On September 30th, market research firm Counterpoint Research forecasted that Apple could potentially sell around 6 million units of the iPhone Duo within this year. This marks the inaugural external sales projection for Apple’s first-ever foldable device. Counterpoint Senior Analyst Ivan Lam pointed out that this sales volume is more in line with the typical levels seen in the current, relatively niche foldable smartphone market, distinguishing it from Apple’s usual smartphone sales performance. The ultimate sales figures will hinge on how swiftly Apple can scale up its production capacity for this new hardware.

As Apple’s flagship model, the iPhone Duo represents the industry’s aspirations for foldable smartphones and is expected to pique consumer interest, thereby fueling sales growth. Market research firm IDC predicts that foldable smartphone shipments will experience a 13% increase this year, totaling 22.9 million units, largely driven by the iPhone Duo. Without the iPhone Duo, this particular market segment might have faced a decline this year.