Apple’s iPhone 18 lineup is entering the market with higher prices, but the biggest demand story may not be the conventional iPhone 18 Pro models at all. According to analyst Jeff Pu, Apple’s first foldable iPhone Duo could become the key product driving the entire iPhone 18 cycle.
Pu expects the Duo to benefit from strong early consumer interest, with its new form factor and large-screen experience giving Apple a product unlike anything else in its current iPhone lineup.
The iPhone 18 Pro Price Increase Was Lower Than Expected
Apple raised the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro by $100 to $1,199. While that makes this year’s Pro models more expensive, the increase was reportedly smaller than investors had feared.
According to Pu’s analysis, market expectations had pointed toward a $200 to $250 increase. The final $100 increase therefore came in well below those estimates.
Pu remains cautious about the iPhone 18 Pro cycle, particularly around demand and Apple’s margins. But the smaller price increase removes some of the concern surrounding the lineup.
iPhone Duo Could Change The Equation
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, putting it far above the conventional iPhone 18 Pro. Despite that price, Pu says the foldable could see strong demand and estimates Apple could ship around 7 million units through the end of 2026.
That forecast is notable because the Duo is a completely new product category for Apple. Rather than offering another incremental change to the familiar iPhone design, it gives buyers a much larger display in a foldable form factor.
For 2H26, we expect the iPhone 18 family to be supported by iPhone Duo (~7m units), while we see uncertainty around demand for iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max and the impact on margin. Consumer interest in iPhone Duo appears strong, driven by Apple’s first major form-factor innovation in years and a differentiated large-screen experience, thus we view iPhone Duo as a key demand driver for the iPhone 18 family and see post-launch order lead time and supply-chain build revisions as key indicators to watch.
For Apple, the Duo could therefore attract customers who would not otherwise upgrade to a conventional iPhone 18 model.
Apple’s Production Plans Will Be Worth Watching
Pu’s forecast calls for Apple to build around 57 million iPhone 18-series devices in the fourth quarter of 2026, with total iPhone production estimated at roughly 76 million units.
The figures are forecasts rather than confirmed production numbers, but changes to Apple’s supply-chain plans could provide an indication of how demand is developing after launch.
Pu specifically points to post-launch delivery times and supply-chain revisions as important signals for judging demand for the Duo.
The Duo Has More To Prove
The iPhone Duo’s $1,999 starting price means Apple does not need it to sell at the same volume as its conventional iPhones for it to become an important part of the lineup.
What matters now is whether the strong early interest translates into sustained orders after launch. If delivery estimates quickly stretch out and Apple increases production, it would provide a stronger indication that the Duo is becoming a major demand driver.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, with pre-orders beginning October 16 and availability starting October 23.
(via 9to5Mac)
