The $1,999 iPhone drives foldable screen market expansion! Counterpoint estimates that Apple (AAPL.US) iPhone Duo will sell 6 million units this year.

According to Golden Ten Data, market research firm Counterpoint Research stated that Apple (AAPL.US) is expected to sell around 6 million units of the iPhone Duo this year, marking the industry's first sales forecast for this new foldable device.

Counterpoint senior analyst Ivan Lam indicated that this figure is more in line with the characteristics of the niche foldable market, rather than the shipment levels of Apple's regular flagship models. The final sales volume will depend on the company's ramp-up of new hardware production capacity. The iPhone Duo is priced at $1,999, set for official release in October, positioned at the top of Apple's product lineup, and carries the industry's expectation of sparking greater interest and sales of foldable devices.

Market research firm IDC estimates that, driven by Apple, shipments of foldable smartphones will grow by 13% this year, reaching 22.9 million units. IDC noted that without the iPhone Duo, this segment would have seen a decline.

Counterpoint also mentioned that the iPhone 18 Pro series, released alongside the iPhone Duo, saw strong initial popularity in the Chinese market. This generation of Pro models did not offer a standard iteration for the first time, forcing upgraders to switch to higher-priced Pro versions. As a result, the initial sales of the new devices increased by 12% compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. Amid a 17% year-on-year decline in the domestic smartphone market and pressure on domestic manufacturers, Apple achieved an outstanding performance against the overall trend.

Thanks to this result, Apple has secured a 33% share of the Chinese smartphone market. Due to rising component costs, all smartphone manufacturers are raising prices in an attempt to offset shipment declines with higher per-unit revenue. This has weakened the cost advantage of domestic competitors, benefiting Apple’s pricing strategy.

Lam stated: “Several Chinese flagship models have increased in price by more than $200, raising the market's price anchor and further highlighting the value-for-money advantage of the iPhone.”