storage tiers:

• 256 GB (the $1,999 starting model)
• 512 GB
• 1 TB
• 2 TB

Colors are star white and night sky. Apple's official case costs $79 and a folio with a built-in kickstand costs $129. As usual, Apple's online store went down overnight ahead of the launch, 9to5Mac reported.

What is different from other iPhones

Closed, the Duo uses a 5.4-inch outer display; open, the 7.6-inch inner screen is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max's, according to Apple. It runs the A20 Pro chip, splits its battery into two cells, one in each half, and brings Split View to iPhone for the first time, so two apps can run side by side.

There are trade-offs to weigh. Unlocking is by Touch ID in the side button, and Apple's announcement does not mention Face ID. The phone is eSIM-only worldwide. Apple quotes an IP68 rating and up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display.

Why it matters

Foldables have been around on Android for years but remain a niche, largely because of price. Apple's entry raises the pressure on Samsung and Google and tests whether buyers will pay around two thousand dollars for a phone. CEO John Ternus called iPhone Duo "the most transformational change to iPhone since the original."

Another 28 countries and regions get the phone from October 30. If you want one on day one, be early: 9to5Mac reports supply is expected to be tight, something Apple has not commented on.