iPhone Duo forces the foldable market into a new mainstream phase

Apple's iPhone Duo remains the most consequential smartphone announcement of the week even though retail availability is still more than a month away. The $1,999 device uses a 5.4-inch exterior screen and 7.6-inch internal display, with A20 Pro silicon, Apple's C2 modem and a titanium structure. Touch ID replaces Face ID, while Apple Pencil support further blurs the line between smartphone and compact tablet.

Apple is arriving years after Samsung, Huawei and others, but the company's entry can expand consumer awareness of the entire category. Foldable phones still represent a relatively small portion of smartphone shipments, meaning Apple does not merely have to take customers from Samsung; it can help enlarge the addressable market. The bigger challenge will be software. Developers need to take advantage of the wider internal display rather than simply stretching conventional phone layouts.

Pre-orders begin October 16 ahead of an October 23 launch.