The iPhone Duo marks Apple’s entry into the folding phone market, unveiled this week at the company’s Surprise and Shine event. While other manufacturers have offered foldables for years, Apple’s passport-style device brings a fresh set of features to the category, priced at around £1,580.
The folding iPhone Duo is available for preorder on 16 October, with units reaching stores on 23 October. New chief executive John Ternus gave the first look at the device, which pairs a familiar Apple design language with hardware borrowed from established foldable conventions.
Cameras, Touch ID and stylus support
The iPhone Duo carries two 48-megapixel rear cameras and includes a preview feature that shows what those rear cameras are shooting, assisting with selfies while the device is folded. The phone can also be propped up on its side, allowing users to glance quickly at the time or stand it in a tent-style position for use as a home display.
Among the notable additions is the return of Touch ID, a fingerprint authentication method that had been absent from the iPhone for four years. Apple has also enabled stylus support, allowing the Apple Pencil to work on an iPhone for the first time, ending the company’s long-standing resistance to the pairing.
The crease and long-term durability
The crease has been a persistent concern with folding phones. On the iPhone Duo, the fold line remains visible, though only just. Questions around how the first production batches will hold up over time have been raised, with some suggesting buyers may wish to wait before committing to the device.
The iPhone Duo also raises questions about Apple’s wider product range. Its larger folding form could overlap with the tasks handled by the iPad Mini, prompting speculation about the future of the company’s smallest tablet. At its price point, the device sits well above much of Apple’s existing hardware line-up.
Apple’s arrival in the foldable segment comes several years after rival manufacturers, a delay that allowed the company to observe earlier growing pains in the category. The iPhone Duo goes on preorder on 16 October and reaches retail on 23 October.
