Apple enters a crowded foldable smartphone market in China – can it beat Huawei?
Apple’s long-awaited entry into the foldable smartphone market, the iPhone Duo, has drawn immediate attention in China over its eye-watering price tag and exclusive dual-eSIM design, as the American tech giant targets entrenched domestic rivals Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi. Unveiled on Wednesday, the iPhone Duo – Apple’s thinnest and most expensive flagship model yet – captured the attention of…
Apple has entered the highly competitive foldable smartphone market in China with its iPhone Duo, despite the high price and connectivity issues. The iPhone Duo, Apple's thinnest and most expensive flagship model yet, has received praise for its smooth transition between inner and outer displays and redesigned interface. However, its lack of a physical SIM tray and the need for extensive in-person identity checks could hinder adoption in China.
Financial markets welcomed the announcement, with component maker Lingyi iTech's stock jumping over 5 percent. The iPhone Duo starts at 15,999 yuan (US$2,384) for the 256GB base model, which is higher than domestic rivals but lower than Huawei's new premium trifold handset, the Mate XT 2, priced at 19,999 yuan. Despite foldables accounting for just 2 percent of the broader smartphone market, Apple projected to ship up to 6 million units this year, capturing a 25 percent global market share.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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