Apple’s First-Ever Foldable iPhone Starts From RM9,499

By Danial Martinus • 10 Sep 2026 in Gear

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The day has finally come. After months of speculation and rumours, Apple has unveiled the company’s first-ever foldable iPhone, dubbed the iPhone Duo.

It’s also the first iPhone launch helmed by new Apple CEO John Ternus, replacing Tim Cook, who served as the face of the US$4.6 trillion company for nearly 15 years.

Malaysia joins over 70 other countries and regions in the initial release of the iPhone Duo, with pre-orders beginning at 8 p.m. MYT on Friday, 16 October and availability beginning on Friday, 23 October.

But what can you expect from the iPhone Duo?

Of course, the iPhone Duo sports a folding mechanism that’s the first of its kind for an iPhone. It’s the one thing people have been asking Apple for, especially with the rise of foldables in the wider tech industry.

When folded, the iPhone Duo has a convenient passport-sized 5.4-inch form factor. When unfolded, the inner display spans a generous (but not oversized) 7.6 inches.

Unlike conventional slab-style iPhones, the iPhone Duo does not have Face ID. Instead, it brings back the much-loved Touch ID, which requires users to rest their finger on a touch-sensitive sensor to unlock their phone.

One might argue Face ID is more convenient, but at least Touch ID doesn’t require you to pick up your phone and look at it just to unlock the device.

Both the inner and outer display use the same 1.42:1 aspect ratio, which means whatever content you’re consuming won’t be rendered in a weird format when switching between the two displays. It’s a thoughtful touch that adds a bit more consistency and seamlessness to the overall user experience.

The inner display in particular is rather interesting, since it sports a nano-texture finish that staves off reflections from your surroundings, and it also gives it a slightly matte look, which is something we don’t really see with other foldable smartphones (yet).

The inner display also has a front-facing FaceTime camera, but it’s only visible when in use. When you’re doing other things, it just disappears under the display itself, which is a rather neat quality-of-life feature and doesn’t force you to contend with a camera cutout 24/7.

Many people have compared the iPhone Duo to an iPad Mini (when unfolded), and this notion isn’t too far from the truth, since Apple says the iPhone Duo will offer support for the USB-C Apple Pencil later this year. Now you can finally have a true phone-tablet hybrid experience that fits in your pocket.

Though folding phones are known to be a little more delicate, the iPhone Duo thankfully has an IP68 rating for splash, water, and dust resistance. This makes it particularly durable when compared to other foldables in the market.

Battery life on the iPhone Duo is rated for 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and up to 44 hours of video playback on the outer display. Apple claims you can reach up to 24 hours of usage when both screens are used equally.

Charging the iPhone Duo with a fast-charging cable can take it from 0% to 50% in just 20 minutes. If you charge it with a MagSafe or Qi2 wireless charger, it’ll take about 30 minutes to reach 50%. These are pretty reasonable charging figures.

One reality that might take some getting used to is the fact that the phone is eSIM-only, like the iPhone Air of last year. But it really isn’t such a big deal, eSIMs are quite easy to deal with once you get the hang of things.

In terms of materials, the iPhone Duo sports a robust Grade 5 titanium frame, along with a 3D-printed titanium hinge cover. The rear of the iPhone Duo is protected with Ceramic Shield glass, while the outer display features the more durable Ceramic Shield 2.

This means you could, theoretically, use the iPhone Duo without a case if you’re not the type who drops their phone or places it on rough surfaces all the time.

But you’ll probably want to protect your RM10,000 phone anyway, so Apple offers two new cases (with two colour choices each) for the iPhone Duo. If you, like this writer, enjoy your iPhone naked, there’s always AppleCare+ for peace of mind.

The phone comes in two colours: Star White and Night Sky. Prices start from RM9,499 for the base 256GB variant, and it goes all the way up to RM15,499 for the range-topping 2TB version. Check it out here.

So, will you be spending your hard-earned cash on an iPhone Duo?