Apple's iPhone Duo foldable launched globally on Friday, drawing scalpers offering $448 premiums outside the Beijing flagship store as supply constraints fueled early demand in the world's largest foldable phone market.
Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, made its global debut on Friday, drawing long lines and opportunistic scalpers to the company's flagship store in Beijing's Sanlitun shopping district — a signal of strong early demand in the world's largest foldable phone market.
Outside the store, scalpers were offering to pay customers an additional 3,000 Chinese yuan, equivalent to $448, to purchase their newly acquired devices on the spot. One scalper, Alex Wang, told reporters he believed the Duo could fetch a premium for at least another two weeks. "The main reason is the tight supply," he said.
Apple had stated ahead of launch that the Duo would not be available for walk-in purchase in mainland China on launch day and would be "limited" in other markets. Each online purchase was restricted to two phones per customer. At least one prospective buyer said delivery timelines on the company's website stretched to January 2027.
Despite that friction, a line of roughly 100 customers had formed at the Sanlitun store by early morning. Mary Tong, who arrived at 6 a.m. to secure her place at the front, offered a pointed assessment of Apple's position in the segment. "Apple has been the laggard," she said. "I think many Chinese do prefer foldable phones."
China holds the distinction of being the single largest market for foldable phones globally, according to Counterpoint Research — making the country a critical proving ground for the Duo.
The launch arrives amid intensifying competition from domestic rivals. Huawei, which already offers a broad lineup of foldable devices, debuted its Mate XT2 trifold — priced at approximately $3,000 — on September 7, two days before Apple announced the Duo. Xiaomi launched its own high-end foldable, the 18 Fold, around the same period. Huawei is also promoting its AI assistant, XiaoYi, as a competitive differentiator against Apple and other rivals.
Expectations around Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI platform, were notably muted among consumers at the Beijing launch. Apple said a version of the system is set for beta testing in mainland China this month, with features including live translation, Clean Up in photos, and writing tools.
Beijing approved Alibaba AI models for use in the Duo and other Apple devices on October 14 as part of the company's pending AI rollout in the country, and Apple received broader Chinese regulatory clearance over the summer. Tim Cook, cited by Chinese official media during a recent trip to the country, said Apple's revamped Siri AI would not be available in China yet.
One Duo buyer, John Zhao, said he had used Apple Intelligence while working abroad and found it "nice but not beyond imagination," adding that he expects the Chinese version to be less capable.
The Duo's China launch represents one of the first significant tests for Apple under its new chief executive, coming as the company attempts to close the gap with domestic foldable manufacturers that have held a head start in the segment for several years. How quickly Apple can scale supply — and whether AI features resonate once they arrive — will shape the device's longer-term trajectory in the market.
Marc Sabatini is a staff writer at TechEchelon covering enterprise software, cybersecurity, and the regulatory beats that shape both. He focuses on the deal flow and policy decisions that move markets.
More from Marc →Etsy is banning the sale of AI-generated recipes, patterns, and instructional guides on its marketplace, citing buyer confusion over AI content as one of the top barriers to shopping on its platform.
Generative AI adoption in Southeast Asia has reached 243 million users in under three years, driven by enterprise applications in e-commerce, advertising, and customer service rather than consumer subscriptions, according to a new report by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company.
Meta Platforms reported Q3 revenue of $64.6 billion, up 26% year over year, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg detailed a monetization roadmap for the Muse AI agent, which has attracted more than 10 million users since its September launch.
Written for readers who already know the basics — markets, AI, and the policy decisions that shape both.