'Apple enters late but sets the rules': A $1,999 bet on the foldable market with iPhone Duo

Apple has finally entered the foldable smartphone market, years after Samsung and Huawei. But the company’s first foldable iPhone is less about catching up and more about using the sheer scale of the iPhone ecosystem to reshape a category that is still relatively small.

The iPhone Duo, priced at Rs 2,99,900 in India, is Apple’s answer to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Huawei’s foldable lineup. And according to IDC vice president Francisco Jeronimo, Apple’s late entry could actually work in its favour.

“Apple enters late but sets the rules,” Jeronimo said, pointing to the company’s ability to leverage hundreds of millions of existing iPhone users rather than having to convince consumers why foldable phones matter in the first place.


Also Read: Apple introduces first foldable iPhone Duo: Starts at $1999

That wait-and-enter-later strategy is also consistent with Apple’s playbook in other product categories.

“The foldable launch is straight out of Apple's playbook: Wait for the product to work out its kinks and for the market to offer glimpses of viability, then enter and shape the category,” Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee told The Associated Press.

Despite being almost a decade-old segment, foldables still remain a niche part of the overall smartphone market. Apple does not have to build a new category from scratch. It can instead offer a foldable as the next step for existing iPhone users who are willing to pay a premium.

“The difference is that foldables still represent a minuscule share of the smartphone market. The test of Apple's ambition will be whether it can expand that niche into a meaningful new segment,” Chatterjee said.


In fact, Apple’s entry could be more important for the growth of the foldable market itself than for immediately reshuffling market shares.

Prachir Singh, Senior Research Analyst, told ET Online before the launch that Apple’s entry would increase consumer awareness and confidence in foldables, with its strong premium user base and ecosystem potentially encouraging more iPhone users to consider switching to the form factor.

However, Singh does not expect Apple to immediately displace Samsung.

“Challenging Samsung’s dominance will be difficult in the near term given its strong position, established portfolio and early-mover advantage,” he said, adding that Samsung is likely to continue holding the majority share of the foldable market.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB and comes with a 7.6-inch internal display and a 5.4-inch external screen. Apple has also focused on the hinge, thickness and multitasking experience, with the phone designed to work in multiple partially folded positions.

The pricing is notable too.

Ahead of the launch, expectations had been that Apple’s first foldable could cost well above $2,000. At $1,999, the Duo is still firmly in the premium segment but comes in below some of the more expensive foldable phones.

Jeronimo said this could give Apple an advantage in a market where it does not have to educate consumers about the product category.

“Apple did the thing nobody thought it could,” he said, referring to the company’s broader pricing strategy at the event. “Apple raised the price of entry and expanded access at the same time.”

Also Read: Apple introduces iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max with A20 Pro chip, variable-aperture camera, up to 45-hour battery life, starts at $1,199

The bigger opportunity may be outside the US

China is already one of the world's biggest foldable markets, but Apple has been largely absent from the category. Huawei reportedly held nearly 80% of China's foldable market in the second quarter of 2026, according to IDC data cited by Jeronimo.

The iPhone Duo gives Apple a product with which to challenge that dominance, particularly among consumers already tied into the wider Apple ecosystem.

“Apple has created a new premium growth opportunity, opened up another revenue stream and injected fresh momentum into the iPhone business,” PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore told Reuters.

IDC expects Apple to ship around 10 million Duo units in its first 12 months, generating about $27 billion in revenue. The research firm also expects Apple to become the largest foldable smartphone vendor in 2027.