Apple Enters Foldable Market With iPhone Duo, but Price Hikes Stir Concern in India

Apple has officially made its long-rumored move into the foldable segment, unveiling the iPhone Duo alongside its new iPhone 18 Pro models. The Duo marks a significant redesign for a company that has kept its flagship form factor largely consistent for years, and it positions Apple to compete in one of the fastest-growing categories of the smartphone industry.

The announcement, however, came with a caveat that has drawn attention across the industry: prices are up across the board. Apple cited rising component costs — particularly memory chips — as the driver behind the increases, and the company extended the higher pricing to older iPhone models as well, not just the new lineup.

The steepest increases have landed in India, a market that analysts widely view as central to Apple’s long-term growth strategy. With premium smartphone demand expanding rapidly in the country and Apple steadily building local manufacturing capacity, pricing decisions there carry outsized weight for the company’s global trajectory. Whether Indian consumers absorb the higher prices or shift toward competitors remains an open question.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares traded at $337.00, up 0.26% from the previous close of $336.13, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $4.6 trillion. The modest move suggests investors are taking a wait-and-see posture toward both the foldable launch and the pricing strategy.

The iPhone Duo’s arrival also reshapes the competitive landscape. Foldables have so far been dominated by Android manufacturers, and Apple’s entry puts the company’s hardware, software integration, and brand loyalty to the test in a category where durability and pricing have historically been sticking points for consumers.

How the pricing fallout plays out in India — and whether the Duo can convert curious buyers into first-time foldable purchasers — will likely shape the narrative around Apple’s product cycle in the quarters ahead.

What to watch

• Early sales and supply data for the iPhone Duo, particularly whether foldable demand meets Apple’s production targets.
• Indian market response, including any regional pricing adjustments or promotional activity on older iPhone models.
• Apple’s next earnings report, which will offer the first concrete read on pricing impact and foldable traction.
• Competitive reactions from established foldable vendors as Apple enters the category.

Source: original release