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Apple Unveils the iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable iPhone (cnn.com) 96

Posted by BeauHD from the new-and-shiny dept.
At its September event today, Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone and one of the biggest changes to the device's form factor since its debut. Starting at $1,999 and available for preorder beginning October 16th, the device is roughly the size of a passport when closed and pairs a 5.4-inch outer screen with a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display. Apple says the inner screen offers 50% more display area than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, while the exterior display provides about 90% of the screen area of an iPhone 18 Pro. Apple Pencil support for both displays is coming later this year.

Apple redesigned parts of iOS around the folding form factor. Users can run two apps side by side, launch two instances of the same app, save app pairings, and partially fold the phone to prop it up on a table without a stand. The interface automatically adapts as the device is opened, rotated or folded, while apps including Zoom and Slack are already being redesigned to take advantage of the larger canvas.

There are more than 100 components in its hinge, along with carbon-fiber support plates and a titanium layer beneath the folding display. Apple says the multilayer screen structure allows its components to move relative to one another while folding to reduce distortion over time. The phone is IP68 rated and uses Ceramic Shield on the rear and Ceramic Shield 2 on the exterior display.

As for battery life, Apple claims up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display or 44 hours on the outer screen, although using both displays equally is rated for up to 24 hours per charge. Fast charging can bring the battery to roughly 50% in 20 minutes, though. The device is eSIM-only worldwide and includes Apple's new C2 modem, which the company says is up to 50% faster than the C1X while consuming up to 15% less power.

What about the camera system? There's a 48-megapixel ultrawide, along with cameras on both the inner and outer displays. Because the phone can stand partially folded on its own, Apple is pitching new shooting modes including hands-free 4K Dolby Vision HDR time lapses, dual-camera capture and an outer-screen preview that lets subjects see themselves while being photographed.

Developing...

Apple Unveils the iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable iPhone More | Reply

Apple Unveils the iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable iPhone

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  • Chasing a trend (Score:4, Interesting)

    by memory_register ( 6248354 ) on Wednesday September 09, 2026 @02:32PM (#66331016)

    Help me out if I'm way off base here (but I'm not) - nobody I know likes or uses a foldable phone. This feels like a desperate trend-chasing move from an 'innovator' company...

    • I do not play video games, or work on documents on my phone, etc..., so its not for me, but for these use cases and others there is real value in having a larger screen. A foldable phone is the only way to have a significantly larger screen without having to wear cargo pants.

    • Re:Chasing a trend (Score:5, Insightful)

      by blackomegax ( 807080 ) on Wednesday September 09, 2026 @02:51PM (#66331044) Journal
      It would almost make sense....IF it ran in ipad mode open, ran ipad apps open, but closed up and behaved like iphone. Two devices in one. Probably cheaper than an iphone + ipad mini combo. But apple fumbled it again.
      • iPhone and iPad apps are technically the same binary - or at least can be. The only real difference is orientation and size support configurations the developer decides to enable.
      • That's my thought as well. Also, it's not cheaper than getting two separate devices so there's no cost advantage.

        I've never been a fan of foldable phones so I'm not the target market for this anyway, but what allure does this product have for anyone who wants to buy one? This product category feels more like a status symbol than serving any legitimate mainstream need. Niche product categories are fine, but Apple has never been a company excited to spend their time making something that only sells a few h

        • I totally agree with you. Ages ago I was carrying around an iPod touch and a small flip phone. Bizarrely enough, I need to replace both at the same time. I did the math and instead of getting two devices I paid $100 more and got an iPhone 5c. To me, this extra amount was justified. Except now...

          iPad mini ($600) + iPhone 17e ($700) = $1300. So that's $700 more for the convenience of carrying around the new flip phone.

          Except, for $600 Apple will sell you a refurbed MacBook Neo. I think that puts the price gap

        • The problem with iphones is that they all look the same. When you take it out of your pocket it's hard to say if it is a brand new iphone 8 pro (1200$) or an iphone SE that you bought refurbished for 100$.

