Apple doesn’t rush into new form factors lightly. Take the Apple Watch — it might have seen a few design tweaks over the past decade, but it’s kept the same squircle shape since the original arrived in 2015. Even the bands remain compatible over the past 12 generations.
Meanwhile, for the iPhone, it took 10 years for Apple to move the home button from under the screen, with the 2017 iPhone X marking a new era for the series.
Well, the iPhone Duo is another era-defining moment for the iPhone. It might have taken Apple a few years longer than others to get in on the foldable phone party, but after spending time with the iPhone Duo at Apple’s September event, it seems the company learned some valuable lessons while waiting. Here’s what I liked about the iPhone Duo and what I thought was missing.
A premium, pocketable design
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
When closed, the iPhone Duo behaves exactly like a shorter, slightly stockier version of a normal iPhone, with a 5.4-inch cover screen that is compact enough for one-handed use.
It offers a similar format to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Xiaomi 18 Fold, with an asymmetrical design that keeps the right corners rounded and the left corners square. This might divide opinion depending on whether you’re a fan of symmetry, but I was happy not to see a carbon copy of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, even though I like that phone too.
Unfold the iPhone Duo, and you’re greeted by a 7.6-inch panel that approaches iPad Mini proportions, all packed into a chassis that measures just 5.2mm at its thinnest point and has IP68 water and dust resistance.
It is the thinnest iPhone Apple has made, even thinner than the iPhone Air, which was the talk of the town last year for its slim profile.
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
This thinness could easily make it fragile, but that wasn’t the impression I got when I played with it during the Apple event. The titanium build felt solid and well balanced in the hand, whether open or closed, and in whatever orientation I used it.
Functionally, the placement of the Touch ID button worked well during my time with the iPhone Duo, although I wasn’t convinced by the position of the volume controls that sit along the top edge. No doubt you would get used to them, but I would have preferred them to be on the right edge, next to the Touch ID power button and the Camera Control. And as you’ll read in a second, I’m disappointed about the lack of an action button.
A distinctive display finish
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
What I was far from disappointed with was the texture of the internal screen. Rather than the plastic, reflective coating typical of most folding phones (something I really don’t like), Apple has applied Nano-Texture – the matte, gloss-resistant finish that’s been an option on its MacBook Pro and iPad Pro ranges since 2024.
It results in far less glare, a crease that’s tricky to see unless you’re really looking, and a surface that’s nowhere near as fingerprint-prone as rival flip phones. It immediately separates the duo from its competitors, and I won’t be surprised if future generations of folding phones follow the same path, if only to hide the folding line.
The nano-texture finish is also nice to use, being smooth under the finger. While blacks may not be quite as deep as you see on the glossy plastic display, this wasn’t something I noticed when navigating the interface. There’s also a dynamic island on both the external and internal displays, which I was excited to see, and Apple Pencil support is coming, allowing you to use Apple’s stylus for taking notes or drawing.
Software built for the format
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
The interface, however, is where the iPhone Duo really stands out. Some folding bars feel like they just stretch to fill a larger canvas when open, without much thought (usually just add another column and be done with it). Apple’s software transitions between the two duo displays with real polish, helped by the animation that appears when you go from open to closed and back again.
Content picks up exactly where you left off when you move between the outer screen and the larger one (or vice versa). The on-screen keyboard smartly adjusts around the hinge, and lifting the device in a tent-like position does a few tricks.
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
When locked, it goes into standby, showing the time, date or your photos, as standard iPhones do when locked and charged. When viewing content, the playback controls appear in the lower half of the display. For Netflix, when these disappear, software-generated reflections of what you’re watching will appear until you tap again to bring the controls back.
Running two apps side-by-side also felt intuitive, with a handy option to mark that pairing for quick access later by tapping the center once to lock the two apps together, and tapping again to open them.
Not without compromise
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
It’s worth noting, however, that the iPhone Duo is not a clean slate. Face ID has been replaced by Touch ID. It’s a change that Apple says keeps screen lock consistent across both displays, but longtime iPhone users may miss it.
You can unlock Duo with an Apple Watch, but that requires you to have Apple’s smartwatch, and it’s still not the same as simply looking at your phone for authentication, whether it’s unlocking, paying with Apple Pay, or unlocking passwords.
There is also no action button, as I mentioned, which will probably irritate someone (like me) who has incorporated it into their daily routine. On the camera front, the Duo skips a dedicated telephoto lens altogether, relying instead on a shortened zoom from its main sensor, similar to the iPhone Air.
You at least get the ultra-wide camera here, unlike the iPhone Air, but despite its price being almost double that of the iPhone 18 Pro, you don’t get the same advanced camera system (which now includes variable aperture on the Pro).
Early judgment
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
Based on what I’ve seen so far, the iPhone Duo feels like a considered first attempt at a foldable phone rather than a quick response to market pressure. The screen finish alone addresses a problem the entire foldable category has struggled with for years; the software feels tailored rather than tailored; and the design is premium and dust-resistant.
Whether that’s enough to justify a starting price north of £2,000/$2,000 depends on how badly you want a foldable iPhone. However, my first impressions strongly suggest that Apple arrived late but largely delivered with the iPhone Duo.