Apple has finally released its flagship iPhone Duo, its first-ever foldable smartphone, and UK shoppers can now pre-order the device from today, Friday, October 16.
More than a month after its 'Surprise and Shine' launch, the foldable phone is available to order from £1,999, making it the most expensive iPhone to date. UK retailers have hinted at their Duo landing pages ahead of the 1 pm orders opening.
iPhone Duo design and specs
The iPhone Duo opens out like a book to reveal a large 7.6-inch inner display, giving users a mini tablet-like experience in a pocketable everyday smartphone. A first of its kind for Apple, production has been upped by 30% compared to previous iPhone launches, so getting hands on the device may be competitive.
The entry price is for the 256GB model, and it goes up to as much as £3,199 for the biggest 2TB storage option.
Where to pre-order the iPhone Duo
At Apple, the iPhone Duo is listed to pre-order from £1,999. Providers including giffgaff, Sky Mobile, EE, Vodafone, and O2 give pay-per-month shoppers the option to split the price across a contract term, usually between 24 and 36 months. Shoppers are urged to double-check the contract length before hitting the pre-order button.
At 1 pm Friday, October 16, UK retailers are launching their iPhone Duo pre-order deals with prices starting at £1,999 upfront. One way to save is to trade in an older iPhone 17 model.
Trade-in deals and pay-monthly options
Vodafone has the biggest trade-in saving seen so far, cutting up to £855 off for anyone who trades in an iPhone 17 Pro Max, but the price will differ depending on the model. If consumers buy the 256GB model, they'd cut the price from £1,999 to £1,144. Similar deals can be found at EE, where up to £750 can be cut off the price.
Pay-monthly iPhone Duo contracts are available from Vodafone, Sky Mobile, EE, O2, Giffgaff, Mobiles.co.uk, and Three Mobile. Upfront iPhone Duo retailers include Apple Store, Currys, Argos, and Amazon.
UK availability and pricing compared
All of the above providers are giving UK tech consumers the chance to 'register their interest' before the official pre-order carts open at 1 pm today. Once pre-orders end, it'll then be available on UK shelves the following Friday, October 23. This is the same date pre-order shoppers are expected to receive their Duo orders, although retailer and area may differ.
The big screen size is one of the perks of the Duo; it's even 50% bigger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Yet, price is a big setback. As Technology Editor Dave Snelling pointed out when he got his hands on the device in California, he explained the cost hike: "I've only had a relatively short time with the iPhone Duo, but it's already clear this is a seriously impressive bit of kit. It's also a lot of fun to use."
"The biggest problem for most Apple fans is likely to be the price. The entry-level model with 256GB of storage starts at £1,999 - and things get considerably more painful for your wallet if you start increasing the storage. Fully loaded, you could be looking at well over £3,100. That's an eye-watering amount of money and the Duo is also more expensive than many of its Android rivals."
Speaking of rivals, the Google Pixel Pro Fold 11 starts at £1,799 for the 256GB model - so £200 cheaper than the Duo rival. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is even lower, starting at £1,699.
As someone who's looked at all the features, I'm personally drawn to its camera and filming upgrades. Smart Take is one of my favourite features (on paper). This automatically captures photos based on a person's posing - so no more setting up a 5 or 10-second timer - and the foldable design lets users prop the phone up, so no more tripod either.
It's great for multitasking - reading emails, booking a train ticket, or replying to a message - the Duo can display different things on a screen at the same time. In what feels like a turn back in time, the Duo also has a Touch ID fingerprint scanner (remember when this was on the iPhone 6?), and it's fitted with the powerful A20 Pro processor - the same one behind the hood of the iPhone 18 Pro.
