We knew it was coming, and, now it’s finally here. This is Apple’s first foray into the foldable space, the new iPhone Duo. No, it’s not called iPhone Ultra, as the rumours led you to believe, this is iPhone Duo. Hilariously, the last time a Smartphone was called Duo was also a foldable, kinda, in the form of the highly unsuccessful Microsoft Surface Duo … which, flopped more than freshly caught fish. But, how will this do? Will this be Apple’s next Vision Pro sales disaster? Well, I don’t think so, but, let’s have a look.
Leaks vs. Reality
Just like every year, Apple’s iPhone event was riddled with leaks all claiming to know everything about all the new iPhone models. To be fair, when it comes to the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, they nailed more-or-less everything. As for the foldable? Well, not quite.
The aspect ratio was about the only thing the leaks got correct, so, as far as render was concerned, it was then rather easy to create a render with an iPhone Air style feel. The big in-correction from the leaks was the front. Yep, the iPhone Duo is the least symmetrical iPhone ever. I’ll admit, I was surprised that Apple adopted the hard corners around the hinge, with the curvature on the right, so, I can kind of understand the assumption they’d adopt the rounded corner design akin to Google’s Pixel folds. But, they didn’t. Once you use the Duo, though, it makes sense why this approach was made, with Apple throwing all controls to the right, including status bars, with the rest taken up by a more traditional aspect ratio. An interesting approach, and, certainly one to get used to, but, for now, I like it.
The leaks also got the insides wrong, though, yes, the outer Cameras are, indeed, a mixture of that found on the iPhone 17, 17e, and, then, the iPhone 18 Pro’s Ultrawide. As for the inside, though, Apple adopted what Samsung abandoned, by incorporating an under-the-display Camera, for better or worse. Good… enough, for FaceTime, bad for… anything else. Apple aren’t even sharing any specs for this thing. I’d be surprised if it’s a single megapixel.
But, of course, that’s not what’s making headlines with this thing, this is Apple’s foldable iPhone, it looks premium, but, it takes more than just looking the park. Will this be the big iPhone moment Apple hopes it will be? Well, that all comes down to you… and, developers, of course.
optimisation relying heavily on developers
I’ve been using iPhone since the very first aspect ratio and resolution, all the way back with my first, the iPhone 3G. Since that time, though, there’s been a number of changes in aspect ratio and resolution that have impacted how apps interoperate, but, I think this is another big one. To clarify;
- iPhone 4 – Apple’s first Retina display. This meant unoptimised Apps would look blurry. Apple did, however, automatically upscale any open API buttons and keyboards. But, overall, a much more painless experience. I’d say most at the time never noticed.
- iPhone 5 – Apple’s first ever change in screen size, and, aspect ratio. With the iPhone 5, Apple made the iPhone 16:9 aspect ratio, as apposed to a more 4:3 style. This meant, unoptimised apps would literally run in the middle, with top and bottom bars. This was quite painful to use, as it raised the keyboard up, and, everything else. About 3 months into my iPhone 5, was how long it took for all the apps I used to get optimised.
- iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus – Apple’s first big screen iPhone models. This was a far-less painful experience, but, did mean that unoptimised apps would be incredibly zoomed in. This was more an issue for the 6 Plus where everything was huge. Took, thankfully, a lot less time, for these devices to get the update treatment, mostly, as, in this case, it was just about scaling.
- iPhone X – Apple’s first notch, whole new UX change, and aspect ratio change. Most don’t realise just how much was different about the screens on the iPhone 6 up to 8, compared to the iPhone X, it was completely, different. This meant, of course, unoptimised apps would just run, like the iPhone 5 days, just in the middle with black bars. To give Apple credit, they made changes to the entirety of iOS to adapt most apps to multiple given form factors. This meant when the iPhone XS had a Max version, it, and future iPhone models, would have no major issues. That is, of course, until… iPhone Duo.
This makes the iPhone 5 and iPhone X moments seem like childs play, this is a huge disadvantage when it comes to the iPhone Duo. When it comes to the outer screen, I’ll admit its not a big deal, you just get a black bar under the status indicators, but, other than that, the app runs as you’d expect.
