Apple announced iPhone Duo is the first foldable smartphone in the line. When opened, this is the thinnest iPhone in the entire history of the series, and when closed, it is comparable in size to a passport.
The internal Super Retina XDR screen measures 7.6 inches diagonally and is 50 percent larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The 5.4-inch external display gives up 90 percent of the iPhone 18 Pro’s screen real estate, and the same aspect ratio of both screens maintains content proportions when folded.
A nanotexture coating on the inner panel reduces glare and makes creases less noticeable. Both displays support ProMotion, Always On mode and peak brightness of 3,000 nits in sunlight, and the FaceTime camera is hidden under the internal screen and is not visible when idle.
The case is made of grade 5 titanium with mirror polishing, and the hinge cover is 3D printed. The back panel is protected by Ceramic Shield, the front panel is protected by Ceramic Shield 2 with three times greater scratch resistance, the gadget received IP68 protection.
The hinge is made up of more than 100 components and holds the center of the screen open. The folding module itself is protected by a nanotextured polymer that is 40 percent stiffer than industry analogues, and special adhesives allow the layers to slide relative to each other like the pages of a book, relieving the load when bending.
John Ternus, CEO of Apple:
iPhone Duo is the most transformative change to the iPhone since the original. With an all-new design and intuitive scenarios, it shows what’s possible when hardware and software are created together, and redefines the very concept of a foldable phone. The largest screen in iPhone history that still fits easily in your pocket, the power of A20 Pro helps you stay immersed and productive anywhere, whether you’re browsing content, multi-tasking, or playing games.
The A20 Pro is responsible for performance, the same chip found in the iPhone 18 Pro. The vapor chamber and redesigned chip assembly provide up to a 35 percent increase in sustained performance relative to the iPhone 17 Pro.
The six-core processor is 20 percent faster than the A19 Pro, seven-core graphics are up to 40 percent faster, and the new dual 16-core Neural Engine doubles the power for local AI models. The chip is built using a two-nanometer process technology and has a 50 percent wider memory bandwidth.
Power is provided by two batteries operating as a single system. Up to 31 hours of video playback on the internal screen, up to 44 hours on the external screen and up to 24 hours of mixed use are stated, and the smartphone gains half a charge in 20 minutes via wire or 30 minutes via MagSafe.
The 48-megapixel main camera is complemented by an optical two-time telephoto lens, and the ultra-wide-angle module also has 48 megapixels. The folding design opened up shooting scenarios unavailable to other models:
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Smart Take automatically takes a photo when the neural networks on the A20 Pro recognize people posing
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Selfies can be taken with the main cameras with preview on the external screen
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Duo Preview shows live footage to those being filmed
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Kid Cue includes Peanuts animations on the external screen to encourage kids to look at the camera
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Duo FaceTime connects those nearby to a video call
The main camera records 4K120 in Dolby Vision, and cinematic effects are now applied after shooting at up to 60 frames per second.
iOS 27 has been redesigned for a foldable format. Controls have moved to the side, Dynamic Island has flipped vertically, and Split View allows you to open two apps side by side or two windows of the same app on iPhone for the first time. StandBy mode now works without connecting to a charger.
Siri AI goes into beta with iOS 27 on Monday, September 14, but is not available in the European Union at launch. The smartphone works only with eSIM, uses an N1 chip with support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, as well as a C2 modem with mmWave in the US.
The iPhone Duo is sold in starry white and night sky colors starting at $2,000 for the 256 GB version, with older configurations going up to 2 TB.
Pre-orders start on October 16 in more than 70 countries, sales will begin on October 23, and another 28 countries will receive the new product on October 30.
