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Apple's first foldable iPhone Duo goes on sale worldwide

Published

Apple rationed sales of the iPhone Duo when it reached stores on Friday, with shorter queues than past iPhone launches. The phone starts at R47 999 in South Africa. Early reviews praised the hinge but raised concerns about the camera.

Apple said demand was strong and the response was "nothing short of extraordinary". Pre-orders were capped at two handsets per customer. Customers in New York and Shanghai reportedly began queuing at 04:00 and 06:00 local time.

In South Africa the 256GB model costs R47 999 and the 2TB model costs R76 999. In Hong Kong the 256GB model costs HK$17 499 (R37 000), and one reseller expected a resale profit of HK$4,000.

Reviewers praised the design and hinge. They said the camera has compromises, including no telephoto lens, and that many third-party apps still need rework. Some said the folded phone is less handy for quick daily tasks.

Commentator John Gruber called the Duo a polished prototype rather than a finished product. Market researcher IDC expects Apple to take 44% of foldable market value in 2026 on 31% of units.

Key facts

Who
John Ternus (Apple CEO, former hardware chief); Greg Joswiak (Apple marketing head); Simon Krishnan (48-year-old engineer and customer); Liu Wei (26-year-old healthcare professional and customer in Shanghai)
What
The iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone, hit stores around the world on Friday, with demand strong but sales rationed, fewer queues than past launches, and pricing from R47 999 in SA. Early reviews praised the design and hinge but raised concerns about camera compromises, app readiness and handiness when folded.
When
23 October 2026
Where
Singapore, Shanghai, London
Status
Reported

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