iPhone Duo leak spotted hours before Apple ‘Surprise and Shine’ event

For once, the overnight leak wasn't just close; it was exact. Hours before Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman detailed the iPhone Duo's colours, storage tiers and starting price.

By the time Apple's keynote wrapped, every one of those details had been confirmed on stage.

The iPhone Duo launches in white and dark blue only, with no black option, despite months of rumours suggesting otherwise. For a first-generation product Apple clearly wants positioned as premium rather than playful, the restrained palette reads as intentional rather than a limitation of the folding hardware itself.

While the base model costs $2,000 with 256GB, Apple has officially confirmed that there will be models with storage options up to 2TB, making a maxed-out model cost closer to $3,000. In comparison to current pricing, this makes the new iPhone Duo very pricey compared to current models in Apple's Pro line-up and is one of the most expensive devices from Apple ever sold.

Previous rumours pointed towards Apple dropping support for styluses completely. However, the iPhone Duo offers support for the Apple Pencil, the first time that the device will work on anything other than the iPad. The larger inner screen of 7.8 inches allows the user to use the stylus in ways that were not previously possible on an iPhone.

The price of the smartphone is $2,000 and faces competition from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which costs $2,099.99. The price is higher than the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold, whose price is $1,899. Apple is confident that their ecosystem and not lower prices will convince customers to buy the foldable smartphone.

Shipping begins in October, a few weeks behind the iPhone 18 Pro line, giving Apple a staggered rollout for what is, by any measure, the most significant new product category the company has introduced since the Apple Watch.