Apple has finally folded, literally. The iPhone Duo, unveiled on September 9, marks Apple’s first entry into the foldable phone race, seven years after Samsung pioneered the category.But Apple has arrived with an unmistakably Apple-like strategy — premium materials, tight hardware-software integration and, yes, a premium price. Starting at Rs 2,99,900, the Duo costs substantially more than Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold8. So, is Apple selling the future or simply putting a luxury tax on it?Rs 3 lakh for just base variantThe iPhone Duo starts at Rs 2,99,900 for 256GB in India. The 512GB model costs Rs 3,24,900, 1TB Rs 3,74,900 and the monster 2TB version Rs 4,49,900. It comes in just two colours: Star White and Night Sky.That makes the entry-level Duo about Rs 1.2 lakh more expensive than Samsung’s Rs 1,79,999 Galaxy Z Fold8 256GB. Even the 1TB Duo costs roughly Rs 1.35 lakh more than Samsung’s 1TB Fold8 at Rs 2,39,999.Thinnest iPhone everAt just 5.2mm when unfolded, Duo is the thinnest iPhone ever. The basic idea is delightfully simple. Closed, the Duo has a 5.4-inch outer OLED display; open it and that becomes a 7.6-inch folding Super Retina XDR display, the largest screen ever put on an iPhone. Both displays have ProMotion with refresh rates up to 120Hz, Always-On functionality and up to 3,000 nits of outdoor brightness. The inner screen also gets a nano-texture finish designed to reduce glare and make the crease less conspicuous.At 5.2mm when open and 254g, Apple is pushing thinness as a major part of the Duo’s appeal. It is built around a Grade 5 titanium frame and precision hinge, with Ceramic Shield 2 protection and an IP68 rating.No face ID and eSIM-onlyApple has made a few interesting compromises. Face ID is gone as authentication moves to touch ID in the side button. The phone is also eSIM-only worldwide, freeing internal space for other components.A20 Pro: Muscle behind the foldAt the heart of the Duo is Apple’s A20 Pro, built using 2nm technology. It has a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU and dual 16-core neural engines. Apple says the CPU is up to 20 per cent faster than the A19 Pro, while GPU performance is up to 40 per cent faster and more power efficient.That horsepower matters because Apple isn’t treating the big screen as simply a larger canvas. iOS 27 has been redesigned around the foldable format, allowing users to work across apps and move between the two displays more naturally. Apple Pencil support is also coming later this year, potentially making the Duo more useful for notes, sketches and documents.More than just megapixelsThe Duo carries a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system, comprising a 48MP main camera and 48MP ultrawide. The main sensor provides a 2x optical-quality telephoto option, while digital zoom goes up to 10x. The folding form itself creates new possibilities. Apple’s Duo Preview lets subjects see the framing while being photographed, while the phone can be positioned in different folded configurations without a separate stand.Double batteries, bigger enduranceBattery life is another interesting area. Rather than using one large battery, Apple has put one battery on each side of the device. It claims up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner screen and up to 44 hours using the outer display.The Rs 3-lakh questionAt Rs 2,99,900, the Duo is firmly a premium bet on foldables, a category still small compared with conventional smartphones. Yet analysts cited by Reuters see huge potential, with one forecast giving Apple around 40 per cent of the foldable market. The gamble is whether Apple can make folding mainstream.The iPhone Duo is displayed during an announcement of new products on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, on the Apple campus in Cupertino, Calif. AP/PTI