Opening up the iPhone Duo, however is a completely different story. It’s unclear whether you could still run two unoptimised apps side-by-side, as this is a feature on the iPhone Duo, but, running on their own, just looks…awful. It’s, as of yet, unclear, how rotation and landscape modes will impact, but, you can’t imagine it’s going to be much better.
If this was Android, I’d be concerned and probably go as fair to say it’s a big enough reason to skip the iPhone Duo. But, it’s not, and I think iOS developers will have most key apps sorted rather quickly, if, not, already by the October launch. Banking apps are always the bad ones to wait for, I find.
On the other hand, when it comes to optimisation, look at that transition. So clean, and, yeah I’ll just say it, so Apple.
A surprisingly big learning curve.
As mentioned slightly before, Apple have not only made an entirely new iPhone experience with the iPhone Duo, they’ve also completely changed the way that the device navigates apps, views apps, and, as far as developers are concerned, really raises the bar as to what is expected from apps on a base level. But, they’ve also changed how apps actually work. Navigation, even the dock on the home screen, has all moved from the bottom of the screen, to the right. The only exception to this is if you’re running two apps at once. I know this will take quite a lot of readjustment to get used to using apps this way. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple go back on some of these choices in future releases. To accommodate this change, Apple have, as you can see above, changes the way status is shown, with battery, WiFi / 5G and reception, now all part of the same bar. This is something you either like, or, really don’t. Swiping down from the top right initiates Control Center, but, also, expands this status icons to be separate.
I bet a lot of developers are a bit pissed off by the iPhone Duo, especially how it handles unoptimised apps out of the box. To be fair, though, Apple haven’t exactly hidden that this was coming. The recent betas, and, soon, release of iOS 27 and macOS 27 have all added ways to expand apps when using iPhone mirroring, completely confirming the existence of a foldable coming, and, even from back at WWDC, this year, Apple was telling developers to start coding their apps for “more aspect ratios and resolutions”. Oooooo, I wonder what that could have meant. So, they’ve had fair warning. But, I think when it comes to early adopters, you’re going to be like the early iPhone X customers; love the optimised apps and experience, and, then, do a bit of a sigh when you have to use other stuff. Or, just, put up with the app closed.
It’s also going to be a big change and learning curve to actually how to use an iPhone. Never before have you been able to use two apps side-by-side, now you can. Never before have you been able to open up your iPhone and have a much larger canvas to enjoy content or browse the web, now you do. It’s interesting, but, at the same time, exciting, to see where this goes.
What I like
Maybe its just the fact that this one is different to the norm that we’ve been seeing from Apple since the iPhone X, heck, even since the original iPhone, and maybe that level of interest and excitement is all formed around that, but, you can’t deny there’s a lot to like here. Here’s just a few things I like about the Duo.
Design is always subjective, and I know a lot of people don’t like the lack of symmetry at the front, but, I think Apple got the design right. I also like that they didn’t opt for a really huge size. It would’ve been very easy for Apple to have made an iPhone 17 Pro Max sized foldable that expands into a 9″+ iPad. But, they didn’t, opting for a very old Apple priority, one-handed use (more on that later).
For the design, Apple went to all the right places, taking cues off the iPhone Air is certainly not a bad thing as that’s Apple’s best-looking iPhone since the iPhone X / XS days. There are no two ways of looking at it, this is the first iPhone in way too long, that looks and feels premium. In fact, that was my biggest gripe about the iPhone 17 Pro I’ve been using for the past year, it just looks and feels cheap. I’d argue, the regular iPhone 17 looks more premium, and that’s saying something. So, yeah, a light blue and burgundy, ain’t going to change my view of the iPhone 18 Pro series, either.
The choice of stainless steel and glass, all protected with their proven very strong glass material is also really reassuring moving forward. Although, obviously, the inner display is polymer. I will say that I don’t particularly care that it’s Apple’s “thinnest iPhone ever” when open, because, it’s simultaneously Apple’s current “thickest iPhone” when closed.
