Apple has finally entered the foldable market with the iPhone Duo, its first folding iPhone. Here's how it compares against Samsung's latest foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. iPhone Duo [left] vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra [right] After more than a decade of rumors, Apple's first foldable arrived at its fall event as the iPhone Duo. A hyper-premium smartphone that has dual displays and folds in half. It lands in a market Samsung has led for years, thanks to its Z Fold line. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
After today's iPhone event, Apple invited members of the media to test out the new iPhone Duo. We were able to take a look, and we have some initial thoughts to share. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The iPhone Duo is priced starting at $1,999, and it feels like it. This is a premium device that's thin, but feels sturdy. The outer display is 5.4 inches, so it's smaller than the iPhone 18 Pro when it's closed, but the inner display is 7.6 inches. Apple used a nano-texture polymer for the inside display, and the material cuts glare but also reduces the visibility of the crease. The display layer has a micro lens texture written pixel by pixel using maskless laser lithography for a perceptually flat, matte surface. It does indeed minimize the look and feel of the fold in the middle of the iPhone Duo. You can still see the crease and it's visible in certain lighting, but Apple did a better job than Samsung at hiding it. Of course, foldable creases can become more visible as a device folds and unfolds, so it will be interesting to see how the iPhone Duo holds up over time. Apple says there are viscoelastic adhesives that let the layers glide over each other, so that might help. There's no visible camera cutout on the inner display of the iPhone Duo, because Apple put it under the screen. It's invisible on a lighter screen, but when the display is darker, you can see the camera area somewhat. Apple knew software would be important, and apps adapt well to the new form factor. The main controls are on the side of the displays and there's a new vertical dock. The status bar tucks in the corner, which makes sense for a foldable, and everything is where you want it for one-handed use. You can run two apps side by side, or two instances of the same app (like two Safari pages), but there's no option to resize them. They each take up one half of the display. Two apps can be locked together as a pair so they launch together in the future and you can swipe over to other apps. Apps work when the iPhone Duo is open, closed, and half-folded too. You can prop the iPhone Duo up and controls will move to the bottom of the display. iOS can adapt to the orientation and angle of the device, and it slides content away from the crease to make sure everything is easy to tap regardless of position. Audio also tunes automatically based on position. StandBy works even when the iPhone Duo isn't charging. You just need to fold the Duo in half in a tent orientation and you'll see widgets, music, calendar, weather, and more. It works as a bedside clock too, and there's even a new glow alarm clock feature. There are only two cameras in the iPhone Duo. It has a 48MP Fusion Main camera and a 48MP Ultra Wide camera, but no Telephoto camera. There is 2x zoom, but that's just a cropped-in view from the Main camera. The outer display front camera is 12MP. You can do some unique things with the iPhone Duo's camera setup. Apple added 4K Dolby Vision time lapses, a feature that works well with the iPhone Duo since it can prop itself up for longer shots. A Smart Take option uses AI to capture a shot when everyone is in frame, so you can set it up, run over to get in a group photo, and have the iPhone automatically take a picture. The outer display can show Peanuts animations to get children to smile (Kid Cue), and when you're taking a photo of someone, they can see themselves on the outer display and give you feedback on the shot setup (Duo Preview). FaceTime can also use both displays and someone can join a ‌FaceTime‌ call with you using the outer display camera, so you don't have to crowd together in one camera (‌FaceTime‌ Duo). The iPhone Duo has the same A20 Pro chip as the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, and Apple's new C2 modem that's faster and more efficient than the C1X. The C2 supports mmWave 5G speeds in the United States. The $1,999 starting price is for 256GB storage. You can get up to 2TB, but that option will cost you $3,199. iPhone Duo pre-orders start on Friday, October 16, with a launch to follow on October 23. Related Roundup: iPhone Fold This article, " Hands-On With the iPhone Duo: The Crease is Still There, But Barely " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event took place today, and the company introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, the new foldable iPhone Duo, new Apple Watch models, and AirPods 5. It took Apple over an hour to announce everything, but we have an 11-minute recap for those who want a quick but detailed overview of everything. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Our full event coverage is below with more information on all of today's announcements. iPhone Duo Apple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo' iPhone Duo: Pricing, Pre-Orders, and Release Date Announced Here's What Apple Says About the iPhone Duo's Crease Apple Explains What's Inside the iPhone Duo's Folding Screen iPhone Duo Beats iPhone Air as Apple's Thinnest iPhone, But Only When Open iPhone Duo is Dust-Tight With IP68 Rating, Unlike Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 iPhone Duo Battery Life Depends on Which Screen You Use iPhone Duo Doesn't Have an Action Button iPhone Duo Only Works With the $79 USB-C Apple Pencil, Not the Apple Pencil Pro iPhone Duo Will Ship With iOS 27.1, Hinting at Update's Release Date iPhone Duo Gets Its Own Case and Folio With Kickstand Apple Publishes Developer Video Series for iPhone Duo Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Apple Announces iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max iPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date Announced Apple Unveils A20 Pro as First 2nm Smartphone Chip Both iPhone 18 Pro Models Feature Variable Aperture Camera Apple Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Models Will Be Available in Four New Colors iPhone 18 Pro's $100 Price Increase is Actually $300 If You Want 1TB Storage iPhone 18 Pro Max Has 'Longest Battery Life in an iPhone' at Up to 45 Hours Apple Reveals iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max Battery Capacities iPhone 18 Pro Max Is Heavier Than iPhone 17 Pro Max, Not Thicker iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max: Here's How Much RAM Each Has iPhone 18 Pro's Redesigned Vapor Chamber Triples Cooling Surface Area iPhone 18 Pro Gains Manual Aperture, Shutter Speed Controls, and More iPhone 18 Pro Introduces 'Apple Reference Image' to Verify Photo Authenticity New Texture and Grain Controls Coming to Photographic Styles With iPhone 18 Pro iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo Feature Apple's New C2 Modem iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max Have Different Modems iPhone 18 Pro is eSIM-Only in These Countries Apple Debuts New Accessories for iPhone 18 Pro and AirPods Pro 3 Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Apple Announces Apple Watch Series 12 With S11 Chip, Upgraded Health Sensors and Ceramic Models Apple Announces Apple Watch Ultra 4 With Two-Day Battery Life and Upgraded Health Tracking Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Offer These Eight New Health and Fitness Features Three All-New 'Audio Intelligence' Features Arrive With Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Apple Watch Series 12 Comes in New Finishes, Including Ceramic Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Get Wave of New Bands AirPods 5 AirPods 5 Announced With Improved Noise Cancellation, Audio Quality, and More AirPods 5 Include ANC as Standard, Pricier Variant Now Gatekeeps Wireless Charging Instead Software Apple Announces iOS 27 Release Date Apple Seeds iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Release Candidates macOS Golden Gate Release Candidate Now Available Apple Seeds watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27 Release Candidates iOS 27's 'iPhone Handoff' Feature Limited to T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom at Launch iOS 27 Will Let You Redeem Apple Gift Cards on the Back of Your iPhone Apple's Fine Print: Daily Usage Limits for Siri AI, 'Expanded Access' Coming for a Fee Other News Apple Raises Prices of iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17e Apple Discontinues iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max Apple Extends Free Satellite Access for iPhone 14, 15, and 16 Users Apple Adds AppleCare One Family Plan for Up to Six People Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and More Expected The Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5 are available for pre-order today. Pre-orders for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max will begin on Saturday, September 12 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The new devices will launch on September 18. Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo will start on October 16, with a launch to follow on October 23. Tag: September 2026 Apple Event This article, " Everything Apple Announced at the September 2026 Event " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
