[Anchor]

Apple has officially unveiled its very first foldable smartphone. While boasting advanced technology that makes the crease barely visible, its hefty price tag of over 3 million won poses a burden. Amid a wave of new products from Chinese companies, a three-way competition among South Korea, the United States, and China is heating up in the foldable phone market that Samsung has led for the past 7 years.

Reporter Kwon Ran has the details.

[Reporter]

A passport-sized smartphone that fits snugly in one hand transforms into a tablet PC when unfolded.

This is the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone released 19 years after the launch of the original iPhone.

Measuring 13.7 cm when folded and 19.3 cm when unfolded, its size and shape are similar to Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold 8 released in July.

More than 100 precision components were used in the hinge, the core part of a foldable phone, and a fingerprint recognition feature was applied instead of facial recognition unlock.

The iPhone Duo weighs 254g, which is about 50g heavier than the Fold 8, and is also thicker.

Priced at $1,999 for the 256GB model, there is little difference compared to Samsung in the US, but in South Korea, the price gap exceeds 1 million won due to exchange rates and other factors.

Pre-orders are scheduled to begin on October 16, with the official launch set for the 23rd.

The appearance of the iPhone Duo is considered the biggest turning point in the foldable phone market, which has been led by Android manufacturers.

Samsung pioneered the market by releasing its first foldable phone 7 years ago and has already introduced up to the 8th generation, while Google jumped into the market in 2023 and has already rolled out its 4th-generation product.

Chinese companies are also chasing fiercely, with Huawei having commercialized triple-fold phones that fold twice starting two years ago.

Instead, Apple is emphasizing its differentiator as a device tailored for the "AI era," targeting its massive base of iPhone users and the iOS ecosystem.

[John Ternus / Apple CEO: Other foldable phones often felt like two phones awkwardly glued together.]

[Shim Woo-jung / Senior Research Fellow, Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade: People within the iPhone and Apple ecosystem now have a foldable phone option to choose from, so we expect the market to grow.]

With Apple throwing its hat into the global foldable phone market—expected to surpass 100 million units this year—the fierce battle among Samsung, Apple, and Huawei is projected to intensify.

(Video editing: Park Choon-bae, Design: Taeyoung Park)