Now, I know absolutely no one is going to agree with this, but, let me explain. Aside from the fact this is easily $500 less than was anticipated, I do think this isn’t that bad of a price. It’s worth mentioning, obviously, that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max saw a +100 price hike this year, due to the RAM supply issues … thank you AI 🙄, but, genuinely I think Apple picked a good price point.
Samsung currently sells the closest matched phone to this, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, for £1,899, only £100 less. Although, I’m sure that’ll go down as a result of this Duo. Plus, I’m sorry, even the biggest Samsung-diehards can’t tell me they’d have made the Z Fold 8 a Passport style if it wasn’t for the Apple leaks. You know they wouldn’t and are lying to yourself if you think they would. Proof is in just how rushed that device feels compared to the far-more refined Z Fold 7 and Z Fold 8 Ultra. But, fact is, it’s right in the ballpark normal price than the completion, and, with a lot more polish.
Plus, I’d argue there’s a value proposition for what you get. Sure, (I know many have said this), you can just get an iPhone 17 + iPad mini + even some accessories, for less than the £1,999 starting price. Wooo, well done you. But, that’s not the point is it? The point is, with the Duo, it’s all one device, all one experience that you can fit in your pocket. No multi-device setup will compare to that. I really feel like the iPhone Duo will be a device that once you use it, you’ll feel that value.
Whenever I get an iPad recently, I always feel like I’ve to use it like a Laptop. That seems to be Apple’s approach with iPads really, they’re just half-baked Laptops built into a formerly decent tablet experience. With the Duo, I feel like this is going to feel like the iPad used to do, once open. You’ve a full tablet like sized screen, that you will only touch and interact with, encouraging you to use it as one. The fact that I can literally go to the BEHANN website, then, just open up my iPhone and I’m experiencing it on the big full screen, seamlessly in seconds, is, to me, incredible, and I’ve always loved that about foldables.
It does beg the question, though, who needs an iPad mini? I mean, think about it, the iPad mini is not practical to use with a Keyboard and Trackpad like Apple convince you with the iPad Air and iPad Pro, plus, the size of the iPad mini is so close to the size of the iPhone Duo, that, to me, as you’ll already be wanting a Smartphone as well, makes the iPad mini null and void now.
This is huge. No, really, it is. All of Samsung’s foldables lack it, all of Honor, Huawei, in fact, every Foldable except the Google Pixel Folds 9 and above, lack an IP68 rating. Most go for an IPX5 rating, which is awful when you look into what that means.
For those who don’t know, IP ratings are classified ratings for a device’s dust and water resistance, and, it’s in that order that you should be looking at it. So, when a device has an X in any of those categories, it doesn’t have a rating, so, it’s bad. I’m seeing countless examples of dust, sand, and more, getting into people’s Galaxy Fold devices, most recently on a MrMobile video. It’s a real issue. IP68 is the same dust and water-resistant rating Apple has on all their on-sale iPhone’s, so for a durability standpoint, this is big for a foldable. Especially, with dust. Water resistance is easy, I’d even argue standard in most devices now, especially with clear water, but, dust is a serious concern for foldables. You’ve now not just the speaker and microphones to concern yourself about, you’ve the hinge. So, it’s really good to see Apple take this approach.
We’ll get to the compromises Apple had to get to with the iPhone Duo, shortly, as they’re the majority of my “Don’t Like” list, but, this was make or break for me to be able to use an iPhone Duo, MagSafe. MagSafe is one of those things that, if you’ve never used it, you won’t understand. Bit like the Apple Watch. But, if you are like me, have MagSafe chargers exclusively, MagSafe power banks etc, you’ll know just how huge this is.
Rumours said Apple couldn’t do it. Then, last minute was not really a confirmation, but, leaker suggested yes it does, so everyone was happy until we realised that it wasn’t confirmation, it was just “ohh if the iPhone Air had it, the iPhone Ultra will…” … Thankfully, it’s confirmed, the iPhone Duo does have MagSafe! It also supports the same super-fast charging to 50% in around 15-20 minutes with a 60 watt or higher USB-C cable. I’ll be testing that with my MacBook Pro charger. I wouldn’t do it too often, as it negatively impacts the health of your Battery, but, good to know in a pinch.
