Apple Presents First Foldable iPhone Duo

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable smartphone. The device features a 7.6-inch internal display, a 5.4-inch external screen, the A20 Pro chip, two batteries and a new camera system. Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo will open on 16 October, with sales starting on 23 October.

When unfolded, the iPhone Duo is Apple’s thinnest smartphone. Its internal Super Retina XDR display is 50% larger than the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. When folded, the device retains a compact form factor, while its 5.4-inch external display covers 90% of the display area of the iPhone 18 Pro.

Both displays have the same aspect ratio, allowing content to retain its proportions when moving between screens. They also support ProMotion, Always On and peak outdoor brightness of up to 3,000 nits.

The internal display features a nanotextured coating designed to reduce glare and reflections. According to Apple, the surface also makes the crease less noticeable and more pleasant to the touch. A new FaceTime camera is positioned beneath the display and remains hidden when not in use.

Later this year, the iPhone Duo will gain support for the Apple Pencil with USB-C. It will allow users to take notes, draw and annotate documents on both displays.

Construction and durability

Apple has equipped the iPhone Duo with a precision hinge designed to provide smooth opening and closing. When the device is unfolded, the mechanism supports the centre of the display and helps keep the smartphone flat. An integrated magnetic system ensures a tight closure.

The frame is made from Grade 5 titanium with a mirror-polished finish. The hinge cover is 3D-printed and features contrasting micro-blasted finishing.

The rear surface is protected by Ceramic Shield, while the external surface uses Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says provides three times greater scratch resistance than the previous generation.

The smartphone is rated IP68 for resistance to water, splashes and dust. The hinge contains more than 100 components. Internal reinforcement ribs increase structural rigidity, while ceramic-fibre inserts in the antenna breaks provide additional reinforcement.

The internal display is designed for everyday use. It is protected by a scratch-resistant coating and a nanotextured polymer layer that, according to Apple, has up to 40% greater stiffness than other materials used in the industry.

High-strength glass is positioned above and below the display module. Special adhesive connections allow individual layers to move relative to one another like the pages of a book, reducing stress during folding. A titanium plate at the bottom of the structure provides additional strength.

Cameras and new shooting experiences

The iPhone Duo’s main camera features a 48MP Fusion sensor. It can capture photos at up to 48MP resolution without shutter lag. By default, images are saved at 24MP, providing a balance between image quality and file size.

The system also includes a 2x optical-quality telephoto lens and a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera. The latter is similar to the camera installed in the iPhone 18 Pro and supports macro photography.

The main camera uses a new computational photography pipeline. A large sensor, a wide aperture and sensor-shift optical image stabilisation help improve image quality in low-light conditions.

The front-facing Center Stage camera can automatically capture photos and videos regardless of the device’s orientation. This allows users to take horizontal selfies without rotating the smartphone.

Updated Photographic Styles offer additional texture and grain controls, giving users more options for customising their photos.

The foldable design also enables a range of additional shooting scenarios. Smart Take uses artificial intelligence models running directly on the device and the capabilities of the A20 Pro to analyse a scene in real time and automatically take a photo when people strike the desired pose.

Duo Preview displays a live camera view on the external screen. This allows people being photographed to monitor the composition and their position in the frame. Kid Cue displays animations featuring Peanuts characters on the external screen to attract children’s attention to the camera.

Users can also take selfies with the higher-resolution rear cameras while viewing the image on the external display.

Duo FaceTime allows people nearby to join a video call through the external display and camera. Dual Capture in FaceTime, meanwhile, allows the front and main cameras to transmit video simultaneously.

The main camera supports 4K video recording at 120 frames per second and Dolby Vision. Cinematic effects can now be applied after recording video at up to 60 frames per second.

Audio Mix features new algorithms designed to improve voice quality and isolate music. Time-lapse supports 4K and Dolby Vision HDR. Thanks to its foldable design, the iPhone Duo can be placed on a surface without a tripod for extended video recording.

A new iOS 27 interface

Apple has adapted iOS 27 specifically for the foldable form factor. The interface retains its familiar structure, but lock-screen controls, the Dock, navigation and app controls have moved to the side of the display, freeing up more vertical space for content.

When unfolded, the home screen displays two pages, while the left side features Today View with vertically scrolling customisable widgets.

The status bar has a circular, flexible design and is positioned in the corner of the screen. It displays information about Wi-Fi, the mobile network, battery charge and other data.

Dynamic Island has also been redesigned. It now runs vertically along the side of both the external and internal displays and expands to show Live Activities and notifications.

iOS automatically responds to changes in the iPhone Duo’s position. Content adapts when the device is folded, changes orientation when the smartphone is rotated and switches to the appropriate display when the device is turned over.

Apple has optimised its own apps for the new form factor. Developers will be able to adapt third-party applications using updated APIs in the latest SDKs and future iPhone Duo support in Device Hub Xcode.

Netflix, Zoom and Slack are already using the foldable design in their apps. On Netflix, users can watch Clips on the external display or unfold the smartphone to view content on the larger screen.

For multitasking, Apple has for the first time added the ability to open two apps side by side on an iPhone using Split View. Users can also quickly switch between apps, open two windows of the same app, such as Safari, while simultaneously interacting with Siri AI and viewing content on the other part of the screen. App pairs can be saved for quick access later.

