iPhone Duo Preorders Begin Friday. Is Apple’s First Foldable Phone Reason Alone to Buy the Stock?

Tomorrow's a big day for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and for its legion of fans. The iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable phone, goes on sale at 8 AM ET/5 AM PT.

In its press release, Apple lists several "ways to save and pay, including leasing with Apple Upgrade, financing options, and carrier deals," a clear nod to the fact that not everyone will be able to pay the device's eye-popping $1,999 starting sticker price up front.

So, is the Duo likely to be a game changer for Apple? Here's what investors should expect from the hottest new device in Apple's product lineup.

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Why Apple might want to steal its own customers

Given the Duo's extremely high price point, it probably won't be that appealing to Android users looking to try out an iPhone for the first time. $2,000 is a hefty risk to take on a product you might not end up liking.

Plus, Android users already have foldable phone options in the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, both of which have received generally positive reviews. The biggest drawback for each also seems to be the pricing, at $1,799 for the Pixel and $1,899 for the Galaxy.

Because the Duo can essentially function both as a phone with a 5.4" screen and as a small tablet with a 7.6" screen, it seems more likely to appeal to Apple users who would otherwise buy an iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Air, or iPhone 18 Pro Max, which have screen sizes of 6.3", 6.5", and 6.9", respectively.

That's not a bad thing, though. The aforementioned products start at $1,099, $1,199, and $1,299, respectively, so upgrading a customer from any of those products to the $1,999 Duo would bring in 54% to 82% more revenue for Apple. Notably, it even brings in more revenue than a purchase of a non-Duo iPhone and a $699 iPad Mini with its 8.3" screen.

How much revenue could Apple bring in from the Duo?

Estimates vary as to how much the Duo's release could affect Apple's top line. Counterpoint Research anticipates 6 million Duo sales during 2026, while research firm IDC forecasts 10 million sales in the first 12 months.

Even if Apple could exceed those projections and sell about 5 million Duos per quarter at the starting price for a year, that would translate to $40 billion in annual revenue, just under 10% of Apple's 2025 revenue of $416.2 billion. Since most of those sales would likely come from existing Apple customers, it looks more like a nice boost to revenue than a "game changer."

However, the real game changer for Apple could be over the long term, as the Duo augments Apple's other upcoming new product, the HomeView.

Apple is making a serious play for the connected home

Apple has long ceded the connected home market to rivals Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google. With no Apple options available, many longtime iPhone users set up Nest thermostats and Ring doorbells. Millions more opted for inexpensive Echo smart speakers over Apple's pricey $349 HomePod.

But starting on Nov. 13, Apple's HomeView smart device goes on sale. Consisting of a countertop or wall-mounted 7" Liquid Retina display powered by Siri AI, the $299 device will become the cheapest current-generation screen-based product Apple sells. It will use facial recognition to interface with compatible Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhones and iPads, offering up to 6 iPhone users personalized profiles and content.

With the launch of the $149 HomePod mini 2 on Oct. 30, it looks as though Apple is finally making a compelling case for household adoption and ecosystem streamlining. Having an Apple ecosystem in your home could, in turn, provide a powerful incentive for consumers to stick with iPhones and other Apple Intelligence-enabled devices like the Duo over competitors' products.

Image source: Getty Images.

What investors should look for

With Apple's market cap surpassing $5 trillion yesterday, investors should be looking for more than just a sold-out first run of a pricey, highly anticipated device.

Instead, investors should be looking for evidence that the Duo is in fact enticing Android users to switch and iPhone users to trade up. Evidence of gradual but sustained growth across the company's connected home products would also demonstrate that Apple's premium pricing strategy is working.

That said, rave Duo reviews and news of brisk sales would likely boost Apple's stock in the short run.

John Bromels has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.