Apple introduced its first foldable phone, iPhone Duo, at a starting price of $1999 in the US and 229 thousand TL in Turkey. The iPhone 18 Pro series, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Ultra and AirPods 5 were also announced at the event. The model, highlighted for its crease-free display, transition animations and performance, has a design similar to the Gemini-powered Galaxy Z Fold 8, which was introduced at $1899 less than two months ago.
Samsung emphasized the thinness of its devices in advertisements in Seoul, Tokyo and London; it made mocking posts from its US social media account without mentioning Apple and used the hashtag #ItsTimeToSwitch. While Apple CEO John Ternus criticized rival models, it was noted that Apple was receiving support from Samsung Display and the Samsung supply chain. Samsung has developed eight generations since 2019 and is also facing pressure from Huawei. Counterpoint forecasts Samsung’s share at 38% and Apple’s at 25%. Liz Lee found the price bold; Ben Wood noted that Apple was reiterating its market-entry strategy.
Why it matters
This development shows that competition in foldable phones is not limited to device design alone; pricing, advertising language and supply relationships are also part of the contest. Apple receiving support from Samsung Display and Samsung’s supply chain raises questions about the extent to which rivals are interconnected within the same ecosystem. Samsung’s long-running product development process and pressure from Huawei make it difficult to assess the impact of Apple’s market entry on the existing balance; share forecasts also show that there is no certainty about the outcome of this competition. In addition, the inability to verify the name attributed to Apple’s CEO means that the section of the report based on company statements needs to be rechecked before publication.
Background
Apple is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 48 reports mentioning the name in the past 90 days; the latest was dated September 11, 2026.