Apple has launched the iPhone Duo, its first folding phone, and at $2,000 it is a hard sell for most buyers even if the hardware impresses.

• The phone opens like a passport into a tablet-sized screen, with a matte inside display, a titanium frame, and hinges that hold multiple angles.
• Pricing starts at $2,000 for the base storage and climbs past $2,500 for the top model, with pre-orders in mid-October and shipping later that month.
• Apple cut corners to make it work: two rear cameras instead of three, Touch ID on the side instead of Face ID, and no charger in the box.
• Early reaction is split — the crease and the fold-open animation drew praise, but Samsung has sold similar phones for years and its latest fold is seen as the better device.
• Apple also showed a rebuilt Siri with more AI built in, an area where it has been badly behind rivals.

Outlook: Expect the price to fall and the folding design to spread across more brands, including Chinese makers already selling them outside the US.