Since the iPhone X set the look of Apple's flagship lineup for nearly a decade, the company hasn't released a device this unconventional. iPhone Duo is the brand's first foldable smartphone, and first impressions suggest it's the most exciting Apple release in years.
The first hands-on opportunity came in a closed demo area where journalists were allowed to hold the actual device. The design is built around two OLED panels — a 5.4-inch external display and a 7.6-inch internal flexible one. In terms of layout, Duo resembles the original Pixel Fold, but with a noticeably refined body. The side edges have a rounded profile, allowing the device to unfold with almost no effort. Particular mention goes to the transition animation between the external and internal displays. The interface flows from one panel to the other almost seamlessly, with subtle gradients and a depth-of-field effect maintaining a sense of continuity.
That said, the foldable iPhone can't be called lightweight. It measures 11.3 mm thick when folded and weighs 254 g, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 comes in at 201 g with a 9.7 mm profile. The chassis is made of titanium and carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Comparative photos of Duo alongside the Z Fold 8 and the original Pixel Fold weren't possible — Apple representatives asked that no such shots be taken. The full set of physical controls is present on the edges: a lock button with a built-in Touch ID sensor, a dedicated camera control key, and a volume rocker. The volume control is positioned on the top edge. The shift from Face ID back to a fingerprint sensor makes logical sense for a foldable form factor.
Duo reliably detects the opening angle and supports several usage modes: a tent mode that turns the screen into a desk clock or calendar, a tabletop mode that locks half the body in place, and a freeform partial fold for reading e-books. The inner panel is covered with a dense matte nano-texture coating that virtually eliminates glare while also concealing the crease down the center of the display. The fold is still there, but the groove is subtle enough that you're more likely to feel it with your finger than see it. The standout technical feature of the inner screen is the FaceTime front camera hidden beneath the display matrix. Samsung experimented with under-display cameras as far back as the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in 2021, but effectively abandoned the technology in later generations. Both displays support Apple Pencil, and the matte texture of the inner panel should deliver a more natural writing feel. Testing this in practice wasn't possible — no styluses were available in the demo area.
The rear camera array looks more modest than competitors': a 48 MP Fusion main camera with a 12 MP 2x telephoto mode, a 48 MP ultrawide, and an under-display front camera on the inner panel. Shots come out sharp across varied lighting conditions, but there's no variable aperture like on the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, and there's no true periscope zoom either — something the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra offers. On the upside, the camera module spans the full width of the body, so the phone sits flat on a table without rocking. Duo's greatest strength is its software. Multitasking is triggered by long-pressing an app icon and selecting split screen, or by swiping up from the bottom and dragging apps left or right. Photos and files can be moved between windows via simple drag and drop. There are also app pairs: holding the divider tab in the middle of a split-screen view creates a saved pair for quick launch. In essence, Apple has brought a significant portion of iPadOS productivity scenarios to a foldable smartphone.