Apple reportedly paying Samsung $250 per iPhone Duo, as $1,000 repair estimates surface

Apple finally unveiled its first foldable, the iPhone Duo, earlier this week. The phone comes with a 5.4-inch outer display that opens up to reveal a 7.6-inch inner display, the latter of which uses a nano-texture coating that gives it kind of a matte/satin finish. Underneath the top layer is a panel that has been developed by Samsung, and Apple is paying over 12% of the cost of each iPhone Duo to the Korean company, reportedly.

While Apple hasn’t shared all the details about its folding display, industry insiders have revealed that the dual-UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) panel has been assembled by Samsung. The UTG layers have been provided by Samsung’s partner Dowoo Insys, while the OLED middle layer is developed by Samsung Display. Apple calls it “high-strength glass” that “sits above and below the folding display panel.”

Leaker Momentary Digital claims that Samsung Display and Apple have signed a three-year deal for the foldable panels. Each panel is approximately $250 that Apple has to pay Samsung. The three-year deal means future generations of the iPhone Duo will also be supported by Samsung panels, so if Apple plans a new iPhone Duo every year as Samsung does with its foldables, that’s a lot of earnings for Samsung and its partners. Notably, the leaker has not shared a source for this information.

That said, a recent report pointed out that repair costs for the iPhone Duo’s screen could be in the neighborhood of $1,000 if not more. That puts the $250 per panel payment into a clearer perspective. Furthermore, Apple is expected to capture 25% of the foldable market share in 2026 with roughly five million units shipped. That’s quite an impressive forecast for a phone that starts at $2,000.