Speaking of Battery, Apple claims the iPhone Duo will have “the same battery as the iPhone 17 Pro”. I have an iPhone 17 Pro, so, that’s perfectly fine with me. Apple’s claims are assuming a 50% use of the inner and outer screen, so, I’d argue, in the real world, you’ll probably have even better battery life, for reasons I already covered.
What I don’t like
Well, nothing’s perfect, and that is especially true when Apple release anything first generation. The first iPad was awful, until the iPad 2 fixed it. The first iPhone couldn’t even send a picture message. Need I go on. I think the Apple Watch is probably the only Apple device, recently, where the first generation was actually decent. And, dare I say, the iPhone Fold.
Well, there’s still some things that will get fixed going forward, I’m sure, but, for now these are my dislikes.
Whilst I don’t like this, I can also understand it. The dilemma Apple has with the iPhone Duo, is that you will need an easy way to unlock a device that not only has two different display profiles, but, also works in any orientation. This, already, would make Face ID a challenge, even just in terms of accuracy. For me, I think it would have made sense to have Face ID for the outer screen only, as by the time you look at it you are unlocked ready for opening up the inner screen. But, you can then understand the chunkiness of closing to authenticate and re-opening. So, no matter where you look at it, I think Touch ID was the correct approach.
However, if you have an Apple Watch, you can use that as a way to unlock your iPhone Duo. However, I’ve seen no evidence you can use it for authentication, like you can with a nearby Mac. So, yes, when you open a banking app and it seamlessly logs in with no effort, now, you will have to get your finger ready. So, unfortunately, yes, this is the one step back that you will need to make with the iPhone Duo. I know I will definitely miss Face ID. It’s a real shame.
Unfortunately, the iPhone Duo continues a disappointing trend when it comes to Foldables. For some reason, no matter who makes them, and no matter how good the Foldable experience is, you’re stuck with mediocre Cameras. The iPhone Duo is no different.
It’s as simple as this, if you want an iPhone for photography purposes, then get the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, heck, even one of the iPhone 17 Pro series, because, this just won’t cut it. Don’t get me wrong, they’re good Cameras and with iOS 27’s computational photography with the A20 chip, it’ll help. It’s just not the latest.
So, what Cameras are we left with, then?
The good news, slightly, about the iPhone Neo is that the front-facing Camera on the outer Screen supports Center Stage and all the great features that were brought to the iPhone 17 series of devices. The bad news, is that it is capped down to 12 megapixel, down from 24. However, the quality of those shots still seems rather decent. This does mean, however, it’s likely from the iPhone 17e.
This one is causing a lot of debate, as, so far, we’re not sure where the main 48 Megapixel Camera is from. Based on the insides shown, and, leaks, we’re somewhere in the middle of the main iPhone 17 Camera, or… dare we say it, another iPhone 17e Camera, which, if true, is not very good news. This means if you have an iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro series phone, you’ve got a better Camera than the one in the iPhone Duo. Of course, computational photography will take over and make it better, but, shame Apple couldn’t, literally, do an iPhone Air and add the current generation main shooter in there as well.
It’s not a bad Camera, at all, its just not current gen. Which is why, as we started this off, I said, if you’re getting a new iPhone mostly for its Camera, the Duo is not for you.
All I will say is this, it’s rather telling that all photos taken with the iPhone Duo and shared by Apple, have all being from the Ultrawide Camera. Speaking of which…
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On one hand, it’s really great that Apple has adopted an under-the-screen front-facing Camera for the iPhone Duo. It means that, for the most part, everything you watch or view on the unfolded display, is seamless across the board. This is perfectly fine for FaceTime calls as Apple has promoted it for, however there’s another reason why it seamlessly hides when not in use. Well, to put it simply, it’s a rubbish Camera.
