iPhone Duo revealed: 8 things you need to know about Apple's foldable phone
Apple is betting that the future of the iPhone is a flexible one.
Apple has finally done it. After years of rumours, speculation and increasingly elaborate leaks, the company has unveiled its first-ever foldable iPhone — and it’s called the iPhone Duo.
It’s a pretty major departure for Apple, combining the familiar iPhone experience with a folding design that turns the handset into something closer to a mini tablet when you need more screen. And, naturally, Apple has packed it with a new processor, redesigned iOS experience, upgraded cameras and a sizeable dose of AI.
Here’s everything you need to know.
1. It’s Apple’s first foldable iPhone
The iPhone Duo is the first foldable iPhone, opening up into what Apple describes as its largest-ever iPhone display.
Fold it shut and you get a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR outer display, designed to be used one-handed and comfortably slipped into a pocket. Open it up and there’s a 7.6-inch folding OLED display — giving you a much larger canvas for watching video, gaming, browsing and multitasking.
The inner screen has a nano-texture finish designed to reduce reflections and make the crease (where the phone folds in half) less noticeable, while both displays offer ProMotion, Always-On functionality and up to 3,000 nits of outdoor brightness. Apple also says the two screens share the same aspect ratio, meaning content can transition between them without everything suddenly looking weirdly stretched.
And! It’s the first iPhone to support Apple Pencil, although that feature is coming later after launch.
2. It’s seriously thin
One of the biggest surprises is just how thin Apple has managed to make the Duo.
When open, it measures just 5.2mm thick, making it the thinnest iPhone ever — as we guessed, it seems last year’s slimline iPhone Air was a test run for this new device. Folded, it measures 11.3mm. It weighs 254g, so you're certainly going to know it's in your pocket, but that's not outrageous given you're essentially carrying a phone and small tablet in one device.
The chassis is made from polished Grade 5 titanium, with a precision hinge designed to support the centre of the display and provide a smooth opening and closing action.
Apple has also gone to considerable lengths to make the folding screen tougher, using high-strength glass, custom adhesives and a titanium plate beneath the display. The Duo is also IP68 rated for water and dust resistance.
3. There are some clever camera tricks
The Duo is looking pretty capable in the photo and video capture department, too.
Its main camera is a 48MP Fusion sensor with optical-quality 2x telephoto functionality, alongside a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera. There's also a Center Stage front camera that can automatically frame photos and video in different orientations.
But the folding design introduces some useful new tricks.
Duo Preview lets people see the camera's live view on the outer display, making it easier for your subject to check their pose and framing. You can also use the higher-resolution rear cameras for selfies while previewing the shot on the external screen.
There's Smart Take, which uses on-device AI to automatically capture the right moment, while Kid Cue uses Peanuts animations on the external display to persuade children to actually look at the camera. We've all been there.
The Duo can also shoot 4K Dolby Vision video at 120fps and supports Cinematic effects after recording.
4. The A20 Pro is doing the heavy lifting
Powering everything is Apple's new A20 Pro chip, also used in the iPhone 18 Pro.
It features a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU and dual 16-core Neural Engine, with Apple claiming up to 35 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro. There's also a custom vapour chamber to help dissipate heat — particularly important when you're simultaneously running two displays, games and AI workloads.
In other words, this isn't a foldable that's making sacrifices on performance for the sake of the form factor.
5. iOS 27 has been redesigned for the folding screen
Apple has adapted iOS to make the most of the Duo's dual-screen approach.
Split View allows two apps to run side by side for the first time on an iPhone, while you can also run two windows of the same app — handy for something like Safari.
The Dynamic Island has been redesigned for the Duo, while content can automatically reorient itself as you fold, unfold or turn the phone.
StandBy also gets a significant upgrade, working on either display without needing the phone to be charging. Put the Duo down and it can become a clock, photo frame or widget hub.
Apps including Netflix, Zoom and Slack have already been optimised for the larger display.
6. Siri is getting smarter, too
The iPhone Duo launches with iOS 27.1 and Apple's latest Apple Intelligence features, including the all-new Siri AI.
The new Siri can understand personal context, use onscreen awareness and take action based on what's happening on your display. Apple says it can pull information from things such as messages, emails and photos to provide more useful answers.
It also gets a dedicated Siri app with conversational history synced through iCloud. Apple's foldable is very much designed as an AI phone as well as a big-screen one.
1 and Apple's latest Apple Intelligence features, including the all-new Siri AI.
The new Siri can understand personal context, use onscreen awareness and take action based on what's happening on your display. Apple says it can pull information from things such as messages, emails and photos to provide more useful answers.
It also gets a dedicated Siri app with conversational history synced through iCloud. Apple's foldable is very much designed as an AI phone as well as a big-screen one.
7. Battery life looks promising
Folding phones have historically had to make compromises with battery life, but Apple has taken an unusual approach here.
The Duo has a battery on each side of the device, with Apple's silicon and energy-management software treating them as a unified system.
Apple claims up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display, rising to 44 hours when using the smaller outer screen. With both screens being used equally, it claims up to 24 hours of usage per charge.
Fast charging can take the phone to 50 percent in around 20 minutes, while MagSafe or Qi2 wireless charging can reach 50 percent in around 30 minutes.
8. How much does the iPhone Duo cost?
Here's the slightly less exciting bit.
The iPhone Duo starts at £1,999 for 256GB of storage. It's also available with 512GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities, with the latter presumably aimed at people who have absolutely no intention of deleting a photo ever again.
There are two colours: Star White and Night Sky.
Pre-orders open on 16th October, with the iPhone Duo going on sale in the UK and more than 70 other countries on 23th October.
Apple is also launching a two-part iPhone Duo Case for £79 and an iPhone Duo Folio with an integrated kickstand for £129.
So there you have it: Apple's long-awaited answer to the foldable phone. With its enormous inner screen, genuinely useful multitasking, new camera tricks and hardware designed specifically around the folding form factor, Apple is betting that the future of the iPhone is a flexible one.
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