Apple has officially folded the iPhone. While most people are rejoicing over the new tech, some Redditors point out that the price may have wallets folding, too.
The tech giant unveiled the iPhone Duo on Wednesday, 9 September, marking Apple's first entry into the foldable smartphone market. The good news is that it may not be as trust-fund-sacrificing as Reddit suspected. Starting at $1,999 in the US, the device opens to reveal a 7.6-inch inner display while offering a smaller 5.4-inch screen when closed.
Apple is pitching the Duo as the biggest transformation to the iPhone since the original. Still, the regulars of Reddit have some other descriptions aside from the price point. One particularly efficient summary takes a filterless jab: 'An iPad mini chopped in half 😭'.
Overall, one part of Reddit is ready to add it to cart while other people seem to be half-impressed for a device that costs twice as much as recent models.
Apple's $1,999 iPhone Finally Folds
The iPhone Duo is certainly packing plenty into its two halves. Apple says the phone is its thinnest iPhone ever when opened, while its 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR display is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max's screen. Both displays support ProMotion, Always On, and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness.
Its foldable display is supported by a precision hinge made from more than 100 components. Apple says a multilayer design and custom adhesives allow the display layers to move against one another 'like the pages of a book', while a nano-textured surface is intended to reduce glare and make the crease less visible.
The Duo also brings back Touch ID through its side button, supports MagSafe, and will gain Apple Pencil support later this year. It runs on the same A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro models and features two 48MP rear cameras, although there's no dedicated telephoto camera.
Storage starts at 256GB and stretches to 2TB, while buyers get a choice between Star White and Night Sky. Pre-orders open on Friday, 16 October, before the phone goes on sale on Friday, 23 October.
All very futuristic. Then comes the $1,999 starting price that not everyone particularly loves, given that it's just a phone.
Reddit Loves the iPhone Duo Until the Bill Arrives
The price immediately became one of Reddit's favourite subjects.
'iPhone Duo: That'll be duo-thousand dollars please,' one commenter joked, earning thousands of upvotes.
Another was considerably more direct: '2k for that foldable iPad mini is a little too much for me'.
Others began thinking beyond the initial purchase price. With more than 100 components in the hinge and an unconventional folding display, repair costs were already haunting prospective buyers.
'Can't wait to see the price just to repair the folding screen,' one Reddit user wrote.
'All the tech that goes into the folding screen is going to make repairs so brutal 😅,' another predicted.
To be clear, neither comment establishes what a Duo screen repair will actually cost. Apple has announced AppleCare options for the device, but prospective repair pricing was not detailed in the material accompanying its launch. In essence, most people are likely speaking out of experience in terms of how the maintenance costs of an Apple product tend to break the bank. It's the phone that keeps costing, so to speak.
And international pricing gave some Redditors an additional case of sticker shock, with commenters citing prices around CAD $3,000 and AUD $3,499 in their respective markets.
Even the Sceptics Admit It Looks Good
The surprising part of the reaction, however, was how many users appeared impressed despite having no intention of spending $1,999 on one.
'Do I want it? no. Do I think it's awesome? yes,' one person admitted.
'I didnt think i was going to be impressed due to the leaks, but i actually want this now,' another wrote.
One user who had apparently planned to stick with Apple's conventional flagship admitted, 'I knew it was coming and I was all set to skip it in favor of the 18 pro max but this presentation is changing my mind.'
The software attracted particular praise, including Apple's animations as the phone moves between folded and unfolded states. One commenter simply declared: 'The UI and UX teams really came through on this one. Beautiful!'
Others celebrated Apple Pencil support, the return of Touch ID, and its IP68 rating. The inevitable comparisons also arrived immediately, ranging from Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line to one especially nostalgic greeting: 'Welcome back Nintendo DS'.
Apple Always Hits, Even When It Misses
Not everyone is ready to become Apple's foldable guinea pig, though.
'As cool as it is I would never buy the first generation of a new product,' one Redditor wrote, while several others said they would wait for a second or third iteration.
The lack of Face ID and a dedicated telephoto camera also emerged as sticking points for some users, particularly those accustomed to Apple's Pro models.
Regardless, perhaps the Duo's biggest achievement on launch day is making people who expected to hate a $1,999 folding iPhone reluctantly admit that they rather like it.
Once again, the iPhone has proven that with every new product release, the apple never falls far from the tree.