Popular YouTuber MKBHD did the thing that John Ternus managed to stop iShowspeed from doing, taking a selfie shot with the under-display Camera. Well, let’s just say, you can see why. You can click the image above to check it out in full resolution, around 1-2 megapixels, it’s a shame really. But, the good news is, you don’t have to ever use it for pictures. For selfies, you’ve the Center Stage Camera, and, you can even use the Rear Cameras for selfies and regular shots with the many Camera modes Apple has added.
Maybe curse isn’t the right word, but, the history books will confirm they’ll be a much better, more polished version next year. Rumours are actually pointing to the possibility of a repeat to what Apple did with the iPhone X to iPhone XS, by them introducing a larger sized device for the second generation. Which, on that point, are they really going to call next year’s version the iPhone Duo 2? Eek.
But, it’s true, by getting the iPhone Duo early, we’re all going to have to put up with those apps that haven’t yet being optimised, the bugs that are guaranteed to be there. And, wait for Apple to make usability changes. For example, in the iPhone X, it took Apple until a full .1 release to make the multitasking gesture actually usable. I see less evidence of any major issues, for now, apart from for those who are left handed, of course, but time will tell.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of having an iPhone more akin to the size of the iPhone 6, or 12 mini, in my pocket, that I can just expand into an iPad experience whenever I like. But, as much I agree to what Apple said about choosing the Passport-style form factor, over the more narrow approach meets square underneath, what that comes with is, likely, a rather uncomfortable and awkward to use experience.
What a lot of people forget when it comes to foldable Smartphones, is that you will spend, the majority, to all, the time using this phone in the real world, closed! No, really. If you’re walking down the street and get a text you need to respond to, you’ll be doing it closed. If you’re paying with Apple Pay, you’ll do it closed. In fact, the only time you’ll probably use the iPhone Duo opened will likely be in a private space, where there’s a debate as to whether you’d of been better just getting an iPad mini. Not to mention when you take a call, you’ll look like you’ve got a Blackberry from the 90s to early 00s.
Like everyone reading this, I’m certainly going to try to use the iPhone Duo open as often as possible, but, I’ve experienced the Pixel Fold, and the Z Fold series, and I can confirm, the reason the Galaxy Z Fold 7 was such a hit, wasn’t due to the folding screen, it was due to how well the outer closed display felt just like a regular phone. Time will tell.
Am I getting an iPhone Duo?
Traditionally I always got the design-change iPhone, so, the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, iPhone 6 etc, and skipped the [S] series. Then, things sort of just kept being the same. First it was the iPhone 6 all the way up to the iPhone 8 looking the same. Then, it happened again from iPhone 12 onwards. But, even when they were slightly different, it was still an iPhone. Still worked the same. Well, not anymore.
The biggest advantage of a foldable is it’s completely new, completely different, a whole new experience. This will not be an iPhone you buy, leave the honeymoon period and think to yourself, “wait, this feels no different to my last one”. The iPhone 18 Pro series will probably reach that point very quickly. But, not the Duo. Of course comes a risk with creating a foldable, not everyone is game. Heck, I wasn’t into foldables until very recently. It wasn’t until the Galaxy Z Fold 7, that I thought, “ok, this is actually good now”. I literally had one in my basket multiple times after launch. But, I just couldn’t. No Apple Watch, no integration and that feeling is just never there with Samsung. With the Duo, I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be.
So, yes, I will be one of those crazy jittery individuals impatiently attempting to purchase an iPhone Duo come the pre-order period next month on the 16th. The first devices set for delivery and availability from the 23rd. On one hand it’s a shame that there’s such a wait time, but, on the other hand it’s good. We have chance to have a fair and real think about it, and, also, (hopefully) Apple has chance to make enough. I’ve no doubt this will sell a lot! I’m fully aware that once I trade in my iPhone 17 Pro for a shiny 512GB Silver iPhone Duo, that I’ve not only gained a lot of new stuff, but, ironically, lost stuff too. But, that’s part of the experience. Plus, the only things I’ve lost, really, are advanced Cameras and Face ID. I think that’s adjustable.
Of course if all else fails, that’s what returns are for.
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