Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, is facing skepticism regarding its price competitiveness and sales outlook as it prepares for its launch in China. Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, made a surprise visit to China.
According to Chinese media outlet, the Economic Daily, Tim Cook, Chairman of Apple's Board, met with Meng Fanli, the Governor of Guangdong Province, on October 11 in Guangzhou to discuss expanding cooperation between Apple and the province. Governor Meng noted that Apple has a long-standing partnership with Guangdong in various areas, including production, sales, and research and development, and requested additional deployment of innovative products and emerging business and research platforms. Cook praised Guangdong as a global manufacturing hub with a well-established industrial and supply chain and strong innovation capabilities, expressing a willingness to further expand Apple's operations in the province, where many of its supply chain partners and ecosystem developers are located.
On October 10, Cook visited a filming site for the iPhone 18 Pro series in Guangzhou and also met with local Apple store staff and developers and content creators.
Cook's visit comes just ahead of the iPhone Duo's launch in China on October 23. The China Securities Journal reported on October 10, citing sources in Apple's supply chain, that production orders for the iPhone Duo have increased by 30% compared to previous plans, although total orders remain below 10 million units. However, pre-orders do not necessarily reflect actual sales, and an increase in orders alone does not guarantee success.
Price is seen as a significant hurdle. The starting price for the iPhone Duo in China is 15,999 yuan. In comparison, Xiaomi's foldable phone, the Xiaomi 18 Fold, starts at 10,999 yuan, making it 5,000 yuan cheaper than the iPhone Duo. Huawei's foldable phone, the Mate X7, starts at 12,999 yuan.
Apple's challenges are not limited to foldable phones. Nikkei Asia recently reported that Apple has adjusted some component orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, with parts orders for the Pro model in October reduced by at least 15% compared to initial plans.
However, the China Securities Journal noted that while orders for the iPhone 18 Pro have decreased by 10-15%, orders for the Pro Max have increased by 10-15%, leaving the overall order volume for the Pro series unchanged.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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