StandBy has also been redesigned. When the iPhone Duo is placed on a surface, it can enter this mode on either the external or internal display even when it is not connected to a charger. The smartphone can function as a photo frame, clock or widget hub.

Calendar and Weather have been added to the existing Clock and Modular options, while the Photos watch face now supports shared albums. Each option offers additional settings for colours, fonts and elements.

Apple Intelligence and Siri AI

The iPhone Duo supports Siri AI, a new version of Apple’s voice assistant that will launch in beta alongside iOS 27.

Siri AI uses Apple Intelligence and can work with a user’s personal context. The assistant can find information in messages, email, photos and other data.

Screen understanding allows Siri to perform actions based on information displayed on the screen and answer questions. Users can also formulate tasks in natural language by describing the desired result.

The new Siri app allows users to return to previous conversations or start new ones. Conversation history is synchronised across devices through iCloud while maintaining privacy.

Apple Intelligence also expands image-processing capabilities. Spatial Reframing, Extend and the updated Clean Up features allow users to change the composition and edit existing photos. Image Playground now supports the creation of photorealistic images.

Apple plans to support the SynthID standard in the future, enabling users to identify images created or edited using artificial intelligence.

Safari now includes Notify Me, a feature that tracks changes on web pages, including products becoming available for sale or price reductions.

Apple Intelligence processing takes place directly on the device, while cloud-based operations use Private Cloud Compute.

A20 Pro performance

The iPhone Duo uses the same A20 Pro processor found in the iPhone 18 Pro. Combined with a new cooling system, it delivers up to 35% higher sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.

The cooling system is based on approaches used in Apple silicon chips in the M series. The A20 Pro is paired with a custom-designed vapour chamber that helps dissipate heat during multitasking, gaming and AI workloads.

A new display processor manages both screens simultaneously, enabling smooth transitions between them.

The six-core CPU is up to 20% faster than the A19 Pro, while the seven-core GPU delivers up to a 40% performance increase and improved energy efficiency.

The 16-core dual-block Neural Engine provides twice the computing power for artificial intelligence models running directly on the device.

The A20 Pro is built using a 2-nanometre process and has 50% greater unified memory bandwidth than the A19 Pro.

Battery life and connectivity

The iPhone Duo features high-energy-density batteries on both sides of the device. The two batteries operate as a single system through energy redistribution algorithms and the capabilities of Apple silicon.

Apple says the device can provide up to 31 hours of video playback using the internal display, up to 44 hours on the external screen and up to 24 hours when both displays are used evenly.

Fast charging can bring the battery to 50% in about 20 minutes. With MagSafe or Qi2 wireless charging, the same level takes about 30 minutes.

The iPhone Duo is available exclusively with eSIM. Apple says this approach frees up internal space and allows for greater battery capacity.

eSIM is supported by more than 500 carriers worldwide, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. iOS 27 also introduces iPhone Handoff, which allows customers of supported carriers to switch between two iPhone models while keeping the same phone number.

Wireless connectivity is provided by the N1 chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. The C2 cellular system uses artificial intelligence to improve connection quality and stability and supports mmWave in the United States.

Accessories

Apple has released two new protective accessories for the iPhone Duo.

The iPhone Duo Folio case is available in dark blue and taupe. It features a built-in stand that can be positioned at different angles for reading, watching videos and FaceTime calls. When the device is folded, the stand folds into the case.

The iPhone Duo Case is available in sand and dark blue. It has a thin, lightweight design and consists of two protective sections covering both sides of the smartphone.

Both accessories are compatible with MagSafe, Qi2 25W and standard Qi chargers. Built-in magnets provide precise alignment and magnetic attachment.

Environmental features

Apple says the iPhone Duo was designed as part of its goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its entire business and supply chain by 2030.

The smartphone contains 35% recycled materials. Its battery uses 100% recycled cobalt, while the 3D-printed hinge cover contains 100% recycled titanium.

Manufacturing uses 60% renewable energy, including wind and solar power, across the supply chain.

The paper packaging is made entirely from fibre-based materials and can be recycled at home.

Price and availability

The iPhone Duo will be available in star white and night sky. Pricing in the United States starts at US$1,999, or from US$83.29 per month when paid over 24 months.

Storage options will include 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB.

Pre-orders in more than 70 countries and regions, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Türkiye, the UAE, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam, will open on 16 October at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Sales will begin on 23 October. The device will launch in another 28 countries and regions on 30 October.

The iPhone Duo Case will cost US$79 in the United States, while the iPhone Duo Folio with a stand will cost US$129. Both accessories will be available to order from 16 October.

The iPhone Duo will ship with iOS 27.1.

Apple Intelligence will become available on 14 September with iOS 27 for compatible devices set to a supported language. The system supports English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Siri AI will launch in beta on 14 September on supported devices set to English. Support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish is expected in October.

The availability of individual features may depend on language, region, local laws and regulatory requirements.

The iPhone Duo also supports Apple’s satellite features, which allow users to stay connected and receive assistance in critical situations outside mobile and Wi-Fi coverage.

Apple is extending free access to satellite features for another year for existing iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 owners who activated their devices in countries where Apple’s satellite features are supported before midnight Pacific Time on 9 September.