Apple has unveiled its first foldable iPhone, launching the company's most expensive phone yet as new chief executive John Ternus looks to reinvigorate a product line that has not delivered a breakout device in years.
The iPhone Duo will start at $US1,999 ($2,770) and will go for even higher in Australia at $3,499.ย
This puts it among the most expensive mainstream smartphones on the market and marks Apple's entry into a foldable category pioneered by rivals years earlier.
The launch is also the first major product event under Mr Ternus, who took over from long-time chief executive Tim Cook on September 1.
Apple has not produced a breakout hardware hit since the launch of its AirPods a decade ago, putting pressure on the new CEO to demonstrate where the technology giant's next phase of growth will come from.
The keynote address for John Ternus was his opportunity to set the tone for his vision of Apple's future. (AP Photo: Jeff Chiu)
Unveiling the Duo at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, Mr Ternus revived a phrase famously associated with the company's late co-founder Steve Jobs.
“Actually, there is one more thing,” he said after introducing updates to the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods.
The Duo opens to a 19.3 centimetre display that Apple says is 80 per cent larger than the screen on its new iPhone 18 Pro, while folding down to roughly the size and shape of a passport.
It can run two apps side by side and is the first iPhone to support an Apple Pencil.
Mr Ternus said the device would “redefine the experience of using a foldable phone”.
A small but growing market
Apple is entering the foldable smartphone market relatively late.
Samsung launched the industry's first mainstream foldable, the Galaxy Fold, in 2019, while Google, Motorola and Chinese manufacturers including Huawei and Xiaomi have since entered the category.
Huawei this week unveiled its three-panel Mate XT 2, starting at 19,999 yuan ($4,139), while Xiaomi's latest foldable starts at 10,999 yuan.
The…