          But when you take this new gadget out of your purse, and unfold it, you are clearly signaling that you've got a brand new 2000$ phone. And that is priceless.

        • You said it. Itâ(TM)s a status symbol. Thatâ(TM)s why it will sell well.

        • I have guys at work that whine about having to carry a laptop and tablet with them, and therefore leave the iPad at the office when in the field. If these can be made durable enough with a case, Iâ(TM)m imagining this being their phone/tablet combo device.
      • developer.apple sent out a "Making your app ready for Duo" notice - I didn't really read it - so there's at least *some* differentiation for apps that run on a Duo. It remains to be seen what level that is.
    • I bought the Pixel 11 Fold. I really like it. I use the large screen many times a day. I'm very happy I bought it.

      • I bought the Pixel 11 Fold. I really like it. I use the large screen many times a day. I'm very happy I bought it.

        What do you find yourself generally using the larger screen for? Is it watching videos, editing documents, or simply being able to see two apps open at the same time?

        I like the idea of having something as portable as a phone, but which can be opened so that I could watch a film on a larger screen, but the premium for this advantage is a bit too high for me.

        • Web browsing, editing spreadsheets, viewing photos and videos. Occasionally running 2 things aside by side. Reading a book too. I didn't have my eReader to hand so opened the phone, loaded my reader app, and read a few chapters. I also have an app for displaying music. I generally use a tablet, but I now have everything backed up onto the phone because I could use the phone in a pinch. The tablet is bigger (14"), but the music is very readable on this too.

    • I know a couple of tech enthusiast types with too much money, they love this shit, both men and women.

    • I tried the Surface Duo and while the form factor was nice, the software mostly sucked, and the camera was terrible. It was really good at separating apps that want to be full screen between the two screens. Been using a Samsung Fold4 since, and it has been much better usability, but the durability is poor, I got the extended warranty and have had it repaired for folding screen failures about yearly. When they pull the screen they also have replaced the battery so from that standpoint it has been kinda n
      • Posted before looking at the link, this wider format like the new Galaxy Fold is a better format for making use of the folding screen than the older Folds or Fold Ultra, and I see it supports a stylus so that's actually going to be useful. So good for them on features. With as critical as phones have become for 2FA and all that it is still a risk having an extra fragile device, and making cases that are functional and protective is tricky with the foldables. Hard to recommend if you don't have a spare ph

    • I don't want one.

      But... I'm sure Apple is going to sell* boatloads of these damn foldable phones. There are lots of people who still want the latest shiny, and unlike the ill-fated Vision Pro, at the end of the day this is still just a standard smartphone with a different form factor, not some new wearable toy most people can't think of a use for.

      * Lease/finance/whatever

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Jeremi ( 14640 )

        But... I'm sure Apple is going to sell* boatloads of these damn foldable phones.

        I'm not. $2K is an eye-watering amount to spend on a cell phone, even in 2026, and especially on a design that seems almost guaranteed to start wearing a vertical line into the display at the folding-point over time. I expect a number of Slashdot articles about unhappy Duo users demanding redress over that issue, even if everything else works as advertised.

        Maybe in a better economy, people would splurge on something like this, but I don't think that's the zeitgest this season.

        • You're probably also not the type to queue for 2 days in the rain outside the Apple store...

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Pieroxy ( 222434 )

          apparently, Samsung's foldables (at least not the first gen) do not wear over time at the folding point. I was surprised, but a friend of mine has been using one for over three years now.

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by shrik3 ( 581113 )

      It's for the people who use their phone 99% of the time. Us people who comment on Slashdot either on a laptop or a desktop with a 42" screen aren't the target market.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        I'd like a folding phone, but there are two issues holding me back.

        1. Fragility. The inner screens can still be damaged by a fingernail.

        2. Cost.

        I feel like the cost is at least partly down to poor design decisions. I don't need a camera under the outer screen and under the inner screen. An array of high end ones on the back is enough, and if I need to take a selfie/video chat I will just open the phone up and use the front screen.

