Apple’s long-awaited entry into the foldable-phone market landed with a thud among Chinese consumers, who greeted the new iPhone Duo less with excitement than with questions about its price. At 15,999 yuan ($2,230) in China, the device is arriving in a market where local rivals have spent years building out foldable lineups — and where buyers have plenty of cheaper options to weigh against it.
“I won’t buy it this year. I’ll buy the second-generation foldable next year,” one user wrote on WeChat after Apple unveiled the Duo at an event on Wednesday, according to CNBC’s translation of the post. Another commenter on a WeChat video review framed the gap in purchasing power bluntly: Americans “earn US$3,000 to US$4,000 a month and buy it for US$1,999. We earn 3,000 to 4,000 yuan and spend 10,000 yuan on it.”
Investors, at least, were pleased. Apple shares rose more than 3% following the launch event.
A tougher test in Greater China
The stakes are high in Greater China, Apple’s third-biggest market, which generates roughly 17% of the company’s total revenue. It is also one of the most competitive foldable markets anywhere. Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, Oppo and Vivo all already sell foldables, spanning book-style and flip-phone formats — and in Huawei’s case, a trifold design. That means the iPhone Duo is stepping into a far more mature category in China than in many of Apple’s other overseas markets.
Competitors did not wait for Apple’s event to make their move. On Monday, Xiaomi and Huawei each launched new flagship foldables — the Xiaomi 18 Fold and the trifold Mate XT2 — priced at 10,999 yuan and 19,999 yuan respectively. That positioning puts the iPhone Duo squarely between two well-established domestic options, and Chinese social media users noticed. “Cheaper than Huawei. Can you take it?” one WeChat commenter wrote, according to CNBC.
Huawei led China’s smartphone market in both the first and second quarters, according to Counterpoint, with Apple in second place, followed by Vivo and Oppo. On a global basis, Samsung narrowly reclaimed the lead over Apple in second-quarter smartphone shipments, while Xiaomi ranked third, the research firm’s data showed. Samsung launched a new version of its folding phone earlier this year and is expected to surpass Apple in foldable market share, holding a sizable lead at 32% compared with Apple’s 25% and Huawei’s 24%, according to Counterpoint.
eSIM friction adds to the concerns
Price was not the only issue raised by Chinese users. Some also flagged the Duo’s lack of a physical SIM-card slot, which, according to CNBC, may require mainland users to visit a carrier store for ID verification in order to activate an eSIM. That extra step could weigh on adoption in a market where physical SIMs remain the norm.
The launch calendar may also shape early demand. Xiaomi’s 18 Fold goes on sale Thursday, and Huawei’s Mate XT2 follows days later — both before Apple’s iPhone Duo reaches customers. Pre-orders for the Duo are slated to open Oct. 16, with sales beginning Oct. 23.
For Apple, the Chinese reception offers an early signal of how its first foldable will fare in a market that has already moved past novelty. Domestic brands have spent years iterating on form factors and pricing, and the iPhone Duo’s debut is arriving into that established field rather than defining it. Whether the device’s brand appeal can overcome a price premium in a slowing, value-focused market is the question Apple now faces.
Source: www.cnbc.com — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/11/the-iphone-duo-enters-chinas-crowded-foldable-market.html
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