Winners & losers: Buyers of expensive Apple products, which, let's face it, includes almost all of them, tend to face a dilemma: should they also hand over the not insubstantial recurring fee for AppleCare. If the person in question is buying an iPhone Duo, then the answer is yes, definitely, especially when its fragile inner screen cost $999 to repair, with other damage reaching as high as $1,499.
Apple's first-ever foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, launches today. With a price ranging from $1,999 to $3,199, it's Cupertino's most expensive phone to date, but buying one without AppleCare could prove even more costly.
Apple has listed some of the estimated repair costs for the iPhone Duo on its repair services page. Repair costs start at $49 for damage to the cover layer, reaching all the way up to $1,499 for "other damage." Here's the full list, along with the price for the same repair if you have AppleCare coverage:
- Cover layer damage: $49
With AppleCare+: $19 - Back glass damage: $199
With AppleCare+: $25 - Battery service: $229
With AppleCare+: Free - Rear camera damage: $229
With AppleCare+: $99 - Outer display damage: $379
With AppleCare+: $29 - Outer display and back glass damage: $509
With AppleCare+: $58 - Inner display damage: $999
With AppleCare+: $99 - Other damage: $1,499
With AppleCare+: $149
It's important to remember that these are prices for repairs carried out by Apple, so they're going to be higher than those charged by most third-party repair shops. It's probably fair to assume that Apple wants users to subscribe to AppleCare, too.
While much improved since they first arrived, foldable phones remain notoriously fragile. This appears to be especially true of the iPhone Duo. Prolific leaker Ice Universe recently posted that the screen around the Duo's crease is soft to the touch and can develop deep wrinkles when pressed with a finger.
– Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) October 20, 2026
It's speculated that this is related to Apple's rumored variable-thickness ultra-thin glass, which has a thinner central folding region and thicker surrounding areas.
AppleCare isn't cheap. With theft and loss, it's $20 per month or $200 per year ($399 upfront for two years' coverage). But that's still preferable to handing over half the iPhone Duo's price if, or when, it breaks.