iPhone Duo Pre-Orders Begin: Apple’s First Foldable — Price in Pakistan, Specs, Launch Date

Apple’s first foldable iPhone is now officially on sale. iPhone Duo pre-orders opened on Friday, October 16, 2026 at 5:00 am PT (about 5:00 pm in Pakistan) through apple.com and the Apple Store app in more than 70 countries. In Pakistan there is no official Apple price — the phone is not in the first-wave launch list — but early estimates from local tech outlets put the 256GB model at roughly Rs 787,000 to Rs 930,000 before PTA tax, which early estimates peg at around Rs 323,000 on a passport. Everything you need to know — US and UAE prices, full specs, the launch date, and what to realistically expect in Pakistan — is below.

This is a genuinely big moment for Apple. It is a book-style foldable: a regular-looking 5.4-inch phone when closed that opens up into a 7.6-inch iPad-like screen. At $1,999 in the US for the base model, it is the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold.

Pre-orders are live: dates, countries and where to buy

Pre-orders opened simultaneously across 70-plus countries on October 16 at 5:00 am Pacific time. As has become tradition with big Apple launches, the Apple Store actually went down for a short while ahead of pre-orders — the classic “we’ll be right back” page. Buyers can order through apple.com or the Apple Store app, and in most first-wave markets in-store availability starts on October 23, when deliveries begin too. Apple says 28 more countries will get the phone on October 30. Two colours are on offer: Star White and Night Sky.

iPhone Duo specifications: the thinnest iPhone ever

The headline number is the thickness: at 5.2mm when unfolded, the iPhone Duo is the thinnest iPhone Apple has ever made. Closed, you get a 5.4-inch outer display — a bit small by 2026 standards, but that is the price of the foldable form. Open it up and you get a 7.6-inch inner screen with an iPad-like aspect ratio, ideal for multitasking, reading and video.

The build is serious engineering: an aluminium and titanium frame, ceramic fiber antenna inserts, and a hinge made of more than 100 components — and early hands-on impressions say the display crease is barely visible. One design surprise: the iPhone Duo uses Touch ID instead of Face ID, presumably because fitting the TrueDepth camera system into a 5.2mm-thin foldable was not practical.

Cameras are a dual 48MP system — main plus ultra-wide — with no telephoto lens. That will be a trade-off for photography fans, but it keeps the thin body possible. Inside is the A20 Pro chip with a dual-battery architecture that Apple says delivers all-day battery life, though Apple has not quoted specific hour figures. And yes, the iPhone Duo is eSIM-only — there is no physical SIM slot, which matters for Pakistani buyers and we will come back to that.

iPhone Duo price: US and UAE rates

Here is the official pricing. In the United States, the iPhone Duo costs $1,999 for 256GB, $2,199 for 512GB, $2,599 for 1TB and $3,199 for 2TB — that top model is the most expensive phone Apple has ever sold. In the UAE, the 256GB variant is priced at Dh8,499, which is the reference point Gulf-based Pakistani buyers usually watch.

A word of warning that rarely gets enough attention: Apple’s AppleCare+ repair fees can reach up to $1,499 without coverage on this device. Foldables are more complex to repair than regular phones, and Apple is pricing that complexity into out-of-warranty service.

iPhone Duo price in Pakistan: early estimates (not official)

Now the part most readers are here for. Apple does not sell officially in Pakistan, and Pakistan is not in the first-wave launch list, so everything below is an estimate from Pakistani tech outlets — not an official Apple retail price. Apple has announced nothing for the Pakistani market.

The earliest estimates put the base 256GB iPhone Duo at Rs 787,000 to Rs 930,000 and beyond once it reaches grey-market importers, with some outlets suggesting Rs 930,000 to 955,000 for the base model, and a passport-registered starting price of around Rs 879,000. Across the storage range, one estimate breaks it down as roughly Rs 787,100 (256GB), Rs 870,100 (512GB), Rs 1,037,100 (1TB) and Rs 1,287,100 (2TB) before tax.

Then there is the PTA tax. Early estimates from local trackers suggest PTA duties could add roughly Rs 323,000 on a passport registration or around Rs 353,000 on a CNIC — but the FBR has not published an official valuation for the iPhone Duo yet, so treat these tax figures as informed guesses, not facts. The total on-road cost of a PTA-approved base model could therefore push well past Rs 1.1 million.

PTA approval, DIRBS and the eSIM question

Because the iPhone Duo is eSIM-only with no physical SIM slot, the PTA approval process works a little differently — but the standard checks still apply. Before buying from a local importer, verify its IMEI status on the DIRBS portal at dirbs.pta.gov.pk or by sending the IMEI via SMS to 8484. Do not pay a premium for a device that is not PTA-compliant; non-approved phones can get blocked from local networks, and at these prices that is a risk nobody should take.

Should you buy the iPhone Duo in Pakistan?

Honest take: if you are not deep into the Apple ecosystem, this is not the phone for you — at least not yet. At Rs 800,000-plus with no local warranty, a first-generation foldable is a hard sell.

Three practical reasons to wait. First, supply is expected to be tight — Apple is reportedly targeting only about 10 million units by the end of 2026, and tight supply means inflated grey-market prices in the first months. Second, first-generation foldables have historically had durability question marks, and with repair costs up to $1,499 without coverage, you do not want to be the one discovering the problems. Third, prices will soften once supply normalises and second-wave stock reaches Pakistan in early 2027.

If you do buy early, the usual rules apply: buy only from importers who provide PTA registration proof, verify the IMEI yourself on DIRBS before paying, and get the exact PTA tax figure in writing — do not accept a seller’s verbal estimate on a million-rupee purchase. Related reading: our coverage of the ColorOS 17 global rollout and the Galaxy A57 One UI 9 update in Pakistan.

By Fatima Raza · Technology Correspondent · Updated October 16, 2026