Apple’s first foldable goes up for pre-order this afternoon, about five weeks after it was shown off at the September event next to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The two Pro phones have been in shops since September 18. The Duo has had to wait.
When And Where You Can Order It
Pre-orders open at 12 PM UTC today, which is 5 a.m. Pacific and 8 a.m. Eastern. Orders go through the Apple Store app and Apple’s website in more than 70 countries and regions, among them the US, UK, India, China, Japan, Germany, Canada, Australia, Brazil and the UAE.
- First deliveries and in-store sales start on October 23 in those markets
- 28 more countries get it from October 30
Anyone who used the set-up window Apple opened from October 12 to 15 will already have a colour and accessories picked, so their order only needs one tap. That window was there for a reason. Supply is expected to be tight at launch, and people ordering from scratch this afternoon could easily find their delivery date pushed back by a week or more.
What It Costs Against The Pro Models
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the US, which is $700 more than the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Here’s how the base prices line up in the bigger markets:
| iPhone 18 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro Max | iPhone Duo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | USD 1,199 | USD 1,299 | USD 1,999 |
| Germany | EUR 1,449 | EUR 1,599 | EUR 2,299 |
| UK | GBP 1,199 | GBP 1,299 | GBP 1,999 |
| India | INR 164,900 | INR 179,900 | INR 299,900 |
| China | CNY 9,999 | CNY 10,999 | CNY 15,999 |
| Japan | JPY 219,800 | JPY 239,800 | JPY 364,800 |
Storage runs from 256GB up to 2TB, and the colours are Star White and Night Sky. Apple is also selling a $79 Duo Case and a $129 Folio with a built-in kickstand.
What That Extra Money Actually Buys
Not a faster phone, which might surprise some buyers. The Duo runs the same A20 Pro chip found in both 18 Pro models, so the $700 gap pays for the folding screen and the shape, not for more performance. It even gives some things up. There’s no telephoto lens and no variable aperture, both of which the 18 Pro has, so anyone who shoots a lot of zoomed photos would be getting a weaker camera for more money.
The Duo is also eSIM-only in every country it ships to, with no physical SIM tray anywhere. That’s worth checking with your carrier first if you’re in a market where eSIM support is still patchy.
Reviews are expected around October 20, a few days before the first phones arrive, and anyone not in a rush would probably do well to read a couple before handing over two thousand dollars.
