iPhone Duo keeps the foldable market at the centre of mobile hardware

Apple's first foldable iPhone continues to dominate the industry's conversation several days after its unveiling. The iPhone Duo uses a 7.6-inch internal display, supports split-screen multitasking and Apple Pencil, and starts at $1,999. Pre-orders are scheduled for October 16 with availability on October 23. The commercial importance is larger than Apple's own likely shipment volume.

Foldables still represent a relatively small portion of the worldwide smartphone market, and Apple's entry can expand awareness of the entire category rather than merely redistribute existing customers. Software will be the decisive issue. Large folding screens need interfaces and applications that genuinely benefit from the extra space; stretching conventional phone layouts is not enough.

Developers now have a powerful incentive to optimise for foldable multitasking because Apple joins Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and others in treating the category as a serious premium segment.