GoKawiilThe main attraction of this event was the long-rumored foldable iPhone. It was hardly a secret that Apple was working on such a device, especially after third-party companies started selling cases for the phone earlier this week.
The foldable is called the iPhone Duo. It was previously expected that Apple would call it the iPhone Ultra. Duo isn't exactly the most exciting name, but at least it's a logical one.
The book-style format Apple has opted for allows for a wide main display that's akin to a tablet. Essentially, it's a way for you to have iPad mini-style utility right in your pocket. Both displays even have Apple Pencil support.
The main display features a 7.6-inch Super Retina screen, which is quite a bit smaller than the 8.3-inch one on the iPad mini. Still, it's the biggest-ever display on an iPhone. There's a 5.4-inch screen on the exterior. (I would love an iPhone with a screen that size without the foldable aspect. I still miss the iPhone 5.)
When it's open, the iPhone Duo is the thinnest iPhone to date at 0.21 inches (5.2 mm). Folded up, it's 0.44 inches (11.3mm) thick. It weighs 8.96 ounces (254 grams).
The main screen has something new for an iPhone, an under-display camera. As a notch hater, I'm very happy to hear that. The exterior display. on the other hand, has a hole punch cut out for the camera.
The speakers are positioned on the top and bottom of the device, which is available in two colors, star white and night sky. The iPhone Duo runs on the same A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro models (more on that in a bit).
It's an eSIM-only device, which was a decision Apple made to make more space for the battery. The company says iPhone Duo offers 44 hours of video playback on the external screen. If you use both displays equally, you'll get around 24 hours of use before you have to charge, Apple claims. It adds that five minutes of wired charging is enough to give you five hours of video-watching time on the external screen.
Smartphones with foldable displays have been around for quite some time, but Apple tends not to enter a product category until it's confident that it can get things right. It's extremely unlikely that the company would have moved into foldables until it was sure it cracked the hinge durability puzzle. A report earlier this year suggested Apple ran into an engineering hitch that might have caused a delay, but that turned out not to be the case.
As it turns out, the iPhone Duo is IP68 rated for water and dust protection. Apple notes that the hinge has carbon fiber support plates and there's a titanium frame and hinge cover. There's a nano texture on the display that features a scratch-resistant coating too.
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