Apple’s reported iPhone Duo foldable could have its biggest impact on the wider smartphone industry rather than on Apple’s own sales. In Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman said the device could push Android manufacturers to devote more resources to foldable phones, helping move the segment beyond its current niche status.
Gurman expects Apple to quickly become one of the largest foldable-phone vendors, potentially the largest, once the Duo reaches the market. He does not expect that advantage to be permanent, but sees Apple’s entry as a potential catalyst for broader development across the category.
- Software designed for larger displays and smoother transitions between screens
- Further display development for foldable devices
- Improved camera systems
- More advanced hinge designs
Apple would be entering a field where Samsung and other Android brands have already spent years refining form factors, hinges and multitasking software. A comparison with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 reportedly shows that the Duo is heavier and thicker when folded, although Apple is aiming to differentiate it through hardware-software integration and the way iOS 27 works across its two displays.
Early hands-on coverage has focused on the Duo’s display-to-display software transitions and its reportedly subtle crease. Gurman compared the possible industry effect to the original iPhone: Apple did not take over the entire smartphone market, but its 2007 launch helped shift the industry toward touchscreens, apps and operating systems built around touch interaction.
The scale of any foldable shift remains uncertain. Gurman believes foldables could become the dominant smartphone form factor within about a decade, despite currently accounting for only a small share of the market. Price remains a major obstacle: the iPhone Duo is reported to start at $1,999 in the United States. If Apple’s arrival expands production volumes and supplier competition, lower-priced Android models may be where foldable technology becomes more broadly accessible first.
