Hands-On With Apple’s First Foldable Phone: The iPhone Duo

Priced at £1,999, the new device faces immediate competition from established industry hardware such as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, which launched roughly a month prior.

Design, Dimensions, and Durability of the iPhone Duo

According to PCMag’s on-the-ground reporting, the iPhone Duo features a passport-shaped form factor designed with strict attention to screen aspect ratios, measuring roughly the same shape as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. When closed, the phone measures 11.3mm thick, and drops to 5.2mm when open, which Apple touted during its presentation as its thinnest profile yet, besting the 5.64mm iPhone Air. The device weighs more than Samsung’s folding offerings, though it remains lighter than competing entries from Google and Motorola, according to PCMag.

The hardware incorporates a metal frame, glass front and rear surfaces, and a 180-degree hinge built from hundreds of components protected by a titanium shield, as reported by PCMag. Apple included spring mechanisms to assist in opening and magnets to secure the halves when shut, allowing the hinge to hold any chosen angle. The device features an IP68 dust and water resistance rating, matching Google and Motorola while surpassing Samsung’s IP48 rating, and utilizes a side-mounted Touch ID fingerprint scanner built into the power button rather than Face ID.

Display Specifications and Internal Hardware

The internal screen measures 7.6 inches, while the outer display spans 5.4 inches, with both utilizing a 1:4 aspect ratio to ease transitions between panels, according to PCMag. Apple integrated a nano-texture finish on the inner display to minimize damage, alongside internal support ribs and antenna splits featuring ceramic fiber inserts to reinforce structural rigidity.

Under the hood, the iPhone Duo runs on a new A20 Pro chipset manufactured using a 2nm process, delivering up to a 50 percent increase in memory bandwidth, a 6-core CPU that is 20 percent faster than the A19 Pro, a 7-core GPU boasting 40 percent faster graphics, and a 32-core Neural Engine, as detailed by PCMag. The phone also includes a larger vapor chamber, Apple’s N1 wireless networking chip, and the C2 cellular modem system with AI-powered connection enhancements and US mmWave support.

Camera Setup, Battery Life, and Pricing

For photography, the iPhone Duo carries a 48MP Fusion Main rear camera featuring a variable aperture that adjusts automatically to capture up to 50 percent more light, alongside a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide lens and a 12MP front-facing selfie camera, according to PCMag. Dual batteries power the device, rated for up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner screen or 44 hours on the outer screen, with fast-charging capabilities reaching a 50 percent charge in approximately 20 minutes via wire or 30 minutes wirelessly. The device ships with an adapted version of iOS 27 tailored for the wider display layout, moving primary controls to the right-hand edge.