        • I would like a folding phone if it actually made the phone smaller and not larger/thicker.

          It seems like the market for folding phones is similar to the market for pickup trucks. The small and mid-range have been completely removed and all we are left with is the choice between big, bigger and enormous.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by nmb3000 ( 741169 )

            I would like a folding phone if it actually made the phone smaller and not larger/thicker.

            This is me. I don't need or want a folding phablet (remember those?) but I'd love to be able to fold my normal Pixel in half like a clamshell phone from the 2000s. It would protect the screen and make it slip into a pocket much easier.

            Never going to happen, though. Most phone manufacturers aren't interested in what people *want*, proven by the fact that we *still* don't have a thicker phone with a larger battery that doesn't need a case to avoid slipping out of your hands and smashing on the ground. The

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by thegarbz ( 1787294 )

      Have you considered getting to know more people. I will agree with you the market is small, but there are plenty of people out there that both like and use foldable phones. How many? Well enough that multiple companies have invested money into designing and selling a product that has been enough to sustain multiple generations (Samsung is currently on the 7th Gen).

      I won't get a foldable phone, but clearly there are people out there who do, otherwise the concept would have died by now.

    • All they need to do is convince tik-tok and youtube to offer a square video format.

      - Portrait videos suck.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by lazarus ( 2879 )

      I'm old. Like, well, really REALLY old. And you would think being essentially immortal would come with perks like being able to see, but having effective ciliary muscles and them being completely dead are two different things.

      I watched the preso and my first thought was "Jesus (... thank you again sir), Apple keeps making better phones for old people!" This seems like one such phone, although I don't see myself opening my wallet for one until my 15 pro max is truly utterly dead (heh), and I know for sure

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by sinij ( 911942 )
        My thoughts exactly. While I am not THAT old, due to spending my younger years staring at CRT monitors, my vision isn't that great. Being able to easily read things on a phone is a huge bonus of this design.

    • Yes, from as thin as possible for YEARS, now it's double thickness that's all the rage.

    • That's perfect for Apple. If their rabid fans buy this, they can say they revolutionized the phone by introducing foldable devices and their fans will believe Apple actually invented something.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dbialac ( 320955 )
      I've owned 5. Z Flip, Z Flip 3, Z Flip 4 (x2) and Z Flip 5. Every one prior to the 5 is great. The 5 and later are terrible because the external screen got too big, defeating the purpose of a folding phone: durability. My original only died about a month ago after years of use. It was subjected to countless drops by hospital staff during a 5 week hospital stay. Still worked until the screen shorted along the fold line. I've recommended phones prior to the 5 here multiple times. My original was replaced by a
    • I bought a Pixel fold when it came out, and it has been a game changer for me. I use it to keep notes, sketch instead of on napkins and paper. I stopped carrying my Kindle for reading. For most meetings (and I have to go to a lot of them), i dont need to carry my laptop any more. I have been running presentations from it through Teams for at least 6 months now.
      I am at the point where you will take it from my cold dead hands right now.
      Can I program on it? Definitely not. Can I author large documents on

    • My sister-in-law uses one... but she works for Samsung. There are some cool little use cases, but novelty is dominant.

      For Apple, given the high cost of RAM and storage this is a great year to throw shit at the wall and see what sticks. Demand is going to be terrible no matter what they produce, so take some gambles and see if anything can carve a real niche (without losing margin).

    • I'm told China is a *big* market for folding phones, something like half of the global market for foldables is there. I don't know why, maybe they all like showing off when riding on public transport or something?

      I'm not the target market, but "da kids" are. They don't talk on the phone by holding it up to their ear, they put it on speaker and then sort of hold it horizontally and shout into it (in the rare times they actually make a call rather than text). I could imagine such users liking the idea of havi

  • It's a move like Vision Pro... it will sell more than that, but I don't see this making a dent.

