Apple's Foldable iPhone Duo Takes Aim at China as Huawei and Xiaomi Stand Ready
nashnova research
Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, is priced at ¥15,999 in China with pre-orders on October 16 — launching straight into the world's largest foldable market, where Huawei and Xiaomi have already answered with surging sales.
What does iPhone Duo cost, and when can you get it?
China launch price is ¥15,999 (about $2,400), with pre-orders on October 16 and shipments a week later.
This means → Apple is staking its first move on the single biggest foldable market: China accounts for over 30% of global foldable sales.
Foldables remain niche — roughly 4% of smartphone sales in China, about 2% worldwide.
How much market share can Apple grab?
Counterpoint Research forecasts Apple could sell up to 6 million foldable iPhones this year, capturing about 25% of the global foldable market.
In plain terms = a brand-new entrant could surpass Huawei (22%) within a year, trailing only Samsung (38%).
Samsung has little presence in China's foldable segment. This reflects the real contest: Apple vs. Huawei, not Apple vs. Samsung.
How did Huawei and Xiaomi respond?
In the four days after Apple announced the Duo in early September, Huawei's Pura X Max saw sales jump roughly 77% week-on-week, with cumulative sales topping 1.4 million units since its April launch.
Xiaomi's 18 Fold, also released in early September, set a first-week foldable sales record for the company.
This means → Apple's entry actually boosted rival sales — consumers accelerated their choice between "wait for Apple" and "buy domestic now."
Where does Huawei's confidence come from?
Huawei consumer-business chief Yu Chengdong said the company has poured heavy resources into screen durability and camera quality.
Huawei's product depth is clear: the Pura X Max starts above $1,600; the second-gen tri-fold Mate XT2 approaches $3,000.
In plain terms = Huawei is fielding a full lineup — mid-range to ultra-premium — against Apple's single model. It is a home-court multi-product army vs. an away-team single entry.
Apple is years late — is there still an opening?
Huawei shipped its first foldable in 2019; Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, and Honor have been iterating for years. Apple is a clear latecomer.
The category itself carries inherent pain points: fragility and constrained camera layouts.
Yet Apple's brand premium and global distribution still give it a fast on-ramp; Huawei, blocked from the U.S. by the Entity List, cannot sell there — head-to-head competition will center on China and other non-U.S. markets.
This means → whether the Duo can dent Huawei's home-court dominance in China is the first real test of Apple's foldable strategy.
I know full well how hard-won these achievements are — and that is exactly why we are able to lead this race.
Yu Chengdong
Chairman, Huawei Consumer Business
(on Huawei's investment in screen durability and camera quality)
市场有风险，内容仅供研究参考，不构成投资建议。