The main attraction of this event was the long-rumored foldable iPhone. It was hardly a secret that Apple was working on such a device, especially after third-party companies started selling cases for the phone earlier in the week.
The foldable is called the iPhone Duo. It was previously expected that Apple would call it the iPhone Ultra. Duo isn’t exactly the most exciting name, but it’s at least a logical one.
The book-style foldable format Apple has opted for allows for a wide main display that’s akin to a tablet. Essentially, it’s a way for you to have iPad mini-style utility right in your pocket. Both displays even have Apple Pencil support.
The main display features a 7.6-inch Super Retina screen, quite a bit smaller than the 8.3-inch one on the iPad mini. Still, it’s the biggest-ever display on an iPhone. There’s a 5.4-inch screen on the exterior. (I would love an iPhone with a screen that size without the foldable aspect. I still miss the iPhone 5.)
When it’s open, the iPhone Duo is the thinnest iPhone to date at 0.21 inches (5.2 mm). Folded up, it’s 0.44 inches (11.3mm) thick. It weighs 8.96 ounces (254 grams)
The main screen has something new for an iPhone, an under-display camera. As a notch hater, I’m very happy to hear that. The exterior display has a hole punch cut out for the camera.
Speakers are positioned on the top and bottom of the device, which is available in two colors, star white and night sky. The iPhone Duo runs on the same A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro models (more on that in a bit).
It’s an eSIM-only device, which was a decision Apple made to make more space for the battery. The company says iPhone Duo offers 44 hours of video playback on the external screen. If you use both displays equally, you’ll get around 24 hours of use before you have to charge, Apple claims. It adds that five minutes of wired charging is enough to give you five hours of video-watching time on the external screen.
Smartphones with foldable displays have been around for quite some time, but Apple tends not to enter a product category until it’s confident that it can get things right. It’s extremely unlikely that the company would have moved into foldables until it was sure it cracked the hinge durability code. A report earlier this year suggested Apple ran into an engineering hitch that might have caused a delay, but that turned out not to be the case.
As it turns out, the iPhone Duo is IP68 rated for protection from water and dust. Apple notes that the hinge has carbon fiber support plates and there’s a titanium frame and hinge cover. There’s a nano texture on the display that features a scratch-resistant coating.
The iPhone Duo does not have a dedicated telephoto camera. There’s a 48MP main camera and an 48MP ultrawide. However, it has some handy tricks. For instance, you might not need a tripod, as you can prop the iPhone Duo up using its own folding design. There’s also a way for you to let the subject see the framing of a shot while you’re lining it up, and a cool FaceTime feature allows people on both sides of the phone to join the conversation.
It does not seem like there’s a dedicated camera control button. Nor is there an Action Button, which is a bummer. That thing’s super useful for quickly Shazamming a song!
One other common iPhone feature you won’t find in the first iPhone Duo is Face ID. Perhaps this is to get around the need to have a TrueDepth camera system for each screen, though each does have a FaceTime camera. Much like on iPads, Apple built the Touch ID sensor into the side button (aka the wake/sleep button). You can unlock the device using an Apple Watch as well.
On the software side, you’ll be able to multitask on the main screen. As with foldables from other companies, you can run two apps at once on the main display or even two instances of the same one.
Apple has shifted essential controls (such as the Home Screen dock and playback buttons for Apple Music) to the side of the external screen to free up vertical space. All of the company’s apps are optimized for the dual-display device. Some third-party partners are making use of the format too. For example, you can browse clips from Netflix on the smaller screen before hopping into the relevant show or movie on the main display.
StandBy mode works on both displays. You’ll see that on the external screen when you prop the device up, even if you’re not charging (despite rumors to the contrary, iPhone Duo does support MagSafe and Qi2 charging).
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for a version with 256GB of storage. There are 512GB, 1TB and 2TB options. The latter will run you $3,199. Pre-orders open on October 16 and Apple’s first foldable iPhone will be in customers’ hands as soon as October 23.
An official case (in navy blue or sand) will run you $79. A folio case with a kickstand costs $129 and that’s available in navy blue and taupe.