Apple has officially entered the foldable-phone market with iPhone Duo, a passport-sized device that opens into the largest display ever fitted to an iPhone. Unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Duo combines dual displays, Apple’s A20 Pro chip, new camera modes, and iOS 27 software built around multitasking.
Key takeaways
Apple’s first foldable is aimed at users who want tablet-like screen space without carrying a separate device.
- iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage.
- It has a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display.
- Pre-orders open October 16, with availability beginning October 23.
- The phone uses Apple’s A20 Pro chip, dual batteries, and a custom vapor chamber.
- iPhone 18 Pro models start at $1,199 and add a variable-aperture main camera.
For hardware enthusiasts, the launch represents Apple’s most substantial iPhone design change in years, while also extending the company’s push toward on-device AI and more capable mobile software.
iPhone Duo targets the premium foldable market
The Duo opens like a book, revealing a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display with ProMotion, Always On functionality, and up to 3,000 nits of outdoor brightness. When closed, its 5.4-inch outer screen provides 90% of the display area of the iPhone 18 Pro while remaining pocketable.
Apple says both screens share the same aspect ratio, allowing content to transition cleanly between them. The inner panel uses a nano-texture finish designed to reduce reflections and make the crease less visible. Touch ID is built into the side button, replacing Face ID on this model.
The device is made from grade 5 titanium and carries an IP68 rating. Apple says its hinge uses more than 100 components, while reinforced internal structures and layered protective materials are intended to improve resistance to everyday wear—an important claim in a category historically affected by hinge and screen durability concerns.
A20 Pro powers cameras, gaming, and multitasking
The Duo uses the same A20 Pro platform as the iPhone 18 Pro models. Apple claims up to 35% better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro, with a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engine. A custom vapor chamber is designed to maintain performance during gaming, video work, and AI workloads.
Its camera system includes a 48MP Fusion Main camera with optical-quality 2x telephoto capability and a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera. Folding-specific features include Duo Preview, which shows framing on the outer screen, Smart Take for automatically capturing posed photos, and Duo FaceTime for including people around the device in a video call.
The phone also supports 4K video at 120 frames per second in Dolby Vision. A dual-battery design provides up to 31 hours of inner-display video playback, according to Apple.
iOS 27 makes the larger screen useful
Apple has redesigned iOS 27 for the Duo, moving controls and navigation to the sides to preserve vertical space. Split View supports two apps side by side, while users can open multiple windows of the same app and save app pairs for later use.
The foldable also supports Apple Pencil with USB-C later this year. Apple says apps including Netflix, Zoom, Slack, and its own productivity software are being adapted for the larger canvas.
Apple Intelligence and the beta Siri AI are central to the software experience. Siri can use onscreen awareness and personal context from messages, email, photos, and other apps, although some server-based features will have usage limits and Siri AI will not initially be available in the European Union.
iPhone 18 Pro rounds out the launch
Apple also announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, powered by A20 Pro and offering up to 24 and 30 hours of battery life, respectively. Both models add a 48MP main camera with variable aperture, a first for the iPhone lineup.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the Pro Max starts at $1,299. They will be available in black, silver, glacier, and burgundy. Apple is retaining the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17e as lower-cost alternatives rather than introducing a standard iPhone 18 model.
Pricing and availability
The iPhone Duo will be sold in star white and night sky, with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage options. It starts at $1,999 in the United States, while the optional Duo Case costs $79 and the Folio with Kickstand costs $129.
Apple will begin accepting pre-orders at 5 a.m. Pacific time on October 16. Retail availability starts October 23 in more than 70 countries and regions, followed by additional markets on October 30.