James Peckham, Reporter
Apple was in no rush to launch a foldable phone, even as many of its rivals released various versions over the last eight years. But with John Ternus now at the helm, he kicked off his first Apple event as CEO by introducing a new form factor for the company: the foldable iPhone Duo.
Though rumors suggested the device might be the iPhone Ultra, Apple likely opted for the Duo name to keep it short and snappy, aligning it with its other monikers, such as Air, Neo, and Pro. (Though it does have an Apple Watch Ultra, so who knows?)
iPhone Duo Design and Display
The Duo is a passport-style foldable phone, meaning it’s shorter and wider than a lot of rivals. The inner display is 7.6 inches, while the outer display is 5.4 inches, with both sporting a 1:4 aspect ratio to help transitions between screens feel more seamless.
The Duo is 11.3mm thick when closed and 5.2mm when open; during today’s presentation, it was touted as the thinnest iPhone ever, though that’s only when it’s open, of course. (The iPhone Air is 5.64mm thick.)
The left-hand corners of the outer display are right angles, while the right-hand corners are rounded to make it easier to use with one hand. It’s unclear how easy that will be if you’re left-handed, though. Touch ID is how you unlock the phone; it’s built into the power button on the right-hand edge.
On durability, Apple says it feels “exceptionally solid every time you use it.” It’s also IP68 for water and dust resistance, and there’s a nano-texture finish on the display, designed to minimize damage on the inner screen.
Apple says its hinge uses over 100 tiny components to close smoothly and last a long time, although it has yet to say how many folds it expects to handle over its lifetime. Apple’s press release notes, “Internally, support ribs reinforce the structure for added stiffness, while antenna splits with ceramic fiber inserts enhance the frame’s rigidity.”
iPhone Duo Chip and Performance
The iPhone Duo comes with a new A20 Pro chipset built on 2nm tech, enabling what Apple calls “upgrades across the entire chip,” with up to a 50% increase in memory bandwidth. There’s a 6-core CPU that’s 20% faster than A19 Pro, a 7-core GPU with 40% faster graphics performance, and a 32-core Neural Engine. Plus, there’s a larger vapor chamber for improved performance.
The Duo has Apple’s N1 wireless networking chip found in the iPhone 17 and Air, and the C2, Apple’s next-generation cellular modem system (also in the iPhone 18 Pros), which brings AI-powered improvements to cellular quality and reliability, as well as mmWave support in the US.
iPhone Duo Camera Specs
Foldable phones often fall short in their cameras, but Apple may have addressed this by including a 48MP Fusion Main rear camera and a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide. That’s one fewer than the iPhone 18 Pro series, so it may not be as capable as the brand’s other top-end phones.
The main camera uses the iPhone 18 Pro’s Fusion tech, which includes a variable aperture that adjusts automatically to let in up to 50% more light. On the front of the phone is a 12MP selfie camera designed for video calls and for shooting when the phone is folded.
iPhone Duo Battery Life and Charging Speed
The phone is powered by two batteries, allowing for up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display or 44 hours on the outer display. We’ll have to wait for our upcoming full review to know how long it lasts on a full day of use.
New fast-charging features are also here, meaning the iPhone Duo gets from zero to 50% in around 20 minutes. If you’re using a wireless charger, it takes 30 minutes to get to the same battery level.
iOS 27 on the iPhone Duo
The iPhone Duo will support an adapted version of iOS 27 for the wider, foldable screen. Apple detailed some of the changes during its launch, such as moving controls to the right-hand edge rather than at the bottom of the display. The software also shows whatever you were doing on the outer display when you move to the inner display.
That includes access to the new AI-powered Siri for better assistant connectivity across Apple apps. Siri AI is rolling out with iOS 27 as a beta on Sept. 14 for users with a supported device set to English. (Support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish is coming in October; it’s not coming to the EU and China.)
The bendable screen also means new features such as dual-screen use for the camera, alongside innovations for running multiple apps at once across iOS. The iPhone Duo also works with the Apple Pencil USB-C version.
iPhone Duo Price and Storage Options
The iPhone Duo doesn’t come in a 128GB option; it starts at 256GB of storage for $1,999. That’s lower than some had expected, and only slightly higher than rivals; the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold are both $1,899.99. Here’s the breakdown:
- 256GB: $1,999
- 512GB: $2,199
- 1TB: $2,599
- 2TB: $3,199
If you want to test it out without dropping thousands, the Duo is available to lease via Apple Upgrade for $34.99 per month for a 24-month lease or $49.99 per month for 24 months.
Meanwhile, if you were hoping to save some money and get a discount on the older iPhone, Apple has instead increased the starting price of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, and iPhone Air by $100.
iPhone Duo Release Date and Preorder
Preorders for the iPhone Duo start on Oct. 16, and the official release date is set for Oct. 23.
iPhone Duo Colors, Cases, and Accessories
The phone comes in two colors: Night Sky, a black shade, and Star White, a light white option.
There are also two official cases. The $129 iPhone Duo Folio comes in navy blue or taupe and features an integrated kickstand so you can place the phone on a desk. The $79 iPhone Duo Case comes in two parts, in either sand or navy blue. Both will be available to order on Oct. 16.
The ongoing Apple launch just introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but it’s thought that it will skip the standard iPhone 18 to launch it early next year. Other new gadgets include an Apple Watch Series 12, an Apple Watch Ultra 4, and new AirPods 5.
Source: uk.pcmag.com