The iPhone Duo marks Apple’s long-awaited entry into the foldable market, revealed as the closing “One more thing” moment at today’s hardware event. After years of speculation, Apple has joined rivals who have offered foldable handsets for the better part of a decade.
The device is positioned as the most capable iPhone yet, and also the most expensive. Even so, it starts at around £1,570, placing it in the same range as foldables from Google and Samsung rather than the higher figure many anticipated.
An iPad in your pocket
Rather than opening into a square shape, the iPhone Duo adopts a passport-like form when closed. Apple criticised square aspect ratios, arguing they stretch single apps awkwardly and leave videos with large black bars. The handset instead offers a 1:1.4 aspect ratio when both open and closed.
The 5.4-inch outer screen features an asymmetric design, with pointed corners on the hinge side and rounded corners on the other, which Apple suggests “invites you to open” the phone. Inside sits a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR foldable panel, slightly wider than a classic 4:3 monitor.
The display combines multiple layers of flexible glass with a titanium base, echoing recent industry display technology. The top layer uses a custom polymer that is stiffer than other materials, with a nano-texture finish to improve readability. Apple claims the result performs better in bright light with no, or very little, visible crease, and states the multi-layer lamination process prevents a crease developing over time.
Performance and battery life
The iPhone Duo runs the same A20 Pro chip found in Apple’s new flat handsets. The inner display can play video for 31 hours, while the outer screen manages 44 hours. With mixed use of both screens, Apple expects the device to last around 24 hours on a single charge.
An unfolding experience
The handset uses a titanium frame reinforced with internal ceramic fibres for added resilience, aiding durability for a device opened and closed throughout the day. Apple has also reinforced the antenna lines in the frame to reduce the possibility of failure.
The titanium hinge contains more than 100 components, delivering what Apple describes as a smooth and reliable opening experience with custom variable torque. Magnets built into the frame allow the two halves to snap together when the device is closed.
Source
Image: arstechnica.com
