Apple Unveils Foldable iPhone Duo Starting at $1,999, Sparking Online Backlash and Rival Jokes
Apple unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, starting at $1,999. The launch drew humorous reactions from Duolingo, rival jabs from Samsung, and online mockery over pricing and geopolitical map changes.
Apple generated significant buzz yesterday by unveiling its first foldable smartphone, named iPhone Duo. According to the tech giant, the new product sparked a wide range of reactions and insights across the web, ranging from professional and critical to humorous. While most focused on the device itself, some turned their attention to the name. The Duolingo app, for instance, voiced its opinion on the choice of a name that is also used by its owl mascot. "What an exciting Apple event! I hope they won't infringe on my brand's copyrights," the animated owl wrote in one of a series of amusing posts on the matter. "John Ternus, please answer the phone," read another post directed at Apple's new CEO.
Duolingo's posts garnered widespread reactions and shares, including from Apple's rival Samsung, which launched its first foldable device back in 2019. "Sorry to hear that. They copied us too," the company wrote in response to Duolingo. In a separate post, Samsung was more blunt, though it did not explicitly mention Apple by name. "Let us know when you're done warming up our leftovers," they wrote.
Additional social media users used the event to attack Apple over its decision to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America on its maps, following a demand by US President Donald Trump as part of the trade war he initiated against Canada. "This is a great marketing opportunity: the phone folds just like we folded at Lake Ontario," a Canadian user wrote.
The price of the device starts at $1,999 and can reach over $3,000, leading to further jokes. "I'm buying the left side of the iPhone Duo until I can afford to buy the right side too," a user wrote on the Bluesky network.
