Editorials · Readers Voice

iPhone Duo took a long time to launch, and you seem to know why

Nearly half of you think Apple played it safe, but what do the other votes reveal?

By · Senior Deals Writer
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
iPhone Ultra placed face-down on a white table, showcasing its polished design.
We asked why Apple waited so long, and now it's time to look at your answers. | Image by PhoneArena
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After months and months of leaks, the iPhone Duo was finally introduced last week. Many of us probably already saw the presentation, which clearly showed Cupertino spent a lot of time and thought developing the ambitious project. 

This had me and my colleagues wondering: Samsung launched its first foldable in 2019, so why did Apple take so long to enter the category?

It seems that you have a pretty good idea why.

The majority of you think Apple didn't have the guts



Recently, we covered a report suggesting the iPhone Duo was actually CEO Tim Cook's brainchild. While development was traced back to 2019, the device was only unveiled in September 2026.

In that story, we asked our readers why Apple waited so long to make its debut in the foldables category. It appears that 49.4% of you think Apple simply didn't have the guts to enter the category as soon as Samsung, opting to wait instead.



The South Korean tech giant was one of the first brands to explore the trend. As such, it faced hiccups from time to time and had to learn some lessons very publicly, leaving it to lick its wounds and go back to the drawing board. 

With that in mind, Apple's unusually long patience makes perfect sense. Why dive headfirst when you can sit back, take notes, and learn from others' mistakes, all the while developing your own product under the curtain?

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Many claim Apple waited for a different reason


But then, some 41.73% of you think the underlying reason was different. It wasn't that Apple was unwilling to experiment in a category that was still new and pretty much under development. It was that the design simply had to be as perfect as possible. 

And honestly, this seems pretty reasonable to me. Foldables aren't just two displays "stitched together." You have hinges to worry about, durability concerns, and crease problems, to mention just a few. 

Whether the wait will pay off remains to be seen, though. The model goes on pre-order on October 16, so it'll be some time before users can truly put the design to the test with their own hands.

The Vision Pro minority



Surprisingly enough, some 8.87% of you thought that Apple wanted to give its overambitious Vision Pro time in the sun. While the headset promised some excitement, its limited use in daily life and extremely high asking price likely contributed to its poor adoption.

Still, it appears that some of you think launching the iPhone Duo too soon after the Vision Pro might have taken the attention away from Cupertino's first major new product in years. 

To me, it's a mix



In my opinion, it wasn't a single factor that may have made Apple wait to enter the foldable category. Instead, it was probably a mix of factors.

On the one hand, I can see how Apple may have been cautious to release its product early on. Perhaps there's more logic to waiting and evaluating if foldables actually become a popular option or simply a trend that would eventually die out. 

On the other hand, Apple could have wanted to release a product that felt as close to perfect as possible from the get-go. Now, I'm not saying the iPhone Duo will be flawless or that there won't be reports of something breaking after a couple of months of daily use.

But let's face it: the presentation was truly impressive for the most part, and at least at first glance, the iPhone Duo looks like a remarkably polished take on foldables. 

Perhaps, in this case, Apple wasn't interested in being first but in being ready.

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