Apple hasn't officially shown off the iPhone Duo in anyone's hands yet, but the internet beat it to the punch anyway.
A YouTube channel run by Kingmi Mobile posted what appears to be the first unboxing video of Apple's debut foldable on Wednesday, ahead of its October 23 retail launch. The video, unboxing the Night Sky color, also shows the second available shade and walks through the phone being powered on, folded and unfolded from multiple angles.
The clip gives the clearest look so far at the matte coating on the inner display, the layer Apple is using to try to hide the crease that has dogged folding phones since the category began. It also shows off a feature that turns the cover screen into a viewfinder when shooting with the main cameras, letting someone frame a shot without opening the phone at all.
None of that is new information exactly, Apple detailed the hardware at launch, but seeing it handled on camera before the official release is a different thing than reading a spec sheet.
Timing is where this gets awkward for Apple. The iPhone Duo went up for pre-order a few days ago and is due in stores on October 23. But anyone ordering through Apple's online store is reportedly looking at a January 25 delivery window, according to Android Headlines, a gap of roughly three months between placing an order and actually getting the phone.
That kind of lag usually means one of two things: Apple badly underestimated demand, or it simply can't make enough Duos fast enough. Either way, the company has also capped pre-orders at two per customer, a move aimed squarely at resellers trying to flip early units.
Whether walking into a store will get you a phone any faster than ordering online isn't clear either. Apple hasn't said so.
At $1,999 in the US, the iPhone Duo isn't a casual purchase, and pricing in other markets is expected to run higher once local figures are confirmed. That puts it well above where Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Xiaomi's 18 Fold sit in their own markets, though direct pricing comparisons will matter more once the Duo's international numbers are locked in.
Review embargoes for the iPhone Duo could lift within days, possibly as soon as this week, which would give a fuller picture of how the crease-reduction layer and the cover-screen viewfinder hold up outside a controlled unboxing clip. Until then, this leaked video, and the shipping delays attached to it, are the clearest signal yet of how much appetite there is for Apple's first fold.
MDFiled by The Mobile Desk
Phones from leak to launch to price cut: what was announced, what it costs where, and when it goes on sale. Indian launches and prices included, not appended.
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