It’s official – Apple’s first foldable smartphone is here. The “compact, pocketable” new model is called the iPhone Duo, and the US tech giant claims it offers both the thinnest and largest iPhone display ever made when open.
The smartphone opens like a passport, with the outer display measuring 5.4 inches and the inner display coming in at 7.6 inches. With the outer display, you get 90 per cent of the screen area of the iPhone 18 Pro, which was also just announced at the Apple event this evening.
In both orientations, the screens sport an identical aspect ratio to help transitions between screens feel more seamless, whether it is open or closed.
John Ternus, Apple’s freshly appointed CEO, says: “iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original.”
The speakers for the Duo are placed on the top and bottom of the phone to deliver spatial audio.
Under the hood, you will find the A20 Pro chip, which is also included in the new iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. According to Apple, this upgrade means that it can deliver up to 35 per cent “better sustained performance” than the iPhone 17 Pro. On top of that, the phone is powered by iOS 27. This means that the controls are moved to the side of the screen to free up some space.
There’s some pretty nifty technology in terms of the screen, too. The nano-texture finish supposedly “minimises glare for an unparalleled viewing experience.” The first layer of the screen is glass, and below that is the folding display panel featuring custom adhesives that allow the layers to glide past one another “like the pages of a book” to relieve tension from bending.
It also has a 48MP Fusion Main camera, a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, and an integrated optical-quality x2 Telephoto.
For brightness, Apple says you can get up to 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. That comfortably outdoes the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 2600 nits, but is on par with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra's offering of 3000 nits.
The hinge in the middle is made of titanium and engineered from more than 100 components to create a “smooth, satisfying feel”. Inside the body, there are also support ribs to add extra stiffness.
If you’re worried about scuffing your fresh screen, there is a Ceramic Shield on the back of the phone and a Ceramic Shield 2 on the front that Apple says has three times better scratch resistance than the previous generation.
In terms of battery, there’s a bit of variation depending on which screen you use more. You can get up to 31 hours of video playback with the inner display, up to 44 hours of video playback with the outer, and up to 24 hours of usage per charge when both are used equally.
It’s the most expensive of the phones announced at Apple’s event as, for US buyers, the Duo will set you back an eye-watering $1999 / £1999 (roughly AU$2770) for 256GB.
That puts it in the same ballpark as the Samsung Z Fold 8 Ultra, which launched at £1899 / $2099 / AU$2999. We haven't had any time with the Duo, but with a promising set of specifications it should make for strong competition. Hopefully we'll get one in for testing soon. Watch this space.
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