Follow Al Rai
"Apple" unveiled its first foldable phone, the "iPhone Duo", on Wednesday during the first event held by the company since John Ternus took over as CEO, succeeding Tim Cook.
This phone from the American group, which is about the size of a passport when folded, comes seven years after its South Korean rival "Samsung" launched a similar device.
"Others have designed foldable devices that look like two phones glued together in a strange way," Ternus said in a video recording shown at the Steve Jobs Theater at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California.
He noted that "Apple" sought to design a large screen that "feels completely natural and intuitive, just like the (tablet) iPad".
The "iPhone Duo" will be available in markets starting October 23, with a starting price of around two thousand dollars (1,700 euros).
Foldable phones are aimed at a niche market and account for no more than 2% of global smartphone sales, but "Apple" is expected to capture a third of the market share this year, according to the "IDC" group.
"There is no doubt that Apple's foldable iPhone will change the competitive dynamic, both in China and global markets," said research director Kiranjeet Kaur.
Chinese competitors have already preceded "Apple" in this field.
On Monday, "Huawei" presented the three-part "Mate XT 2" starting at 19,999 yuan (2,560 euros), while "Xiaomi" showcased the "18 Fold" phone for 10,999 yuan for its cheapest version (1,410 euros).
An hour into the annual presentation of the company's latest products, John Ternus appeared on screen again, using the company founder Steve Jobs' signature phrase, "One more thing," to introduce the foldable phone, which is the first product revealed by the new CEO who took office on September 1, succeeding Cook, who led the group for 15 years.
When folded, the phone's screen measures 13.7 centimeters, while its diagonal size reaches 19.3 centimeters when opened.
The phone can be unlocked with a fingerprint on the side button, and it will be adapted later this year to work with the "Apple Pencil", a first for "iPhone" models.
During the presentation, "Apple" announced price hikes for the "iPhone 18 Pro" and "iPhone 18 Pro Max" models to $1,199 and $1,299. This is the first time it has raised the prices of its flagship product since the start of the memory chip shortage that caused price increases for "Mac" and "iPad" devices in late June.
Know more about this story?Send us a tip
Ask about this report — answers stay grounded in its text.
