Abstract:
According to Reuters, Apple has been carrying out "toothpaste-like" upgrades to its "cash cow" iPhone for nearly two decades. However, that will change on Friday. Apple will officially start selling its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, betting that the device can reshape the still-small foldable phone market just as the iPhone transformed smartphones.
iPhone Duo
The market response to the iPhone Duo may become an early test for Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus. Ternus, a former Apple hardware chief, released the iPhone Duo just over a week after taking over as CEO in September.
The launch of this phone may also have a significant impact on the niche market of foldable screen phones. Competitors such as Samsung Electronics Co. and Huawei Technologies Co. have been launching high-end products in this market for years. Last Friday, Apple opened pre-orders for the iPhone Duo. However, due to huge demand, the expected delivery time of iPhone Duo has been postponed to late January next year after only a few minutes. Apple said the response from consumers was "phenomenal."
Don’t recommend buying it?
Some early reviews praised the iPhone Duo's high-end design, praising its durability and virtually invisible creases. It's a major breakthrough for foldable phones, which have visible creases on their screens that have long been a drawback and can turn off buyers.
Tunus holding iPhone Duo
However, other reviewers also said that iPhone Duo has made camera compromises, including the lack of a telephoto lens, and that third-party applications still need to be adapted to the new screen size. These problems may disappoint some consumers.
They also pointed out that the folded iPhone Duo is not as convenient as the standard iPhone for completing a large number of simple tasks that users handle every day, which has led many well-known reviewers to advise many Apple users not to buy the Duo.
“It’s been a lot of fun trying out the iPhone Duo over the past week, but I feel like I’m using an extremely polished prototype rather than a full-fledged product that I’m willing to buy and carry around with me,” John Gruber, a longtime Apple reviewer and author of the Daring Fireball blog, wrote in his review.
Technology commentator Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD Brownlee said in a YouTube review video: "If you are just an ordinary user who usually only sends text messages, browses social media, and occasionally browses the web, then this phone may not be worth buying. But if $2,000 is nothing to you, and you like its design concept, then after you go through the learning and adaptation period and get used to the lack of facial recognition function, you will find that it is indeed a very interesting phone."
Limited supply
The limited supply may disappoint Apple fans waiting in line to buy an iPhone Duo. Apple told Reuters that on-site purchasing at stores in various countries will vary, with limited spot supply in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and most of Europe. In mainland China, France, Hong Kong, India and Japan, consumers can only purchase products that have been previously reserved online.
People queuing up to buy iPhone Duo in Sydney
Social media posts and media reports show that in Macau, China, iPhone Duo will only be sold to in-store customers, and fans have already started queuing hours in advance.
Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of market research company IDC, said: "Foldable screen phones have become a mature category over the years, but compared with traditional smartphones, their popularity is still relatively limited. Apple's addition may allow this form to reach a wider audience."
IDC predicts that Apple will account for 44% of sales and 31% of shipments in the folding screen mobile phone market in 2026. The company expects Apple to become the market leader in both sales and shipments in this category by 2027.
Jeronimo said after trying out the iPhone Duo for a week: "Apple has made a compelling case for this format."
"The next test is to convert market enthusiasm into sufficient supply and widespread popularity, and open a lasting new chapter for the smartphone market." He added.
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