Apple launches a US$1,999 folding iPhone with flown-in creators

By Takeshi Mori · 2026-09-05

Apple chief executive John Ternus appeared on stage in California on 9 September to unveil the iPhone Duo, the first folding phone from the technology company.

"We made massive advancements in the most important areas: intelligence, performance, battery and camera," Mr Ternus said.

The presentation also included the iPhone 18 Pro. Apple announced the Watch Series 12 and AirPods 5 at the same event.

The iPhone Duo took eight years to develop. Mr Ternus led the folding phone project during his time as hardware chief.

Pricing for the base model starts at US$1,999 in the United States, and the top configuration costs about US$3,200. Preorders open on 16 October.

Shipping begins on 23 October. Australian pricing was not published at the time of writing.

Apple introduced Siri AI as a rebuilt assistant in beta with iOS 27. The models were built with Google.

Apple did not name Google or Gemini on stage.

Influencer strategy

A viral post on X described the creator strategy around the launch. The account Brutal Truth used screenshots from creator Ishan Sharma.

The post, as reported by Storyboard18, described a creator programme where Apple provides flights, hospitality, community runs, meetups and early access.

The account described the strategy as a self-feeding loop.

"By the time Apple actually unveils the new iPhones, the hype machine is already running at full speed," Brutal Truth posted.

Apple has not commented on the creator program. Other users replied that Samsung, Google and Xiaomi operate similar programs.

First-impression videos from MKBHD and Dave2D were online within hours. A Reddit thread said creators work under Apple's restrictions on early units.

Hospitality and early access are documented but no payments to creators are documented, so this cannot be called a paid campaign.

Gadget reviewer Gregory McFadden shared a separate leaked Huawei creator brief around the iPhone launch. The brief told creators not to label posts as paid or sponsored.

Rival reactions

Samsung mocked the US$1,999 device as reheated leftovers on 9 September. Duolingo's owl gatecrashed the launch on X.

Apple was also accused of editing a Korean advertising image so the 7.6-inch foldable looked easier to hold in one hand.

Takeshi Mori

Takeshi Mori writes about technology, energy and infrastructure. He likes the physical end of the story: the plants, the grids and the machines that everything else depends on.