Opinion David SwanTechnology Editor September 10, 2026 — 7:48 am September 10, 2026 — 7:48 am Save You have reached the maximum number of items saved. Remove items from the saved list to add new ones. AAA Less than one in 30 phones sold in Australia last year was halved. Apple just priced its first model at a whopping $3,499. Announced this morning (Australia time) and going on sale from October 23, the iPhone Duo is the most expensive iPhone ever made, and by a stretch. The 2 terabyte version costs $5,899. For this money you get a 7.6-inch screen that folds down to the size of a passport. You’ll also lose a number of features seen on other iPhones, including the excellent camera on the iPhone Pro and Face ID, which has been replaced by Touch ID on the side button. The Motorola Razr Fold costs $1,200 less, has a larger internal screen, a larger screen protector, and a telephoto lens that Apple didn’t include. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at about $800 cheaper than the iPhone Duo. However, Apple will sell whatever it makes, and I predict this is the phone that will open up the category. Like everything Apple has done over the last decade or so, the idea of a foldable phone is far from a new idea. This is an improved version of Alien. Game changer: Steve Jobs, who introduced the first iPhone on January 9, 2007.AP The company did not invent the MP3 player, smartphone, tablet or smartwatch. The iPod, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch arrived a few years later, but ultimately defined their category. Now he will do it again. The execution of this familiar pattern now falls to the new boss. The stakes are high for John Ternus, who has been CEO for just nine days. He received a ceremonial handover on stage from former Apple boss Tim Cook and introduced the duet with Apple’s trademark “one more thing,” giving Ternus his own “Steve Jobs moment.” This hardware choice says a lot about Apple’s new CEO. He’s an engineer, and the Duo is an engineer’s phone: a hinge made of more than 100 components, a titanium plate under the display, an adhesive that allows the layers of the screen to slide over each other like the pages of a book. Here, too, the correct form has been chosen. Book-style folding devices, the size of a passport, which open into a small tablet, already account for 60 to 65 percent of foldable device sales in Australia. The rest comes from flip phones, the type that were very popular in the early 2000s that you could slam shut after a phone call. New Apple CEO John Ternus experienced a “Steve Jobs moment.”Bloomberg It’s worth noting that journalists haven’t even had a few minutes to play with the new devices yet, and review copies will be sent out in the coming days. Ben Henzell has been running his digital agency since before the first iPhone came out, and he’s in line for it. “Apple may not be the first company to bring a foldable phone to market, but it definitely has the design and branding to make it mainstream,” said the owner of BFJ Digital. He expects it to be particularly popular with people working on their phones, and believes the latest such moment was the iPad. Speaking of iPads, about six weeks ago I stopped carrying mine to work. I didn’t give it up consciously, I just stopped needing it. When unfolded, the Motorola Razr I rented is an 8.1-inch screen that lives in my pocket. In flight, this means I can fold it up and watch the show; on the train I can work normally while opening two things at the same time. I don’t have to plan which devices I need to carry with me like I used to. That’s Apple’s most compelling argument yet, and it’s why thousands of Australians are willing to shell out $3,499 for the phone: it’s a tablet you won’t have to remember to put in your bag. Battery life is also excellent – two full days on a charge – which should be similar to the Duo. And I still get a lot of questions: “Oh, what is this?” comments as I pull out my phone. That’s not something you’ve been able to say about new iPhones for years, given that they’ve mostly gotten a little thinner or a little bigger. Folding phones have some real downsides: you can still see the crease when light shines on them, the water resistance isn’t as good as a regular phone, and if you break it, the repair bill will be daunting (Apple hasn’t released details about AppleCare for the Duo yet). However, there are dozens of moments throughout the day when unfolding your phone to tablet size is actually useful. The Motorola Razr Fold costs $1,200 less, has a larger internal screen, a larger screen protector, and a telephoto lens that Apple didn’t include. Apple’s new flagship may cost a bomb, but there’s a reason why everything will cost more this year. Apple didn’t release the standard iPhone 18 at all—the cheapest new iPhone is now $2,099—and quietly raised prices on phones released last year. iPhone 17 went up from $1,399 to $1,549. Memory is now scarce and expensive, and the industry conveys this. The 2TB Duo costs $5,899, which works out to $2,400 per storage. It’s also worth noting that most people won’t be asked for this in one go. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone already sell between 55 and 60 per cent of foldable phones sold in this country, almost all on finance and trade-in plans. Paying $3,499 for a phone is a huge deal. But there are a few truths I’ve learned over my decade-plus career: “don’t bet against Apple” is one of them. Get news and reviews about technology, gadgets and games at our technology newsletter every Friday. Register here. Save You have reached the maximum number of items saved. Remove items from the saved list to add new ones. David Swan is technology editor of The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He was previously technical editor of an Australian newspaper.Connect via X or e-mail. From our partners Post navigation The NBA star is locked in a bitter legal battle with his former model as the split took a nasty turn following his sensational exchange The right’s reaction to Labour’s digital bailout bill is not about free speech, but its warnings about abuses have curbed criticism.