Apple made a splash last month when it unveiled its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. While the latter two devices are now widely available, along with our full review, there’s been a bit of a wait for the Duo — but not for long.
Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo in Australia started on October 16 at 11pm AEST through Apple Australia, various retailers and telcos.
Prices begin at a slightly eye-watering AU$3,499 for the base 256GB model (for reference, Samsung’s equivalent Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at AU$2,699), and go as high as AU$5,899 for the 2TB configuration.
As expected, we haven’t seen any discounts on the handset itself, but retailers and telcos have added freebies and bonuses to make it worth your while.
The standout deal we’ve seen so far is Vodafone, which is offering a AU$300 trade-in credit on top of your old device's value, which can be up to AU$1,585 depending on the model.
Telcos have also revealed the monthly instalment costs, with plans starting at AU$117.89 per month — if you’re willing to take on a longer repayment period.
The best iPhone Duo telco deals
No handset discounts here, but Optus is offering a 360GB plan for AU$59/m for the first 12 months (then AU$79/m) when you pre-order the iPhone Duo. Optus is also throwing in the Upgrade and Protect plan for free, as well as AU$120 worth of free SubHub credit that you can use on subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Kayo and more.
Total cost over 24 months: AU$5,154.48View Deal
Like Optus above, Vodafone is also offering its Upgrade and Protect Plus plan for free with any iPhone Duo pre-orders, but the key differentiator comes when you trade in your phone — the telco will throw in a AU$300 bonus trade-in credit on top of the device trade-in value. If you don’t mind sticking with Vodafone for the long haul, the telco has started offering 48-month repayment plans. For the base 256GB model, the monthly repayment is AU$117.89 with Vodafone’s Small Plan (for the first 12 months, then AU$130.89/m).
Total cost over 24 months: AU$4,734.96View Deal
The best iPhone Duo outright deals
If you’re ordering directly from Apple, financing is available via Afterpay when you pre-order the iPhone Duo, starting at AU$145.79 per month for 24 months. The trade-in values from Apple is also more generous, with up to AU$1,595 depending on the device.
Otherwise, the device is also available through a range of retailers, with the current pre-order offers listed below:
iPhone Duo (256GB): $3499
Like the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Amazon isn’t offering a handset discount on the iPhone Duo either, but the retailer offers trade-ins of up to AU$2,595 off the Duo, depending on the device.View Deal
iPhone Duo (256GB): $3499
JB Hi-Fi is offering 10% off JB Hi-Fi Extras with every iPhone Duo pre-order. You can also trade in your old phone for a JB Hi-Fi gift card that will go towards an iPhone Duo pre-order. Get an estimate of your trade-in value here.View Deal
iPhone Duo (256GB): $3498
The Good Guys isn’t offering a trade-in program, but the handset is listed for AU$1 cheaper than the official Apple price. It’s not much of a discount, but it’s still so far the lowest outright price.View Deal
What’s new with the iPhone Duo?
The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first attempt at a foldable handset, adopting a shorter and wider form factor than traditional book-style folding phones. Featuring a 5.4-inch outer display with a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display, the device looks somewhat like a squat iPhone mini when folded and an iPad mini when opened.
It features the new A20 Pro chipset and a titanium frame, which Apple says is reinforced by ceramic fibres. The Duo, however, also has a few core iPhone features missing, like Face ID, a telephoto camera and the action button, but is still undeniably the star of the show.
There are also some exclusive software features that look to take advantage of the larger folding display, like some new Liquid Glass animations and multitasking features. Moreover, the Duo will also get Apple Pencil support, which is a first for any iPhone.