Apple has launched its most expensive iPhone yet, the £1,999/ $1,999 iPhone Duo, which marks a major design change for the brand after nearly 20 years. The new device was introduced by new boss John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook this month and is a significant gamble for Apple. According to analysts, the phone's high price may be a hurdle in sales, with some predicting it could become a premium-priced ornament rather than driving meaningful growth. The iPhone Duo will compete against established brands such as Samsung and Huawei in the foldable phone market.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
Apple has launched its most expensive iPhone ever - a foldable handheld that costs at least £1,999 and marks the first major iPhone design change in almost 20 years.
asserted
that → publish → years
The iPhone Duo is a gamble by new boss John Ternus, who took over from long-time chief executive Tim Cook this month.
asserted
who → take → Cook
Apple is entering the foldable phone market comparatively late, following the likes of South Korea's Samsung and China's Huawei.
asserted
Apple → enter → Samsung
Ternus told an audience at Apple's California headquarters: "Others have created foldables that just feel like two phones awkwardly stuck together."
asserted
that → tell → phones
Apple's model, he claimed "redefine[s] the experience of using a foldable phone".
asserted
he → claim → phone
In the US, prices start at $1,999, but can go up to $3,200.
asserted
prices → start → 3,200
It has taken eight years to develop, something Ternus was directly involved in after spending many years as a top executive inside Apple's hardware division.
asserted
Ternus → take → division
When unfolded, it looks like a small iPad and a wider iPhone when it is folded.
asserted
it → unfold → iPad
Ternus said: "It's entirely new and at the same time remarkably familiar.
asserted
It → say → time
A similar size to your passport, it feels familiar to hold and comfortable to use with one hand.
asserted
it → feel → hand
But the product is facing established competitors.
asserted
product → face → competitors
"The real fight is China, where Huawei owns nearly 80% of foldables."
asserted
Huawei → own → foldables
said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for data and analytics, devices at IDC EMEA.
asserted
Jeronimo → say → EMEA
Ben Wood, chief analyst at technology research firm FDM CCS Insight, said it was likely Ternus's promotion was timed specifically "to coincide with what will be arguably one of the biggest iPhone launches for many years".
asserted
what → say → years
"Nothing happens by accident at Apple," he said.
asserted
he → happen → Apple
Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies who attended the Wednesday presentation, said the spotlight on Ternus made it feel "almost like he was a product himself."
Altering the design of the iPhone may address some criticism that Apple has yet to land a major product hit or truly exciting innovation since the first iPhone came out in 2007.
uncertain
iPhone → attend → 2007
"The foldable risks becoming a premium-priced ornament in the portfolio, imparting badge value but not meaningful growth," said Dipanjan Chatterjee, an analyst at Forrester.
asserted
Chatterjee → risk → Forrester
Previously, the highest starting price of the newest iPhone was $900 (£664).
asserted
price → start → iPhone
Apple also revealed on Wednesday the new iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, which in the US start at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively.
asserted
which → reveal → 1,199
Chatterjee said the foldable iPhone could go the way of Apple's Vision Pro headset, which the company priced at $3,699 and has not been a hit with buyers.
uncertain
company → go → buyers
Or, he said, it could be the company's next Apple Watch which, while not as popular as the iPhone, is bought by millions of people each year.
uncertain
which → say → people
The way people have become accustomed to the way the iPhone operates is another potential hurdle to Apple seeing big sales of the new design.
asserted
Apple → become → design
"Foldables are interesting devices", Milanesi noted.
asserted
Milanesi → note → ?
"A lot of people are intrigued by it, but the software and the learning curve that you have from moving from a traditional phone to a foldable is real."
asserted
you → intrigue → foldable
Wood noted that the current market for foldable smartphones from the likes of Samsung and Huawei make up only 2% of smartphone sales.
asserted
market → note → sales
Even with Apple's version likely driving interest and demand, sales are only expected to reach 4% of the total market in the next decade, according to data and analytics firm FDM CCM Insight.
uncertain
sales → drive → Insight
The iPhone has been Apple's top-selling product and accounts for more than half of the company's sales each year.
asserted
iPhone → sell → sales
In recent quarters, the company has boasted that the iPhone is more in-demand than ever, with the most recent version of the device becoming its most successful product launch.
asserted
version → boast → device
The company also revealed more about the coming relaunch of its audio and chat assistant Siri, which it now calls Siri AI.
asserted
it → reveal → which
Starting with the iPhone 18, the bot will now be able to go across information on a person's phone, like messages and emails, to find information, answer queries and take action on a person's behalf.
asserted
bot → start → behalf
Some Siri AI features will also be available on the new Apple Watch, including the ability to take notes of conversations and transcribe them, should a wearer enable that feature.
asserted
wearer → include → feature
Ternus referred to new AI-enabled capabilities on the iPhone as an "intelligent personal hub", and admitted that Apple would be making use of "the most private details of your daily life."
asserted
Apple → refer → life
He insisted that all of it will remain private, with the AI features often running "on device", meaning not through third-party companies.
asserted
features → insist → companies
And when a third-party is required for a function, Ternus said it will remain private in a remote server, or cloud.
asserted
it → require → server
"Others see that data as something to collect and store", Ternus said.
asserted
Ternus → see → something
"Here, not even Apple can access what's yours."
asserted
what → access → ?
