Abstract:
In the early morning of Thursday, September 10, Apple held a press conference and launched its first foldable phone iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro series, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 watches, and AirPods 5 headphones. Among them, the most eye-catching one is undoubtedly the iPhone Duo.
iPhone Duo
The following is a summary of foreign media’s evaluation of Apple’s press conference:
Bloomberg: iPhone Duo sets new selling price record, testing consumer willingness
Apple’s groundbreaking new iPhone Duo is priced at $3,199 in its highest configuration, setting a new price record for a mass-market smartphone. The 256GB storage version of the device is priced at $1,999, but the 2TB storage version will cost $1,200 more.
iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable screen model, which will test whether consumers are willing to spend a lot of money on a smartphone. The phone sells for $3,199, which is about the same price as Apple’s MacBook Pro laptop and almost as much as the $3,699 Vision Pro headset. The Vision Pro failed in part because of its staggeringly high price.
BBC: Apple’s new CEO makes big bet on high-priced folding machine in debut
As John Ternus enters his second week as Apple CEO, the company is rolling out its first major iPhone overhaul in nearly 20 years. The new iPhone, called Duo, features a book-folding design and is the largest size ever for the product. The starting price in the United States is US$1,999, with the highest configuration reaching US$3,200, making it the most expensive iPhone.
Tunus
“This foldable screen phone may become an expensive decoration in Apple’s product portfolio, bringing status symbol value but failing to bring substantial growth.” Dipanjan Chatterjee, an analyst at research firm Forrester, said.
Reuters: Apple shakes up the foldable phone market
Apple on Wednesday unveiled the $1,999 foldable iPhone Duo, redefining its flagship smartphone lineup and betting that its design and data privacy advantages can help it leapfrog rivals that have been selling foldable phones for years.
Duo could shake up a market long dominated by Chinese companies such as Samsung and Huawei. Folding screen devices from these companies have struggled to break into niche markets. Analysts have long believed that Apple's entry could be the catalyst needed for the development of foldable screen phones, helping this form of mobile phones become mainstream, just as Apple has previously promoted the popularity of smart watches and wireless headphones.
Wall Street Journal: Apple launches new foldable screen phone, new CEO, new price
Apple kicked off its most important product launch in recent years on Wednesday, launching a truly new iPhone, a new CEO and higher pricing. Apple wants consumers to focus on the first two.
What attracted the most attention was the first foldable iPhone, which started at $1,999. This new iPhone Duo is almost the size of a tablet when unfolded, can be easily put into a pocket, and allows users to use multiple applications at the same time. This model is available in white and dark gray colors.
Equally important is the person who introduces the product. Ternus took over as Apple CEO last week, becoming Apple's third CEO since the return of Steve Jobs in 1997. The outside world has high hopes for this long-time executive in charge of hardware engineering, expecting him to set off a new wave of innovation, and the foldable iPhone is considered Apple's most important new product in ten years.
CNN: iPhone Duo may be worth the money
After on-site experience, CNN reporters believe that the iPhone Duo, which starts at $1,999, may be worth the money. First of all, the Duo feels surprisingly small in the hand, with a 5.4-inch screen when folded, which may please those who miss the small iPhones of the past, and the screen size is slightly smaller than the Z Fold 8.
It feels good to get started on site
After unfolding, users will see a 7.6-inch matte texture screen, which is perfect for watching movies or running multiple applications at the same time. What's really impressive is how the Duo switches between the two screens: as the phone unfolds or folds, the images on the two screens dynamically transition in a way that remains fluid and coherent, making it feel like you're zooming in or out on the same screen rather than switching to the other.
In addition, multitasking is equally smooth and simple, and it didn't take long for this reporter to figure out how to make the Photos app occupy half of the large screen while browsing information on the other half.
Financial Times: iPhone is ushering in the biggest change in the past 20 years
Apple has set the starting price of the foldable iPhone Duo at US$1,999. The company's new CEO Ternus announced the biggest change in the iPhone in the past 20 years and announced a price increase for all products. The iPhone 18 Pro and Max are US$100 more expensive than last year's version.
The device unveiled on Wednesday sets a new price point for an iPhone and has been in development for nearly a decade. It has been several years since Apple's competitors Samsung and Huawei began selling their own foldable screen phones.
Business Insider: Apple’s boldest smartphone experiment
Since its introduction in 2007, the iPhone has had the same basic design: a flat, rigid rectangular body. Now, Apple has finally "folded" this product form.
Apple launched the new folding screen iPhone Duo for the first time at its annual hardware conference in September, marking the biggest design change in the history of the iPhone. Over the years, Apple has continued to adjust the design elements of the iPhone. It enlarged the screen and canceled the home button; it tried new colors and side buttons; it also launched lighter and thinner models. But what remains constant is that the basic rectangular design remains flat.
This new foldable iPhone doesn’t stray too far from Apple’s design roots. After all, it is still a rectangular screen with rounded corners when unfolded. However, this design still brings new ideas to the market and proves that Apple can still innovate.
Nikkei Asia: Apple launches its first folding machine The Chinese market is crucial
Apple's new CEO Ternus made his first public appearance as the company's helm at a new product launch on Wednesday, launching two more high-end iPhone 18 Pro models, as well as the company's first foldable screen smartphone iPhone Duo.
According to research firm Counterpoint, China will become the most important market for folding screen mobile phone manufacturers. Last year, China accounted for 45% of the global foldable screen mobile phone market, making it the world's largest market. Competition in China's foldable screen mobile phone market is fierce, with Huawei taking the lead among domestic manufacturers. Apple's entry will further intensify market competition and put pressure on existing Chinese brands.
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