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Apple’s highly anticipated entry into the foldable market has sparked a buying frenzy, with the new iPhone Duo selling out within hours of pre-orders and the delivery date slipping to January 2027.
Priced at a steep $1,999 in the US and £1,999 in the UK, Apple’s first foldable device seems to have defied some initial skepticism. The handset features a compact 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch tablet-sized inner screen.
Apple has addressed historical pain points of foldable technology by implementing a virtually invisible fold with a matte finish, in addition to introducing the the first Apple Pencil support on an iPhone.
Despite the luxury price, consumer demand immediately overwhelmed available inventory. Commenting on the launch, Ernest Doku, mobile phone expert at Uswitch, noted Apple’s traditional ability to mainstream emerging technology:
“Apple is always fashionably late, but the party rarely ends until it arrives. Samsung has been making foldable phones for seven years, but it’s only this year that they’ve started to feel like more than a niche gadget. Apple has a knack for taking new tech mainstream, and its job now is to make the foldable feel normal, just as it did with the smartwatch and wireless earbuds.
Doku points out that while competitors have spent years refining foldable hardware, tackling fragile screens and prominent wrinkles, Apple’s immediate engineering fixes have successfully captured consumer interest.
However, analysts indicate that purchasing habits are changing. With many consumers leaning towards SIM-only plans, refurbished hardware or longer handset retention cycles, a starting price of £1,999 represents a big financial commitment.
To offset the cost, Apple has introduced 0% financing options over 30 months, spreading the device cost to around £66.63 per month before adding a mobile tariff. Doku advised buyers to avoid these financing structures against buying outright and pair the phone with a budget SIM-only plan.
As initial stock evaporates and shipping dates push deep into next year, the brisk sales prove that consumer appetite for Apple’s vision of the foldable phone remains high, despite record prices.
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