Apple just handed Samsung one of its biggest paydays in years. According to a new report from tipster Instant Digital on Weibo, Apple is paying Samsung Display around $250 for the foldable screen inside every iPhone Duo, making it one of the priciest parts inside the phone.
That single component helps explain why the Duo starts at $1,999, close to $700 more than the iPhone 18 Pro. If you’re weighing Apple’s first foldable against a regular iPhone, the screen alone is eating up a bigger chunk of that price gap than almost any other part inside it.
Why the Screen Costs So Much
Apple used to pay Samsung and LG roughly $70 for a standard iPhone screen. The Duo’s foldable display costs more than three times that. It’s a far more complex piece of engineering, built from ten stacked layers designed to hide the crease that shows up on most other foldable phones. Apple used a similar surface finish on its MacBook Pro screens to smooth things out, and Samsung says the new screen material also brings brighter colors, a longer lifespan, and better battery efficiency than older foldable panels.
By one estimate, that $250 panel now makes up about an eighth of the Duo’s entire retail price, and that figure doesn’t even include the cost of putting the screen together or testing it. Component costs have been climbing across Apple’s whole 2026 lineup, but the Duo’s screen stands out as the single most expensive part Apple has ever put in an iPhone.
Samsung Is the One Making Bank
What makes this more interesting is how Samsung Display just locked Apple into a three-year exclusive deal. This essentially covers the current Duo and whatever foldable iPhones come next. Apple doesn’t really have another option right now. LG Display can’t make folding screens yet, and Huawei’s supplier BOE isn’t reliable enough for Apple’s standards, according to past reports.
That leaves Samsung holding most of the leverage. Samsung hasn’t confirmed the number, and neither has Apple, but we don’t expect either company will. So it’s worth treating the exact figure as a well-sourced rumor rather than an official price tag. None of this changes what you’d pay at checkout. The iPhone Duo still starts at $1,999, with pre-orders opening October 16 and the phone reaching stores a week later.