At its Cupertino-based Surprise and Shine event today, Apple unveiled its inaugural foldable smartphone, dubbed the iPhone Duo. This marks the first flagship hardware release led by newly appointed CEO John Ternus.
Steering away from the narrow, tall designs seen in earlier foldable models, Apple selected a broader design language. This wider aspect ratio offers a significantly better media consumption experience when opened.
When open, the handset boasts a 7.6-inch Retina screen, paired with a 5.4-inch cover display. Highlighting that the gadget was “inspired by the versatility of iPad,” Apple demonstrated its capabilities in portrait mode when fully opened. Additionally, an under-display camera inside provides an uninterrupted, full-screen viewing experience.
To minimize screen glare and mask the crease, Apple incorporated a custom nanotexture coating. While screen creases remain noticeable on most foldable phones—despite brands like Oppo pushing toward virtually seamless panels—Apple engineered a grade 5 aluminum hinge containing over 100 custom parts to guarantee durability and smooth folding operation.
In a notable shift, the iPhone Duo relies solely on Touch ID, omitting Face ID entirely. However, owners can still unlock the phone automatically via their Apple Watch.
Under the hood, the device runs on the state-of-the-art A20 Pro silicon alongside a C2 module engineered for enhanced upload speeds. Following in the footsteps of last year’s iPhone Air, this model drops physical SIM trays in favor of eSIM technology exclusively.
Regarding battery performance, Apple estimates up to 31 hours of continuous video streaming using the main interior screen, and up to 44 hours when relying on the cover display.
Photography is handled by a dual-lens array comprising a 48-megapixel main sensor and a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens supporting 2x optical zoom, leaving out a dedicated telephoto camera. Similar to competing foldables, owners can snap high-quality selfies with the primary cameras while using the outer display as a viewfinder. A fun feature reminiscent of Google Pixel devices shows engaging animations on the cover screen to capture children’s attention during photoshoots. Additionally, a new smart-capture mode leverages an on-device AI model to trigger the shutter automatically once everyone in the frame is posed.
Apple tailored iOS 27 specifically for the folding form factor. Crucial toggles such as Wi-Fi shift to the side and snap vertically along the home screen margin. Multitasking is enhanced through split-screen view and app pairing shortcuts. When held vertically, users can lock a video stream to the top half while working in other apps on the bottom half. The device can also be positioned semi-folded or laid flat on a desk for hands-free use. Furthermore, Apple revealed that Apple Pencil support is slated to arrive later in the year.
Starting at $1,999 for the 256GB base model, the iPhone Duo will be offered in two colorways. Pre-orders kick off on October 16, with full retail availability following on October 23.
Competitors such as Samsung and Xiaomi have previously brought wide-format foldables to market ahead of Apple’s entry.
Data from market intelligence firm Counterpoint indicates that folding phones currently account for under 2% of global smartphone shipments. Nevertheless, the firm projects that the iPhone Duo could experience rapid adoption, potentially capturing up to 25% of the foldable market share before the year ends.
