Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, a foldable phone that opens into a 7.6-inch display and closes down to a 5.4-inch outer screen.
Design and Build
Closed, the iPhone Duo is roughly the size of a standard iPhone. Opened, the inner screen is about 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max display. Both screens use the same aspect ratio, so photos, videos, and apps look consistent whether the phone is open or closed.
READ: Apple Unveils iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
The screen has a nano-texture coating that cuts down on glare and makes creases in the fold less noticeable. A camera is built into the inner display and stays hidden until it’s in use.
The body is made of grade 5 titanium, with a mirror-polished finish and a 3D-printed hinge cover. The back and front are both protected by Ceramic Shield, which Apple says resists scratches three times better than before. It’s also rated IP68 for water and dust resistance.
The hinge itself is made from more than 100 parts, built to support the display and hold up over years of folding. Inside, the phone uses reinforced ribs and ceramic fiber inserts to keep the frame stiff.
The folding part of the screen has a scratch-resistant coating and glass layers above and below it, with a titanium plate at the bottom for added durability.
Touch ID is built into the side button, so it works whether the phone is open or closed. Apple Watch unlock is also supported. Later this year, the phone will work with the USB-C Apple Pencil on both screens.
Cameras
The main camera is a 48 MP sensor that can shoot at full resolution or a 24 MP default, plus a 2x optical-quality zoom built into the same lens. There’s also a 48 MP ultra-wide camera (the same one used in the iPhone 18 Pro) for wider shots and macro photography.
Because the phone folds, Apple built several camera features that only work on this design:
- Smart Take uses on-device AI to detect when people in the frame are posing and snaps the photo automatically.
- Duo Preview shows a live preview on the outer screen so the subject can check their framing before the photo is taken.
- Kid Cue plays cartoon animations on the outer screen to get kids to look at the camera.
- Duo FaceTime lets someone standing next to the phone’s user join a video call using the outer screen.
Video recording supports 4K at 120 fps in Dolby Vision, and time-lapse videos can be shot in 4K HDR without a tripod by propping the phone up on its hinge.
Software
iOS 27 has been adjusted for the foldable design. Navigation controls and the dock sit along the side of the screen rather than the bottom, which frees up vertical space. When the phone is open, it shows two home screen pages side by side, with a scrollable widget view on the left.
The biggest new feature is Split View, which lets two apps run side by side on an iPhone for the first time. Users can also run two windows of the same app, talk to Siri on one half of the screen while looking at something else on the other half, and save app pairs to reopen later.
StandBy mode, which turns the phone into a bedside display, now works on either screen even when the phone isn’t charging.
Siri and AI Features
The phone ships with a new version of Siri, built on Apple Intelligence, that Apple is rolling out as a beta with iOS 27.
It’s designed to pull context from a user’s messages, emails, and photos to answer questions and complete tasks, and it can also look at what’s currently on screen to take action based on that.
Other AI features include tools for editing photos after they’re taken (reframing, extending backgrounds, and cleaning up unwanted objects), an updated Image Playground for generating realistic images, and a Safari feature called Notify Me that watches web pages for changes like restocks or price drops.
Apple says AI processing happens either on the device or through its private cloud servers, rather than through third parties.
Chip and Battery
The phone runs on the A20 Pro chip, the same one used in the iPhone 18 Pro line, built on a 2-nanometer manufacturing process.
Apple says it delivers up to 35% better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro, thanks partly to a vapor chamber cooling system connected directly to the chip.
The CPU is up to 20% faster than the previous generation, the GPU is up to 40% faster, and the neural engine (used for on-device AI) has twice the processing power of before.
Instead of one large battery, the phone uses two batteries, one on each side of the hinge, that work together as a single power source. Apple’s battery life estimates are:
- Up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner screen only
- Up to 44 hours using the outer screen only
- Up to 24 hours with mixed use of both screens
The phone supports fast charging, reaching 50% battery in about 20 minutes with a cable or about 30 minutes wirelessly with MagSafe or Qi2.
Connectivity
The iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide, meaning it has no physical SIM card slot. A new feature called iPhone Handoff lets someone move their phone number between two iPhones if their carrier supports it.
Accessories
Apple is also releasing two new cases for the phone. The iPhone Duo Folio comes in navy blue and taupe and includes a built-in kickstand.
The iPhone Duo Case comes in sand and navy blue and wraps around both halves of the phone. Both are compatible with MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging.
Availability
Pre-orders start October 16, with the phone shipping October 23. Prices begin at $1,999 for the 256GB model, with 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options also available. It comes in two colors: star white and night sky.
