After months (or possibly even years) of anticipation, Apple has finally confirmed its first-ever foldable phone. The company’s Sept. 9 event gave us our first look at the cutting-edge iPhone Duo at its Sept. 9 event, along with the iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5 and Apple Watch Series 12.

Similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, it opens like a book and bridges the gap between a standard phone and a tablet with a 5.4-inch outer screen and a large 7.6-inch inner display. And as we expected, it’s one of the company’s most expensive devices yet with a staggering $1,999 starting price. However, there’s a good chance you won’t have to pay that much to get your hands on one.

It officially hits shelves on Oct. 23, and you won’t even be able to preorder it until Oct. 16. That means there aren’t too many confirmed launch discounts quite yet, but CNET’s shopping experts will be keeping an eye on the best places to get your hands on one. Tons of retailers and carriers are offering some massive savings on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max right now, and we’re expecting to see some similar offers on the Duo in the coming days and weeks.

Apple iPhone Duo preorder deals

Even though preorders for the new iPhone Duo don’t go live until Oct. 16, Apple is already giving us a preview of its deals. You’ll be able to trade-in your old phone for up to $885 off, with the latest iPhones netting you the biggest discount. Plus, you’ll also get 3% cash back when you purchase with your Apple Card.*

If you don’t want to pay for the entire phone upfront, you can also lease it for $58 per month over 24 months with Apple Upgrade. 

Save up to $885 with trade-in

Though it’s not available for preorder yet, you will be able to score some savings on the iPhone Duo with an eligible trade-in at Best Buy. The latest Apple phones will net you the biggest discount, but devices from Google, Samsung and plenty of smaller brands are also accepted. Just note that it doesn’t look like it will be carrying any unlocked models — you’ll have to choose between AT&T and Verizon. You can also sign up for email alerts so you’ll be first in line when preorders open on Oct. 16.

So far, the only iPhone Duo deal confirmed at Verizon is that it’s waiving activation and upgrade fees for customers on its Simplicity Plan who enroll in its Verizon Loyalty program. Verizon is also offering some big preorder savings on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max right now, and we’re expecting similar offers on the iPhone Duo once preorders open on Oct. 16.

No activation or upgrade fees

Like most other major carriers, AT&T has already confirmed that it will have the iPhone Duo available for preorder starting on Oct. 16. There aren’t any official deals yet, but it typically offers some substantial trade-in savings — including up to $1,200 off the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. 

Available for preorder Oct. 16

T-Mobile will have the iPhone Duo available for preorder starting on Oct. 16, but hasn’t confirmed any preorder deals quite yet. There aren’t any guarantees, but based on past releases it’s pretty likely that we’ll see some trade-in and new line offers, with discounts depending on which service plan you have.

To get an idea of what to expect, you can check out its current deals on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which are available for preorder now.

Available for preorder Oct. 16

You won’t be able to preorder the iPhone Duo at Xfinity until Oct. 16, and it hasn’t confirmed any deals quite yet. You can sign up for email alerts if you want to be first in line once it’s available, though. Plus, it’s offering up to $1,300 off the iPhone Pro and Pro Max right now, so we’re hoping to see some similar discounts for the Duo announced in the coming weeks.

When will the iPhone Duo be released?

The iPhone Duo will be available to preorder on Friday, Oct. 16, at 8 a.m. ET. It will officially hit shelves a week later on Oct. 23.

How much does the iPhone Duo cost?

Apple’s first foldable phone has a pretty hefty price tag. The base model starts at $1,999, skipping the smaller 128GB capacity and giving you 256GB of storage. If you need more space for all your apps, movies and multitasking, Apple also offers higher storage tiers, with the maxed-out 2TB model costing up to $3,199.

What colors does iPhone Duo come in?

The iPhone Duo comes in two colors: star white and night sky black.

Should I get the iPhone Duo or the iPhone 18 Pro?

This is subjective, but you should consider whether you want the convenience of an iPhone-iPad hybrid or prefer a focus on portability. If you choose the iPhone Duo, you get a massive 7.6-inch inner display that acts like a mini tablet, an outer cover screen that hits 3,000-nit peak brightness, and special split-screen multitasking tools. However, you will lose some advanced camera features, like the iPhone 18 Pro’s new variable aperture system, and you will have to deal with a thicker, heavier phone that costs much more than the regular Pro’s $1,199 starting price.

Where can I order the iPhone Duo?

The iPhone Duo isn’t available to preorder yet. However, we expected all big carriers and retailers to have the phone for preorder. This includes your favorites like T-Mobile, Best Buy, Apple and more. But we’ll find every preorder deal available to help bring the price down as they drop, including carrier promotions, trade-in offers and retailer bonuses. We’ll keep this page updated as more deals come in.

Aashna Gheewalla

Associate Writer

Aashna Gheewalla is an Associate Writer at CNET. She previously worked as a Deals Writer at Wirecutter and a Health Advocacy Writer at GoodRx. She spends her free time teaching and practicing Pilates and trying out different restaurants.

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