Here it is, the very first foldable-screen iPhone that rumors have been announcing for years. A delay behind the competition that allowed Apple to almost solve the famous problem of the unsightly crease visible at the hinge level, and to integrate its very latest display and artificial intelligence technologies.
While months of rumors had accustomed us to calling it iPhone Ultra, Apple’s very first foldable-screen smartphone is finally here, and is officially named iPhone Duo. A name revealed alongside the full list of the device’s features on the occasion of Apple’s traditional conference, which took place on September 9.
iPhone Duo: 7.6" foldable display and nano-textured finish
Aside from that name, if you have religiously followed the rumor trail we reported throughout the past year, you already know almost all of the smartphone’s features. Even so, Apple managed to keep other surprises, such as the matte look of the 7.6" Super Retina XDR foldable main display (50% larger than that of the iPhone 18 Pro Max), with a custom nano-textured finish and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. An elegant finish that also helps hide the unsightly crease seen on most competing models. A factor combined with precision engineering for the hinge, in addition to a multi-layer display (composite and polymer materials) capable of sliding over one another during folding, developed for years by Apple precisely to get rid of this visible trait at the screen fold of the [abc]Oled[/abc].
iPhone Duo, under-display camera and passport format
A display all the more immaculate because the FaceTime sensor (f/1.8, 27 mm, 4 Mpx) located there (on the right side) is also almost invisible, cleverly hidden under the panel. Another first for Apple, which paves the way for hiding the camera sensor in its future models, notably the 2027 iPhone XX anniversary model, which promises a unique edge-to-edge display. This sensor is joined by a 12 Mpx Center Stage model (f/2.2, Dolby Vision HDR) on the Super Retina XDR external display, which offers a 5.4" diagonal, with a unique “passport” format, shorter than usual and a little wider. These proportions, allowing a 4:3 format display once unfolded, were introduced by Huawei this year, then more recently by Samsung, and soon by Xiaomi. Ideas “circulate” quickly, apparently...
iPhone Duo, dual 48 Mpx sensor and generative AI
Let’s continue with the main photo sensors, two 48 Mpx Fusion lenses, including an ultra-wide-angle one (respectively f/1.6 and f/2.2, 26 mm and 13 mm, 1.22 µm and 0.7 µm pixel, PDAF, stabilized and PDAF). These cameras make it possible in particular to shoot in [abc]Ultra HD[/abc] [abc]4K[/abc] at 120 frames per second in [abc]HDR Dolby Vision[/abc], and are supported by AI algorithms (Apple Intelligence) to, for example, capture images at the right moment via Smart Capture, without needing a photographer, or even edit elements precisely.
iPhone Duo: Titanium, Touch ID and A20 Pro chip
Beyond this beautiful matte display, the iPhone Duo exudes premium in the Apple style, with a machined polished titanium frame, Ceramic Shield protection on the back, and Ceramic Shield 2 for the external display, for an IP68 protection rating (only IP48 for the direct rival Galaxy Z Fold 8). The iPhone Duo is naturally Apple’s thinnest model, so as not to be too bulky when folded, and usual technologies such as Face ID have been sacrificed to save space.
Unlocking is therefore done via Touch ID on the side button, or with a paired Apple Watch. On the technical side, the device runs on the latest A20 Pro processor (6-core CPU and 7-core GPU) built on 2 nm, accompanied by Apple’s new C2 modem, 50% faster than the previous C1X and consuming 15% less battery, as well as [abc]Wi-Fi[/abc] 7 and [abc]Bluetooth[/abc] 6.
iPhone Duo, dual battery and battery life
Unprecedented on iPhone, the two-battery system is paired with an internal eSim design to maximize space. The two work together as a single unit, with up to 31 hours of video playback on the foldable internal display and 44 hours on the external display. Apple estimates average battery life at up to 24 hours.
Fast charging makes it possible to reach 50% in about 20 minutes, and just 5 minutes of charging provides up to 5 hours of video playback on the external display. Finally, note compatibility with the Apple Pencil stylus (optional, [abc]USB[/abc]-C version only), not yet implemented but which will arrive by the end of the year via an update.
To conclude, it will sting a bit with the starting list price of €2,339 for the 256 GB model, up to the 2 TB specimen at... €3,839. That hurts a little, even if we expected it. The iPhone Duo will be available in two colors (starlight white and night sky) from October 23, with preorders opening on October 16 at 2:00 p.m. Later than usual, therefore, in response to the difficulties Apple is facing in producing this new type of device.
Reminder of the key features of the iPhone Duo:
• Internal display: Super Retina XDR [abc]Oled[/abc] 7.6", nano-textured finish, up to 3,000 nits
• External display: Super Retina XDR 5.4 inches
• Processor: A20 Pro chip (6-core CPU, 7-core GPU) built on 2 nm
• Main camera: Dual 48 Mpx Fusion camera (wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle, respectively f/1.6 and f/2.2, 26 mm and 13 mm, 1.22 µm and 0.7 µm pixel, PDAF, stabilized and PDAF, recording up to [abc]Ultra HD[/abc] [abc]4K[/abc] at 120 frames)
• Front camera: 12 Mpx Center Stage (external display, f/2.2, AF, Dolby Vision HDR, recording up to [abc]Ultra HD[/abc] [abc]4K[/abc] at 60 frames or [abc]1 080p[/abc]/120) and 4 Mpx FaceTime camera under the display (internal, f/1.8, 27 mm, recording up to 1 080p/60)
• Video: 4K at 120 fps with [abc]HDR Dolby Vision[/abc]
• Connectivity: [abc]Wi-Fi[/abc] 7, [abc]Bluetooth[/abc] 6, 5G, eSIM, new C2 modem
• Battery life: Up to 31 h of video playback (internal display) and 44 h (external display)
• Security: Touch ID on the side button
• Resistance: IP68, back in Ceramic Shield, external display in Ceramic Shield 2
• Materials: Machined polished titanium frame and 35% recycled materials