  • I just wish (Score:3)

    by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Wednesday September 09, 2026 @02:53PM (#66331050)

    I really don't care for the current tall, narrow phones that seem to be what everybody makes now. I would like a phone that has the aspect ratio of the folded iPhone Duo - the dimensions of the outside screen one uses when it's folded, in other words.

    • The folded iphone duo is basically the size of a Mini 13, which is exactly what I use now. I want to be able to fold that. I hate big phones in my pocket.

      • I had a 13 Mini before my current phone. Part of its appeal was the "mini" price. Screw paying some insane premium for a more compact device (which is what Apple did with the iPhone Air).

        Also, someone on Reddit already said it so I can't take credit for it, but "It's called the iPhone Duo because it costs as much as two iPhones."

      • I still have my 13 mini. I just looked at Apple Store and I couldn't find physical dimension or weight of the Duo. But from the picks of the model holding it, the Duo has fatter aspect ratio. And you have two of them in your pocket. So my prediction is that it is about 20% wider (than 13mini) so mass would be 1.2*2*(141 grams) = 340 grams. For comparison, 17 Pro is 205 grams (I have one of those and it is really chunky to me.) So my guesstimate is that Duo weighs about 60% more than 17 Pro.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Altus ( 1034 )

          254 grams, so only 25% more and less than that compared to the 18 pro. its also only .44" thick closed which is only .1 more than the 18pro. It certainly sounds like an impressive piece of work but then it had better be fore what they are charging.

    • They made a phone that doesn't fit in a pocket unless you wear cargo pants 24/7.

      That's not what anyone asked for.

      • They made a phone that doesn't fit in a pocket unless you wear cargo pants 24/7.

        From TFS:

        the device is roughly the size of a passport when closed

        My actual passport fits in both the front and back pockets of my jeans. If it was thicker, like this phone, it would probably be a more difficult fit in the front pocket, where I usually carry my Pixel 5a - I never carry my phone in a back pocket.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by PPH ( 736903 )

      I really don't care for the current tall, narrow phones that seem to be what everybody makes now.

      Me neither. I'd like one like this. [seekingalpha.com] But nobody seems to carry them. Baseball caps as well. I can't find one of those cool looking ones with the bill in the back.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Altus ( 1034 )

      Im a bit worried it might be too wide but I do like the idea of a smaller phone that expands into a fairly capable iPad mini. I never understood the Samsung obsession with the clamshell design, that doesn't give me much flexibility... and the tri-fold just seemed a bit too much when I saw it in person. I haven't seen a folding phone that had dimensions I could live with day to day.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by antdude ( 79039 )

      For me, I want a newer smaller and lighter iPhone like mini, SE, 4S, etc. 13 mini is starting to get old and slow!

  • Thanks, RAMageddon! (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Powercntrl ( 458442 ) on Wednesday September 09, 2026 @02:58PM (#66331058) Homepage

    Two years ago I bought the iPhone 15 Pro after the usual $100 in-store price drop that happens after Apple announces their new models. I was planning on doing the same thing this cycle since it is finally paid off. Looks like the old Pro models just got discontinued without getting a price drop, because the entire iPhone lineup got a $100 price increase.

    Jacking up the price of phones that have been out for over a year just feels... insulting.

  • And let me guess (Score:3)

    by Valgrus Thunderaxe ( 8769977 ) on Wednesday September 09, 2026 @02:58PM (#66331060)
    In one month we'll be reading about all these $2000.00 phones that developed a cracked screen right on the hinge (how did I know?)...

    • In one month we'll be reading about all these $2000.00 phones that developed a cracked screen right on the hinge (how did I know?)...

      Apparently, solving this problem is why Apple is 3 years late to this game.

    • "You're folding it wrong," obviously.

      Perhaps Tim Apple had the sense to get out ahead of this.

