Apple iPhone Duo foldable launches worldwide with $3,000 price and tight supply Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, launched worldwide with prices around $3,000 and limited supply. Early reviews praised its hinge but criticized camera compromises and software readiness. Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, launched worldwide on Friday with a price tag of about US$3,000 and far less fanfare than previous iPhone releases. The phone was displayed on Sept. 9, 2026, at Apple's Cupertino campus. Demand was strong, but sales were rationed, producing fewer round-the-block queues and overnight camp-outs that once defined new iPhone days. Apple capped pre-orders at two handsets per customer and limited walk-in sales in several markets. In China, France, Hong Kong, India, and Japan, the Duo was available only to customers who ordered online.CEO John Ternus Faces Early ChallengeEstimated delivery dates slipped to late January within minutes of pre-orders opening a week earlier, as demand outpaced supply. Apple called the response nothing short of extraordinary. The launch is a test of whether Apple can reshape the small foldable market as the iPhone did for smartphones. It is also an early challenge for new CEO John Ternus, the former hardware chief who unveiled the phone barely a week after taking charge in September.In Sydney, the first Apple store began selling the passport-shaped phones at 8 a.m. local time, with a queue forming before opening. Simon Krishnan, a 48-year-old engineer, paid A$3,899, or US$2,734, for a 512GB Duo. He called it a bit of a luxury item but said life is too short. CEO Ternus greeted customers at an Austin, Texas, store, throwing open the doors and high-fiving people as they entered, according to a video posted on X by CBS Austin.His visit coincided with the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix, for which Apple holds exclusive U.S. broadcast and streaming rights. At Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York, marketing head Greg Joswiak opened the doors to a crowd, social media posts showed. Some posts said people had camped outside since as early as 4 a.m. local time. Mohit Chandel, a 32-year-old consultant from San Francisco, had promised his father in Singapore a Duo for retirement but forgot to pre-order.China Smartphone Market Shows DeclineAfter spotting a line around 11 p.m. Thursday, he bought a bench and pillow from Walgreens and settled in for the night. He said his father does not know pre-orders are gone and now he has to buy it. In China, a soft consumer market and rising memory costs have led to six straight quarters of declining smartphone shipments, though Apple's market share has rebounded as buyers trade up to premium devices.Liu Wei, a 26-year-old health-care professional, already owned a Xiaomi foldable but still queued outside a Shanghai store from 6 a.m. He said he trusts Apple after using its products for years. Many customers queued to pick up pre-orders, while others hoped for limited stock or to browse display models. Resellers also turned out.In Hong Kong, May, 38, who declined to give his full name, bought a 256GB Duo for HK$17,499, or US$2,231, in an online pre-sale and planned to resell it for about HK$4,000 profit. Paul Francis, 53, queued overnight outside London's Regent Street store in pouring rain. The charity manager said some people think it was mad, including himself.Reviewers Praise Design But Note FlawsEarly reviews praised the Duo's design and its sturdy, barely visible hinge, a major feat for foldables whose creased screens have long deterred buyers. But reviewers said camera compromises, including no telephoto lens, and third-party apps still to be reworked for the new display size could disappoint some buyers. They also said the folded Duo is less handy for quick daily tasks, and several prominent reviewers recommended against it for many Apple customers.Longtime Apple commentator John Gruber wrote that trying the Duo for a week was a lot of fun, but it felt like an extraordinarily polished prototype rather than a finished product he would want to buy and carry. Tech commentator Marques Brownlee said in a YouTube review that for a regular person who mostly texts and browses, it is probably a no. But he added that if US$2,000 does not mean much and you like the idea, after the learning curve and getting used to not having facial identification, it is a really fun phone.In Berlin, YouTube content creator Patrick Wolter was impressed that the Duo works as both a phone and an iPad. He said carrying a separate tablet had always been a hassle, especially with a laptop and other gear, and that in the long run the Duo will likely replace those devices. Apple's entry into the relatively niche foldables market could bring the format to a much broader audience, said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president at market researcher IDC.IDC expects Apple to take 44 percent of the foldable market value in 2026 on 31 percent of units, and by 2027 to become the market leader in both value and units shipped. Jeronimo said Apple has made a convincing case for this form factor. Now comes the next test: turning excitement into availability, adoption, and a lasting new chapter for the smartphone market.