Forget iPhone Ultra, forget iPhone Fold… the latest breaking news is that Apple’s first ever folding handset will be called the iPhone Duo. That’s according to Mark Gurman’s sources, and he’s generally well informed when it comes to information like this.
Gurman made his last-minute prediction in an article (subscription required) this morning. He also claimed the device will start at $2,000 (rising to $3,000 if you max out the storage), have a short-and-wide design, feature Apple’s new in-house C2 modem and A20 Pro chip, and go on sale in October, later than the other new iPhones. But we knew all that already. The name is the real bombshell.
You can bet that some will accuse Apple of copying Microsoft, whose Surface Duo was something of a pioneer in this field, albeit with mixed success. On the other hand, maybe Microsoft should have kept that brand going; the line was discontinued nearly two years ago. And that brand was closely intertwined with the word “Surface;” it’s debatable how many customers will associate the word “Duo” alone with Microsoft, even before Cupertino’s inevitable marketing campaign wipes the slate clean and makes it a resoundingly Apple brand.
Speaking subjectively we would add that the Duo brand also goes rather nicely with Neo, as in MacBook, and has a pleasing brevity and sound. And, please note, it was one of the options mentioned by Macworld sister site Tech Advisor earlier this week.
If Gurman’s sources are correct–by no means a sure thing, although we’d rate this as a strong likelihood–this will be tough news for case manufacturers, who have been preparing pre-launch marketing materials with iPhone Ultra and/or iPhone Fold branding.
The folding iPhone, or iPhone Duo as we may now have to start calling it, is strongly expected to be unveiled at Apple’s Surprise and Shine press event today at 10 am PT. For all the latest news and rumors, check out our regularly updated foldable iPhone superguide, not to mention our Apple event live blog. We hope you’ll follow the event here on Macworld.