      Happy to be proven wrong! That would be amazing engineering and might actually allow the rollable Global to come to fruition.

      But since everybody who has claimed to have perfected the engineering hasn't actually done so one should be cautious on such investments.

    • Anything more to add? :-]

    • In one month we'll be reading about all these $2000.00 phones that developed a cracked screen right on the hinge (how did I know?)...

      Betting against Apple when it comes to hardware engineering is... a choice.

      Say what you will about their pricing, software, marketing, etc., but I can't think of a consumer product company that has delivered a consistently better hard product. I guess we'll figure out who's right in a few months.

    • Cracking on the hinge? Is this a post from COVID? I haven't heard of that since the second generation Fold. This has been a solved problem for many years and there's virtually no talking of any cracking along the fold line. There are still issues with the visible crease forming over time, but the durability of these devices at this point is proven.

  • Rock or Disco? (Score:3)

    by Somervillain ( 4719341 ) on Wednesday September 09, 2026 @03:06PM (#66331072)
    I wager this is disco. I don't see the practical benefit. You're taking a well refined design and adding mechanical failure points and replacing a glass screen with a comparatively flimsy plastic one. Now you're making it cost more than a laptop and it has a weird form factor that won't fit nicely in your pocket. Your only benefit? You now have a $2000 unfolded phone that's almost as big as an ipad mini...just don't drop it!!!

    But I'm getting old and grey. I remember everyone saying the similar shit to what I said just now about the iPad, the iPhone, the internet, etc. So is this a solution looking for a problem?...or am I just an old out-of-touch greybeard bitching how I don't understand the new world? (or both?)

    They're going to have to do a LOT better than they did with the Vision Pro to create a market for this. I wouldn't use one of these if you gave it to me for free. My life isn't calm or simple. My phone gets dropped often and I have to rely on parent-grade thick cases and a screen protector...not to mention I'm constantly using it and putting it my pocket. Having a smooth design makes it robust and not collect lint or dirt. Having a hinge would do the opposite, I wager .

    • The internet? Is that thing still around?

    • There is an existing market for it. You can see it with all the Android fold devices. There are also a lot of people that don't really need an iPhone AND and iPad/iPad Mini. This is a good alternative for them. The major drawback is the price point, but the Android folds are similarly priced, so maybe that's just me...

      • There is an existing market for it. You can see it with all the Android fold devices.

        Foldable phones have been around for 7 years. I've seen precisely one in the wild. I know the guy personally who bought it. He got rid of it in 6 months because of some issue he had with it. According to Gemini, they represent 2% of the total sales, in 2026, globally.

        I kinda figured Apple would make the iPhone duo their own and fairly unique, so I avoided the Samsung comparison. However, it's a very small marketshare and I am not confident the folks who bought them love them. There's always a sucke

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by shilly ( 142940 )

      I'll give my good-faith best guess answer. Apple has focused on exactly the question you're asking: what is this thing really for? They've figured out you can infer the user's intended use from how the user is manipulating the physical object. This is a well-trodden path for Apple. For example, taking an AirPod out signals a user intends to stop listening to the AirPod and so it automatically stops.

      And the other thing Apple has focused on, coupled with this, is that there are more physical states than just

    • Saying a person is old is not politically correct, it's older now. So you are getting older and gray. Why is old bad?

      • Saying a person is old is not politically correct, it's older now. So you are getting older and gray. Why is old bad?

        Your mind goes at roughly the same pace as your body. There's no biological reason for that, but it just so happens. My ability to adapt and learn has been compromised, despite my best efforts to avoid it. I acknowledge this and do what I can to be better than most, including most young people, but I still see it. I could pick up a brand new programming language in a few months when I was in my early 20s and now it takes me 4x as long, despite more experience...or just the difference in learning Spanish

  • Worst Phone Format x2 in One (Score:3)

    by nightflameauto ( 6607976 ) on Wednesday September 09, 2026 @03:45PM (#66331148)

    So, now you can have a shitty square phone that's horrible to hold, or you can unfold it into a much bigger rectangle, that's also horrible to hold. True innovation. Two shitty formats in one extra expensive phone. Yeah, Apple knows how to get it.

