Apple's iPhone Duo Faces China Price Test as T-Mobile Sets $5 Monthly Fee for Handoff

In China, the world’s most competitive foldable-phone market and Apple’s third-biggest market by revenue, the Duo is entering a category that Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, Oppo and Vivo already serve with book-style, flip-phone and, in Huawei’s case, trifold designs. Greater China generates around 17% of Apple’s total revenue, according to CNBC. Chinese users on WeChat focused on the price. “I won’t buy it this year. I’ll buy the second-generation foldable next year,” one user wrote, according to CNBC’s translation. Another commenter on a WeChat video review wrote, “U.S. consumers earn US$3,000 to US$4,000 a month and buy it for US$1,999. We earn 3,000 to 4,000 yuan and spend 10,000 yuan on it.”

Competition intensified just before Apple’s event. Xiaomi and Huawei on Monday launched new flagship foldables, the Xiaomi 18 Fold and the trifold Mate XT2, priced at 10,999 yuan and 19,999 yuan. One WeChat commenter wrote that Apple’s Duo is “cheaper than Huawei. Can you take it?” CNBC reported. Huawei led China’s smartphone market in both the first and second quarters, followed by Apple, Vivo and Oppo, according to Counterpoint. Worldwide, Samsung narrowly reclaimed the lead over Apple by smartphone shipments in the second quarter, with Xiaomi third, Counterpoint said. Earlier this year Samsung launched a new version of its folding phone and is expected to surpass Apple in foldable market share, holding 32% compared with Apple’s 25% and Huawei’s 24%, according to the research.

Users on Chinese social media also raised concerns beyond price: the Duo lacks a physical SIM-card slot, which may require mainland users to visit a carrier store for ID verification to activate an eSIM, CNBC reported. Xiaomi’s 18 Fold will be available for purchase from Thursday, and Huawei’s Mate XT2 follows days later. Apple’s iPhone Duo pre-orders are slated to begin Oct. 16, with sales commencing on Oct. 23.

Separately, Apple’s iPhone Handoff feature, which lets users share a single phone number across two iPhones, will cost $5 per month on T-Mobile, 9to5Mac reported. At Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event on Wednesday, Apple’s VP of iPhone Product Marketing, Kaiann Drance, said: “iOS 27 improves connectivity with smarter transitions between cellular and Wi-Fi networks and introduces iPhone Handoff that lets you use a single phone number across two iPhones. The number is instantly active on whichever iPhone you pick up. iPhone Handoff launches with T-Mobile and Telekom Germany. Verizon and EE will add support by the end of the year with more carriers to follow.”

The monthly fee was not mentioned during the event. Stetson Doggett noted on X that T-Mobile customers will pay $5 a month for the feature, according to 9to5Mac. Apple’s support page states that “carrier fees might apply when enrolling in iPhone Handoff” and tells customers to contact their carrier for more details. 9to5Mac consulted Deutsche Telekom’s announcement and reported that the carrier does not charge a separate fee for iPhone Handoff specifically. The feature is part of the carrier’s MultiSIM offering; adding a MultiSIM to an existing plan costs €6.95 per month, although one is already included at no additional cost with select plans.