Apple’s first foldable phone is one of Australia’s priciest handsets

After much anticipation, Apple has officially announced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone. It’s also one of the priciest phones currently sold in Australia.

The base 256GB storage configuration costs $3,499 locally, higher than the starting prices for the Oppo Find N6 ($3,299), Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra ($2,999), and Motorola Razr Fold ($2,799). Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo’s 2TB configuration costs a whopping $5,899.

Apple’s first foray into foldable phones coincides with the passing of the baton from long-serving CEO Tim Cook to John Ternus.

“iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original,” Ternus said. “With an entirely new design and intuitive experiences, it shows what’s possible when hardware and software are engineered together and redefines what it means to use a foldable phone.”

Looking at Apple’s new hardware

With a 5.4-inch external screen and a 7.6-inch main inner display, the iPhone Duo adopts a similar design to the newly released Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which has so far proven popular in Australia. But where Samsung’s phone has squared-off edges all the way around, Apple’s foldable is a ‘D’ shape, with rounded corners on the front screen’s far edges.

On the back is a 48MP “Fusion Main” camera that supports what Apple calls “optical quality” 2x telephoto zoom. Alongside it is the same 48MP ultra-wide camera (which also supports macro photography) seen on the new iPhone 18 Pro range. On the front is a 12MP selfie camera, with another front-facing camera hidden underneath the inner display.

iPhone Duo comes in two colours: star white and night sky. Image: Apple.

Overall processing and graphical gains compared to the iPhone 17 Pro range come courtesy of the A20 Pro chipset, also used in the iPhone 18 Pro phones. According to Apple, the iPhone Duo lasts up to 44 hours of video playback when using the front screen, 31 hours on the inner screen, and 24 hours when using both displays equally.

Notably, the iPhone Duo is eSIM-only, like the iPhone Air, meaning no support for physical SIM cards. Apple moved to eSIM-only models in some overseas regions a while ago, but most Australian iPhones have kept the physical SIM tray.

Australian iPhone Duo price and release date

Before Apple’s announcement, there was speculation about supply chain issues impacting the foldable phone’s global launch. There may have been some truth to the reports, with the iPhone Duo launching slightly later than the iPhone 18 Pro range. Australian pre-orders open on 16 October, with the phone launching on 23 October.

Here’s how much each storage configuration of iPhone Duo costs in Australia:

• 256GB: $3,499
• 512GB: $3,899
• 1TB: $4,699
• 2TB: $5,899

In more ways than one, the iPhone Duo represents a shift from Apple’s long-held beliefs. For example, the late Steve Jobs was famously against stylus pens for phones. In a clear change of direction, the iPhone Duo will support the USB-C Apple Pencil as a note-taking companion.

Now all that remains is to see whether Apple’s belated foldable phone gambit pays off.

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