Apple began selling its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, in South Korea on Friday, Oct. 23, with a 256GB starting price of 3,290,000 won, putting it more than 1 million won above Samsung Electronics’ comparable phone.
Apple lists four storage options for the Duo: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. Samsung lists the 256GB Galaxy Z Fold8 at 2,278,100 won, a gap of 1,011,900 won from Apple’s 256GB price. The difference is calculated from the companies’ listed prices.
Some early customers described familiarity with Apple products as part of their decision. The Korea Herald reported that a Seoul-based game company employee in his mid-40s returned an unopened Galaxy Z Fold8 after learning Apple was developing a foldable. He told the paper that leaving his Apple Watch, AirPods and familiar iPhone software behind made switching to Android difficult.
Do Young-kyung, a 31-year-old restaurant industry worker who had owned Samsung foldables, told The Korea Herald that “about 70% of the attraction simply comes from it being Apple.” Do sold an iPad mini to help pay for the Duo and said he would not recommend the purchase to others, the paper reported.
The Korea Herald also reported that some buyers saw the Duo as a possible way to combine devices. One hoped it could take the place of a phone and iPad, while another considered using it instead of a phone, tablet and e-reader. Those were buyers’ plans, not confirmed replacements.
Apple says the Duo has a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display, with support for Apple Pencil (USB-C) planned for later in 2026. Creative director Park Seong-geon told The Korea Herald he hopes to use the phone in place of an iPad camera monitor during shoots.
Samsung announced its Galaxy Fold in February 2019, more than seven years before Apple’s first foldable went on sale. The Korea Herald reported that IDC analyst Nabila Popal sees demand one year after launch, when the novelty has faded, as a key measure of lasting interest.