  • Should have keep the Duo smaller, cheaper (way cheaper), with just enough screen to read email and essentials. A lost opportunity for the new CEO to shine in my view. We'll see how it turns out.
  • I don't get how a foldable iPhone can cost more than three times as much as 3 iPad minis (non-cellular version). The only difference I see is that the iPad mini doesn't have the absolute newest chip, and the camera on the mini is not great...but otherwise, 3 times as much? Really? And the data plan is much cheaper than a full phone plan. Maybe my next phone will be an iPad.

    • Find a competitive foldable automobile and see how much it costs compared to non-foldable automobiles, and I think you'll find foldable shit is expensive.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

      non-cellular version

      Well, that might be a hint.

      the iPad mini doesn't have the absolute newest chip

      Or that one.

      the camera on the mini is not great

      I'm starting to see a pattern....

  • The rule with Apple products is you always wait until the third iteration to buy if you are generally interested. That way you get through all the issues and kinks, and the tech advances to the point that it fully works as intended. Usually, the first gen is more of a "proof of concept" for bleeding edge early adopter types.

    I can see some appeal, but there are two issues with a foldable phone: not as nice as a regular phone in folded mode when "on the go" and likely not as durable. I will drop my phone doze

  • what did Android do years ago.....

  • Camera is the main issue (Score:4, Informative)

    by u19925 ( 613350 ) on Wednesday September 09, 2026 @05:23PM (#66331334)

    Most people who use foldable phone don't have enough physics knowledge on how camera optics work.

    In general good cameras need more thickness. Foldable phone restricts this. So using the same technologies, I can make better camera on non-foldable phone than on foldable phone when the thickness of non-foldable phone is same as folded phone.

    So either you get higher thickness when folded or you get inferior photos when compared to non-foldable phone.

    That is one of the main reasons, why I don't plan to get a foldable phone.

  • I'm hanging out for the "iPhone Scroll".

  • oh drat (Score:3)

    by Tom ( 822 ) on Wednesday September 09, 2026 @10:53PM (#66331828) Homepage Journal

    And here I was, thinking foldable phones would allow us to go back to smaller sizes. Guess I'll be sticking with my SE, which at least comfortably fits into my pocket.

    Someone please bash some sense into Apple.

    I'm sure there are people who want a mini-tablet in their trousers. I'm also sure I'm not the only one who simply wants a phone. That you don't have to think about every time you move or sit.

  • I want a sturdy, compact, 5.5" screen phone, no case needed, that I can drop without damage and that fits in my back jeans pocket.

    Forget the fold gimmick, the thinness gimmick, the phablet-size gimmick, the case gimmick.

    Come on sheeple, demand the phone you need, not the gimmicks the manufacturers are pushing on you.

    • Modern smart phones seem to be pretty resilient to drops.

      I had a Pixel 6 for the full supported lifetime and dropped that thing countless times on all kinds of different surfaces, at different angles and varying heights. I traded it back in for full value when I got the Pixel 10, which I have already dropped several times without damage.

  • They have always been foldable. The being news is that they can be unfolded again.
  • The folded size needed to be small, like the 12 mini.
  • Doesn't fit in your pocket as well as a smaller phone. Doesn't have as big of a screen as even the smallest iPad. Underpowered and hard to type on with a limited OS compared to a laptop. I am not sure which niche this fills. But forecasters are predicting there will be about 12 million people who will try to find out.

    I mean I resisted getting a laptop in favor of a desktop, tablet, and smartphone. When my desktop finally could no longer be upgraded effectively after 13 years, I went with a high end lapto

  • And I'm extremely happy with it.

    $2,000 for a phone? What on EARTH does that extra $1,800 buy you???

    Oh yeah, that folding thing.

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