Apple Unveils First Foldable iPhone, Priced ₹3 Lakh+ In India

SUMMARY

Besides the foldable smartphone, the original equipment manufacturer also launched its latest iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models

iPhone Duo marks the company’s official entry into the foldable segment that rivals Samsung and Google have pursued for years

Apple also launched a new smartwatch range – Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 – as well as the new AirPods 5, which will be available for ₹25,900

Smartphone maker Apple yesterday unveiled its first foldable smartphone, called iPhone Duo, at its flagship “Surprise and Shine” event in Cupertino. This marks the company’s official entry into a segment that rivals Samsung and Google have pursued for years.

Besides the foldable phone, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) also launched its latest iPhone 18 range of smartphones, which will be available in two models – iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The iPhone Duo, which is available in four memory variants, will hit the shelves in India starting October 23. Meanwhile, iPhone 18 models will be available for sale a month prior on September 18.

The foldable iPhone will be available in India at a starting price of ₹3 Lakh for a 256 GB model and go all the way to nearly ₹4.5 Lakh for a 2 TB model.

On the other hand, users will have to shell out ₹1.6 Lakh for the base 256 GB variant of iPhone 18 Pro, while the higher 2 TB variant will cost ₹3.1 Lakh. Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at ₹1.8 Lakh for the 256GB variant and goes all the way up to ₹3.3 Lakh for the 2 TB version.


On the specifications front, Apple’s flagship foldable phone sports 12 GB RAM and a 7.6-inch foldable display on the inside. Closed, it features a 5.4-inch outer display. It operates on its in-house A20 Pro chipset, which also powers the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The foldable phone also comes equipped with a dual rear camera unit, featuring a 48-megapixel main camera.

Meanwhile, iPhone 18 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch display and packs a triple rear camera setup featuring a 48-megapixel primary camera. It also comes with a single 18-megapixel front camera for selfies. Then, there are the iPhone 18 Pro models, which come with a 6.3-inch display and similar camera specification as iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Additionally, the company also launched its latest range of Apple Watch and AirPods. Here is a breakdown of the pricing:

  • Apple Watch Series 12 starts at ₹56,900 for Indian customers
  • Apple Watch Ultra 4 will be priced starting ₹1.1 Lakh
  • AirPods 5 will be available for ₹25,900, while the wireless charging case will cost an additional ₹17,900

The event marked the first major presentation by new Apple CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1.

Alongside the launch, Apple also hiked the prices of many of its older smartphones, including iPhone 16, iPhone 17 and iPhone Air.

While iPhone 16 has now become dearer by ₹16,000 dearer, the price tag of iPhone 17 has been hiked by ₹17,000. iPhone Air saw the most pronounced increase, with its initial retail price increasing by ₹30,000 to ₹1.5 Lakh.

The launches come a month after then CEO Cook said that Apple clocked record revenue in June 2026 quarter in India. At the time, Apple CFO Kevan Parekh also said India delivered strong double-digit revenue growth during the quarter, with Mac emerging as one of the standout performers.

Besides a key market for sales, India continues to be a major manufacturing hub for Apple. Over the years, the company has significantly expanded local iPhone production, with iPhone exports from India crossing the ₹2 Lakh Cr mark in FY26.

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