Apple Unveils First Foldable iPhone, the “iPhone Duo” — Starting at ¥364,800; 5ch: “Expensive, sure, but…”

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The story

On September 9 (U.S. time), Apple unveiled the “iPhone Duo,” its first foldable iPhone, which opens up to a 7.6-inch display. It was revealed alongside the “iPhone 18 Pro” and “iPhone 18 Pro Max,” with pricing starting at ¥364,800 for the 256GB model and reaching ¥574,800 for the top 2TB model. Pre-orders begin October 16, with release set for October 23. On 5ch’s News Express+ board, discussion swirled around the steep price, the 254g weight, comparisons to rival foldables, and whether the hassle of opening/closing the device is worth it.

On September 9 U.S. time, Apple announced the “iPhone Duo,” the company’s first foldable iPhone. It was shown off alongside the “iPhone 18 Pro” and “iPhone 18 Pro Max” at the company’s fall keynote held in Cupertino, California.

The iPhone Duo has a compact, passport-sized design with a titanium body. According to Apple, when unfolded it’s the thinnest iPhone the company has ever made. It features a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display, and also supports the Apple Pencil.

With the iPhone Duo, Apple is entering the increasingly competitive foldable smartphone market — one where Samsung, Google, and Motorola, along with Chinese brands like Honor, OPPO, and Huawei, are already major players. Now it looks set to be Apple’s turn to shape the market’s direction and help drive its growth.

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

What people said

2AnonymousSep 10, 2026 03:44
Ugh, they stole the name
[Posted via 2chMate 0.8.10.241/Microsoft/Surface Duo 2/12/LR]
79AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:13
Re: #2
There was a model called the PowerBook Duo from around 1992 to 1997, you know
I'm pretty sure it's someone else who did the copying.
13AnonymousSep 10, 2026 03:50
[Image]
https://tadaup.jp/9KKlANiT.jpg
24AnonymousSep 10, 2026 03:54
Pre-orders start October 16 at 9pm
Releases October 23

Starting at ¥364,800, or from ¥10,133/month over 36 payments*

https://www.apple.com/jp/iphone-duo/


So expensive lol
141AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:39
Re: #24
Expensive, sure, but compared to old Mac prices this is dirt cheap
29AnonymousSep 10, 2026 03:57
Nowhere does it even say the weight
38AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:00
Re: #29
254g — about the same as the Pro Max I guess
105AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:23
Re: #38
That's actually pretty light for an 8-inch tablet
I'd want one if it lost a zero off the price
Until then I'll stick with the d-42a I got for like ¥6,000
31AnonymousSep 10, 2026 03:57
But the diehard fans will sell off their furniture just to buy one and risk everything flipping it open with a smug look on their face somewhere crowded, right? Pathetic.
108AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:24
Re: #31
VR headsets aren't exactly selling, are they?
Fanboys are just regular idiots, not rich idiots
34AnonymousSep 10, 2026 03:58
Well, even as an Apple fanboy myself, I don't want one
The whole point of a smartphone is tapping the screen the instant you pick it up — but now there's this pointless extra step of opening it with both hands first
That's the fatal flaw
41AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:00
The whole point of foldable phones is that regular phone size is too small, so folding lets you also use it like a tablet
If it's still small once unfolded, you can't really use it like a tablet, can you?
113AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:26
Re: #41
7.6 inches is plenty for mobile use
But since it's Apple, the aspect ratio's probably close to 4:3
149AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:42
Re: #41
People have been saying for a while it'd be sized like an iPad mini
I think the iPad mini is a good size for using outdoors — any bigger and the weight gets rough
56AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:06
How much is it?
Like ¥300,000 or something?
63AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:09
Re: #56
256GB ¥364,800
512GB ¥399,800
1TB ¥469,800
2TB ¥574,800
71AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:11
Re: #63
…who's actually buying it at that price?
224AnonymousSep 10, 2026 05:02
Re: #63
"Gotta ride it!!
This big wave!"
(eyes rolled back) (a meme line from the manga Baki)
84AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:15
Re: #73
And here I am, an Android-for-life guy, going to the trouble of posting this
88AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:17
Re: #84
If you're gonna do it, put up a weight comparison with the Galaxy Fold too
97AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:21
Dollar price: $1,999
Tax-included: ¥364,800
Tax-excluded: ¥331,636
331,636 ÷ 1,999 = ¥165.9

Seriously, what's with this exchange rate?
114AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:26
Re: #97
Maybe it's priced assuming the yen gets even weaker
103AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:23
Something feels off about Apple lately
They should've just made the iPhone Air with a flat surface
Nothing but heavy phones these days now
118AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:27
Re: #103
Unlike Cook, the third CEO seems like a pretty low-key guy too
Looks like it's headed toward being a boring company that just follows trends
112AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:25
https://dec.2chan.net/up2/src/fu7242759.jpeg
172AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:50
Re: #112
The 2TB price is straight-up broken lol
119AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:28
It's got a camera under the inner display, so doesn't that make the big screen kind of pointless?
156AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:45
Re: #119
That'd be the UDC (under-display camera) — the one thing it beats the current Galaxy Fold on
140AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:37
Honestly a foldable iPad would probably be more useful than this
143AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:39
Re: #140
True. I'd love a foldable iPad that opens up to 20 inches
163AnonymousSep 10, 2026 04:48
Wouldn't be bad to whip it out on the train and show off a little
212AnonymousSep 10, 2026 05:00
So is this what you guys actually look like, huh — silver foxes? ("ikeoji," slang for a stylish, good-looking older guy)
https://shop.menz-style.com/cdn/shop/files/fc-1426_7.jpg
221AnonymousSep 10, 2026 05:01
Re: #212
We use iPhones that fit our budget, so yeah, we're all silver foxes here

Background and Key Points of Discussion

Apple’s entry into foldables comes six years after Samsung launched the original Galaxy Fold in 2019. Google, Motorola, and Chinese brands like Honor, OPPO, and Huawei are already competing on both price and weight, and at ¥364,800 (256GB), the iPhone Duo sits at the high end of the domestic foldable market. In the thread, posts like #97 pointed out the crude exchange-rate math behind “$1,999 = ¥364,800,” with some speculating the price factors in an anticipated weaker yen. At 254g, the weight is roughly in line with existing devices like the Galaxy Fold, and most replies focused on whether the price is justified, alongside usability gripes like the hassle of opening/closing the phone and how the inner camera is handled. There were also mentions of payment plans like the 36-installment option, though the actual sales terms go beyond what the source article covers and would need separate confirmation.

*This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “[Apple] First Foldable “iPhone Duo” Announced — Opens to 7.6 Inches.”

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