Apple's $2,000 iPhone Duo goes on pre-order today at 8AM ET

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Apple Store is down, so you probably know what that means. "We love that early energy," the placeholder page states. "Almost ready for you. Pre-order begins at 5:00 AM PT. See you soon." Apple is of course referring to the iPhone Duo, which goes on pre-order this morning at 8AM ET. If you wanted to be among the first to own one, all indications are that the device will be in high demand and relatively short supply. That means pre-ordering is likely a better option than waiting for launch day on October 23rd. 

In his hands-on look, Engadget's Sam Rutherford called the iPhone Duo "Apple's most exciting device in a decade." Though not the first folding phone by any means, it has 5.4-inch outer display and 7.6-inch inner OLED matte widescreen when unfolded, making it ideal for viewing media and feeling like a small iPad. That display is practically seamless, with subtle gradient and depth of field effects that help sell the allure of Apple's first foldable device.

The main drawbacks with the iPhone Duo are the expensive $2,000 price tag, lack of FaceID and no fancy variable aperture in the main camera like the new iPhone 18 Pro models. The under-display FaceTime camera on the inner screen is also a downgrade, though it certainly makes the device look sleeker when unfolded. 

I'm a big fan of folding phones, having used one of Samsung's Galaxy Fold models for a few months in the past. They're certainly attention-grabbing devices as well that are bound to stoke comments from interested observers, which may be a good enough reason to get one for some buyers. As mentioned, pre-orders could get snapped up soon, so you'd best hit the iPhone Duo order page at 5AM PT sharp.