The iPhone Duo starts at $1999 for the 256GB model and rises to an eye-watering $3199 for the 2TB version – but a “renewable” inner display layer may help buyers to justify spending so much money on a phone.

Apple has addressed the biggest problem experienced with folding phones to date via a surprisingly affordable option …

One of the biggest problems of Android folding phones has been a crease that is visible when new and that tends to become even more so after repeated folding and unfolding over time. Apple reportedly put a huge amount of work into a hinge and display design intended to minimize this effect, and early hands-on sessions confirm that the crease is barely visible when new.

Despite this, however, it’s still likely that some visible degradation of the inner layer will occur over time. Indeed, the company has acknowledged this, with hardware lead Kate Bergeron saying that the company has worked hard to help it “wear in as long of a manner as we can.”

That’s a potential problem with a device so expensive it’s likely that most buyers will want to hold on to it for far longer than a typical iPhone, but Bergeron also revealed that this inner cover layer is replaceable once the crease does finally become more visible.

It’s actually replaceable, which is a really nice thing for the customer, that you can peel off that layer and get a new one.

We learned at the time that a replacement costs just $19 with AppleCare, and we now know that the price without is $49. For a machine costing $2k and up, that’s a surprisingly affordable way to make the inner display look like new again. Anyone thinking they might justify the price by holding on to the phone for a number of years may very well find this the deciding argument.

What’s your view? Does this renewability make the price of the device more palatable? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

• Dark Cherry charger & color-matched cable for iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max cases
• Beats Woven USB-C cables
• Certified refurbished Apple products 15% off at apple.com
• Discounted AirPods Pro 3
• Wireless CarPlay adapter
• 10-year AirTag battery case
• Logitech MX Master 4 for Mac

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.