On Wednesday, September 9th, the American tech giant Apple is set to hold a “Surprise and Shine” press conference at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, where they will unveil their first-ever foldable screen smartphone.
According to leaks from Bloomberg’s Apple insider Mark Gurman, the new foldable phone from Apple is officially named iPhone Duo, with a starting price of $2000 and expected to be available for purchase in October. It will support Apple Pencil and come in blue and white color variants, with no black option.
Previously, media reports speculated that Apple’s first foldable phone might be named “iPhone Ultra” or “iPhone Fold.” However, considering the dual folding screens of this product, naming it “iPhone Duo” seems fitting. Duo symbolizes the duality of the screens.
Mark Gurman revealed that the starting price for the iPhone Duo could go up to $2000 and is estimated to be around $3000 for the 2TB version.
The iPhone currently accounts for approximately half of Apple’s total sales, so Apple’s foray into the foldable screen market is seen as a crucial attempt to seek growth in the high-end smartphone market.
Industry experts are surprised by the fact that this foldable iPhone will support Apple Pencil, marking the first time Apple has introduced stylus support for the iPhone.
Some netizens have discussed that considering the $3000 pricing of the new foldable phone, they might prefer investing in a mature high-end MacBook Pro (priced around $2600).
While Apple has not officially announced the details of the event, analysts expect Apple to launch new iPhones, including their first foldable screen phone, and a new Apple Watch.
Investors are closely watching to see if Apple will raise the starting price of the iPhone amidst the global shortage of computer components. The company has already increased the prices of Macs and iPads this summer.
This will be John Ternus’ first public appearance since officially taking over as Apple’s CEO on September 1. As a seasoned hardware engineer, his debut as CEO at an Apple event will draw attention from Apple users and investors alike to see how he will continue following Tim Cook’s path and where he may innovate.
The upcoming event may also focus on artificial intelligence (AI) as Apple is expected to release its new Siri AI and Apple Intelligence software in the coming days.