The iPhone Duo is the first foldable phone from Apple. Apple announced it on September 9, 2026, next to the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. Pre-orders open on October 16, and sales start on October 23, 2026, in more than 70 countries and regions. The phone starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage, so it sits at the top of the iPhone lineup.
Design and display
The iPhone Duo uses a book-style design. Closed, it measures 117.8 x 84.1 x 11.3 mm, which Apple compares to a passport. Opened, it is only 5.2 mm thick, the thinnest iPhone so far. It weighs 254 g in both positions.
The frame and hinge cover are titanium. Ceramic Shield 2 covers the outer display, and Ceramic Shield protects the back. The phone is rated IP68, tested at a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes.
Inside, a 7.6-inch OLED folding display has a resolution of 1878 x 2670 pixels and a nano-texture finish to cut glare. The outer display is a 5.4-inch OLED panel with 1398 x 2034 pixels. Both screens share the same aspect ratio. In addition, both offer ProMotion up to 120Hz, an Always-On mode and up to 3,000 nits outdoors. Apple Pencil (USB-C) support is planned for later this year.
Performance
The phone runs on the Apple A20 Pro, the same chip as in the iPhone 18 Pro. It has a 6-core CPU with two super cores and four efficiency cores, plus a 7-core GPU with Neural Accelerators. A vapor chamber cools the chip.
Storage options are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB, with no card slot. Apple does not list the RAM, but Notebookcheck and Wikipedia report 12GB. For connectivity, the Duo uses Apple’s C2 modem with 5G, including mmWave in the US model. The N1 chip adds Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The phone works with eSIM only and has no physical SIM slot.
Cameras
The rear system has two 48MP cameras. The main camera has an f/1.6 aperture and sensor-shift stabilization. It also provides a 12MP 2x crop, which Apple calls optical-quality, because there is no separate telephoto lens. The 48MP ultrawide camera has a 120-degree field of view and handles macro shots.
Video reaches 4K Dolby Vision at 120 fps on the main camera. The outer display holds a 12MP Center Stage front camera that records 4K at 60 fps. Meanwhile, the inner display hides a FaceTime camera under the screen, which records 1080p video.
Battery and charging
The Duo has two lithium-ion batteries, one in each half. Apple does not publish their capacity. It rates the phone for up to 24 hours of typical use. Video playback reaches up to 44 hours on the outer display and up to 31 hours on the inner one.
With a 60W-capable adapter, the phone reaches 50% in about 20 minutes. MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging run at up to 25W. The box includes only a USB-C cable, so the charger is sold separately. For security, Touch ID sits in the side button, and there is no Face ID.
Software and updates
The iPhone Duo ships with iOS 27, adapted for the folding screen. The inner display can show several apps at once. Apple Intelligence and the new Siri AI are included, although Siri AI starts as a beta in English and is not available in the EU at first. Apple does not state a fixed number of years of iOS updates.
Should you buy the iPhone Duo?
The Duo suits iPhone users who want a tablet-size screen in a pocketable body, along with multitasking. It also brings an IP68 rating, which is rare among foldables. However, it costs $800 more than the iPhone 18 Pro, which starts at $1,199. It also lacks a telephoto lens and Face ID, and it works with eSIM only. Buyers who need longer optical zoom may prefer the iPhone 18 Pro.
