Apple has opened pre-orders for its first-ever foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, in India. Bookings began at 5:30 PM IST on Friday, October 16, through Apple’s online store, the Apple Store app, authorised retail partners and offline outlets. The official on-sale date is October 23, when the device goes on sale in India alongside other first-wave markets.
The pricing firmly places the iPhone Duo among the most expensive smartphones Apple has ever sold in the country. The 256GB variant is priced at Rs 2,99,900, the 512GB model at Rs 3,24,900, the 1TB variant at Rs 3,74,900, and the top-end 2TB version at Rs 4,49,900. At these levels, the device costs nearly three times what a standard flagship iPhone costs, positioning it squarely at the ultra-premium end of the market.
The headline hardware is the book-style fold itself. The iPhone Duo carries a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display, both Super Retina XDR panels with ProMotion and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Notably, the device uses Touch ID built into the side button instead of Face ID — a design choice Apple appears to have made to accommodate the foldable form factor. Under the hood is the new A20 Pro chip, and the phone ships with iOS 27.1. Photography is handled by a dual 48-megapixel camera system.
Apple is sweetening the entry barrier with a familiar playbook of India-specific offers. Buyers can claim up to Rs 81,500 in trade-in credit for their old device, applicable to iPhone 13 and newer models. There is a 12-month no-cost EMI option, up to Rs 7,000 instant cashback on cards from American Express, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank, and a bundled three months of Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade.
The fine print, however, deserves a careful read — particularly on repairs. Replacing the inner foldable display without AppleCare+ costs a staggering Rs 1,49,900, which drops to Rs 8,900 with coverage. AppleCare+ itself is priced at Rs 51,900 per year. Given that the foldable screen is the most delicate and expensive component in the device, most buyers at this price point will likely consider the plan close to essential rather than optional.
The iPhone Duo comes in two finishes — Star White and Night Sky. Industry watchers expect global shipments of around 6 million units in 2026, a modest figure by Apple standards but consistent with the ultra-premium positioning of a first-generation foldable. The launch puts Apple in direct competition with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold line, which has dominated the foldable segment until now.
For India, the Duo’s arrival is as much a brand statement as a sales play. Foldables remain a niche category domestically, constrained by price and durability concerns, but Apple’s entry lends the category a legitimacy it has long lacked. Whether the iPhone Duo can move beyond early adopters and status buyers will depend on how the device holds up in everyday use — and whether Apple’s retail and service network can make owning a Rs 3-lakh-plus foldable feel reassuring rather than risky. Pre-orders are now open; the first buyers will have the device in hand from October 23.
