Photo by Evgeny Opanasenko on Unsplash
Apple used its September 9, 2026 event to introduce the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, arriving October 23 at a starting price of $1,999 for the 256GB model. It's a genuinely new device category for Apple — a book-style titanium foldable with a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner OLED panel, the largest screen ever fitted into an iPhone. But for anyone in India shopping for a phone right now, the more useful question isn't whether the Duo is impressive. It's whether a first-generation fold is worth the wait, the price, and the unknowns, when a proven flagship is available today at a fraction of the cost.
What the iPhone Duo Actually Changes
According to Yahoo Tech's coverage of the September lineup, the Duo pairs an A20 Pro chip with a hidden under-display FaceTime camera and a Touch ID side button in place of Face ID. There's no telephoto lens, battery life is rated up to 44 hours of video playback, and the whole thing folds down to Apple's thinnest form factor yet. It's a flagship experiment, not a refresh of the existing iPhone 18 Pro lineup that sits alongside it.
The Durability Question Nobody Can Fully Answer Yet
A foldable has failure points a normal phone simply doesn't: a bendable display, a mechanical hinge, and a crease that has to hold up to thousands of open-and-close cycles. In an interview covered by TechRadar, Apple's hardware engineering VP defended the Duo's hinge and its matte nano-texture display, which is designed to make the crease less visible over time and pair with Ceramic Shield 2 for scratch resistance. That's a reasonable engineering pitch, but it's also exactly what every first-generation foldable maker has said before real-world wear data existed. Nobody outside Apple's labs knows how this hinge holds up after a year of daily Indian commute conditions — heat, dust, pocket lint, and all.
What This Means If You're Buying in India Right Now
India pricing and availability for the Duo haven't been confirmed, and history suggests a foldable at this tier will land well above its US price once duties and taxes are factored in. If your goal is a fast, capable, camera-strong phone today, chasing a gen-1 fold means paying an early-adopter premium for a form factor that's still proving itself. Browsing our mobile phones collection, an unboxed flagship like the iPhone 18 Pro gets you the same generation of Apple silicon, a mature and thoroughly tested design, and a lower price than a foldable will ever carry in year one.
The same logic shows up outside phones, too. Whenever a new device category launches, there's usually a "wait and see" tax attached to it. It's the same reasoning we'd give someone eyeing a bleeding-edge AI laptop instead of a proven configuration from our unboxed laptops range, or a business laptop built around a settled, well-supported platform rather than a first-run design. Proven hardware, not the newest category, is usually the safer bet when you need a device to actually work every day.
Why Unboxed Beats Waiting
- Full brand warranty — unboxed phones from Get Like New carry 6 months of brand warranty, so you're not gambling on unproven hardware without a safety net.
- No early-adopter premium — you get current-generation performance without paying a first-of-its-kind foldable tax.
- Fast, predictable delivery — orders ship free above Rs 5,000, with 1-2 business days of processing and 7-10 business days for delivery.
- A defect safety net — transit damage is covered through our defect remedy process as long as you record an unboxing video, and our buyback program returns 80% of your purchase price within 15 days if your plans change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the iPhone Duo available in India yet?
Not officially. Apple has only confirmed a US launch on October 23, 2026 at $1,999 for the base 256GB model; Indian pricing and availability haven't been announced yet.
Should I wait for the iPhone Duo instead of buying a phone now?
Only if you specifically want a foldable screen. For everyday use, a current flagship offers the same core performance without the unproven hinge and crease risks of a first-generation fold.
What warranty do I get on an unboxed iPhone from Get Like New?
Unboxed phones come with 6 months of brand warranty, and every order ships in original condition with free shipping above Rs 5,000.
Can I return an unboxed phone if I change my mind?
No, Get Like New doesn't accept change-of-mind returns. Transit damage is covered under the defect remedy process, provided you have an unboxing video.
Does the iPhone Duo replace the iPhone 18 Pro?
No, it's a separate premium tier sold alongside the standard iPhone 18 Pro lineup, not a replacement for it.
