Apple’s first foldable iPhone has reached UK pre-order shelves with a familiar Apple proposition: a high-end design, ambitious features and a price that puts it beyond many buyers’ reach. The iPhone Duo starts at £1,999, making affordability as central to its debut as the new hardware.

The device opens like a book into a 7.6-inch internal display, aiming to combine a pocketable phone with a small-tablet experience. Apple has reportedly increased production by 30% compared with earlier iPhone launches, reflecting expectations of strong interest in the company’s first foldable model.¹

The retail case for the Duo focuses on ways to spread or reduce the outlay. Networks including EE, Vodafone, O2, Sky Mobile and giffgaff offer contracts generally running between 24 and 36 months, while Vodafone’s trade-in deal can cut as much as £855 from the 256GB model for customers handing in an iPhone 17 Pro Max. That would lower its stated £1,999 price to £1,144, though the value depends on the handset traded in.¹

That does not erase the contrast with competing book-style foldables. The Google Pixel Pro Fold 11 starts at £1,799 for 256GB, while Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 begins at £1,699, according to the retailer report.¹ Apple’s 2TB Duo rises to £3,199, widening the gap at the top end.

One reviewer called the phone “a seriously impressive bit of kit” and “a lot of fun to use,” citing its camera, video and multitasking potential.¹ But the same assessment identified the central reservation: “The biggest problem for most Apple fans is likely to be the price.”¹

Pre-orders opened at 1pm on Friday, October 16, with deliveries and shop availability expected from October 23, subject to retailer and location.¹