Apple unveiled iPhone Duo – the first foldable iPhone at $1999

Apple introduced the iPhone Duo – the first foldable iPhone. In its folded state, the smartphone features a 5.4-inch external display, and when unfolded, it reveals a 7.6-inch internal screen.

The model uses Touch ID instead of Face ID, is the first iPhone to support Apple Pencil, and starts at $1999. However, it does not have a dedicated telephoto camera like the iPhone 18 Pro.

Design and Displays

The iPhone Duo folds inward like a book. In its unfolded state, its 7.6-inch display is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max screen, and the outer display area exceeds 90% of the iPhone 18 Pro’s display area. The aspect ratio of both the inner and outer displays is identical.

The internal Super Retina XDR OLED display has a resolution of 1878 × 2670 pixels and a density of 430 ppi; the external one has 1398 × 2034 pixels and 460 ppi. Both screens support ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120 Hz, Always-On, HDR, True Tone, P3 color gamut, and Haptic Touch.

Standard brightness reaches 1000 nits, peak brightness while viewing HDR content is 1600 nits, and outdoors it reaches 3000 nits. Minimum brightness is 1 nit. Contrast ratio is 2,000,000:1. Anti-glare and oleophobic coatings are also provided.

The internal screen consists of ten ultra-thin layers and features a special nano-textured coating to reduce glare. Optically transparent adhesive layers allow individual display elements to shift slightly during folding, reducing mechanical stress in the crease area.

The device frame and hinge cover are made of Grade 5 titanium. The inner display features a scratch-resistant coating. The outer screen is protected by Ceramic Shield 2, while the back panel uses Ceramic Shield.

The smartphone meets IP68 protection standards and can withstand submersion in water up to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes. Two colors are available: Star White and Night Sky.

Face ID is not present in the iPhone Duo. The Touch ID scanner is integrated into the side button and used for unlocking and confirming Apple Pay transactions. However, Apple Dynamic Island is listed in the technical specifications for both displays. The inner screen camera is hidden beneath the display matrix.

In its unfolded state, the iPhone Duo measures 164,6 × 117,8 × 5,2 mm; when folded, it is 84,1 × 117,8 × 11,3 mm thick. Its weight is 254 grams. At 5.2 mm in the unfolded state, this is the thinnest iPhone ever.

Performance

The iPhone Duo is built on the A20 Pro processor, which is also used in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. It features a six-core CPU with two high-performance Super Cores and four energy-efficient cores, a seven-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and two 16-core Neural Engines. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing is also supported.

According to Apple, the six-core CPU is up to 20% faster than the A19 Pro, and memory bandwidth has increased by 50%. Heat dissipation is handled by a cooling system with an evaporating chamber.

Apple does not disclose RAM capacity. Storage options are available in 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB.

Cameras

The main Dual Fusion system consists of two 48-MP cameras:

• 48-MP Fusion Main: equivalent focal length of 26 mm, aperture f/1.6, sensor-shift optical stabilization, and Hybrid Focus Pixels. The camera captures photos at resolutions of 24 MP and 48 MP;
• 48-MP Fusion Ultra Wide: equivalent focal length of 13 mm, aperture f/2.2, field of view 120°, and Hybrid Focus Pixels. Supports 24-MP and 48-MP photos, as well as 48-MP macro photography.

There is no separate telephoto camera, but the main camera enables 2x optical-quality zoom at 12 MP resolution with a 52 mm equivalent focal length. This provides 0.5×, 1×, and 2× options. The maximum digital zoom is 10×.

The smartphone records Dolby Vision video at up to 4K resolution and 120 fps on the main camera. Cinematic mode supports up to 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps, while Action Mode goes up to 2.8K at 60 fps. It also supports macro video, 4K slow-motion recording at 120 fps, and Dual Capture with simultaneous recording up to 4K at 30 fps.

The external screen features a 12-MP Center Stage camera with an f/2.2 aperture. It automatically adjusts framing during photo and video calls, and records Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps.

The internal display features a FaceTime under-display camera with an f/1.8 aperture. It supports Center Stage during video calls and records video at 1080p with 30 or 60 frames per second.

The foldable design is used in several special modes. Duo Preview displays a snapshot preview on the external screen for the person in front of the camera. Kid Cue shows animations on it to attract the child’s attention. Smart Take detects when participants are ready for the photo and automatically captures the image. Duo FaceTime allows displaying conversation partners on the external screen.

The body also features a dedicated Camera Control button for managing exposure, depth of field, zoom, camera selection, styles, and tone.

Battery and charging

The iPhone Duo became the first iPhone with a two-section battery system. Apple does not disclose the exact battery capacity in mAh.

Under normal usage, the device is rated for up to 24 hours of operation. Local video playback reaches 44 hours on the external display and 31 hours on the internal screen. For streaming playback, the figures are up to 37 and 26 hours, respectively.

With wired charging, the smartphone reaches approximately 50% in about 20 minutes when using an adapter rated at 60 W or higher. Through MagSafe, it can reach approximately 50% in about 30 minutes with an adapter rated at 35 W or higher.

The maximum wireless charging power is 25 W via both MagSafe and Qi2. The power adapter is sold separately.

Connectivity and Interfaces

Apple’s own C2 modem handles mobile connectivity. It supports 5G sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO, as well as Gigabit LTE.

For wireless connections, the Apple N1 chip is used. The iPhone Duo supports Wi-Fi 7 with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 6, Thread, NFC, and second-generation Ultra Wideband.

There is no physical SIM card slot in any region. The smartphone works only with eSIM, can use two eSIMs simultaneously, and store eight or more profiles.

The USB-C connector supports DisplayPort and USB 3 with data transfer speeds up to 10 Gbit/s. Through USB-C, video output is possible up to 4K resolution HDR.

Also supported are dual-band GPS, satellite emergency calling SOS, satellite messaging, Find My via satellite, roadside assistance via satellite, and crash detection.

iOS 27 and Apple Pencil

iPhone Duo runs iOS 27, whose interface is adapted for dual screens and various device orientations. On the internal display, you can run two apps side by side in Split View, pin a video to the top of the screen, and work simultaneously in the other half.

The system accounts for the device’s orientation. The smartphone can be partially folded and placed on a desk for watching videos, workouts, or video calls. StandBy mode works even without being connected to a charger: the device displays the time, photos, weather, calendar, and widgets.

The iPhone Duo became the first iPhone with Apple Pencil support. Compatibility is confirmed for the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and applies to both the internal and external displays. Support will arrive later in 2026.

The smartphone also supports Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. The new version of Siri AI is gradually rolling out in English at the time of the announcement, so its availability depends on language and region.

Prices and release date

In the US, the iPhone Duo is available in four configurations:

• 256 GB – $1999;
• 512 GB – $2199;
• 1 TB – $2599;
• 2 TB – $3199.

At the recommended price, the base iPhone Duo is $100 more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 with 256 GB of storage and $100 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra with the same storage capacity.

Preorders for the iPhone Duo will open on October 16, and sales will begin on October 23, 2026 – approximately one month later than iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.