Tech Guide has taken a short hands-on look at the new Apple iPhone Duo – the company’s first foldable phone which will be released in October.
The second we got it in our hands, the first word that came to mind was “slick”.
It is typically Apple with a beautiful design that sits nicely in your hand.
The build quality is tremendous with Apple paying attention to every single detail from the gloss of the frame, the shape and brightness of the screens and the smooth hinge that offers a satisfying feeling whenever you open and close it again.
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But it was also a little heavy. At 254g it’s heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max which weighs in at 249g.
The front 5.4-inch screen is more generous than we thought, with the most often-used apps like phone, messaging, Apple Music and Safari placed cleverly placed on the right edge of the display for easier access.
One thing that adds to the appeal of the device are the little touches Apple has added including delightful animations and effects.
The best animation is when you open the device.
The image on the front screen blurs and follows the direction you open it and continues to the larger inner screen before coming back into sharp focus again.
The master stroke from Apple is the addition of the nano texture on the larger inside screen.
It serves two major purposes.
The first is stopping any kind of reflection on the screen so even in bright sunlight you’re able to view it comfortably.
But blocking those reflections also means you will not see the crease. It’s there, you can feel it – but you can’t see it.
With every other foldable smartphone we’ve reviewed, the thing that gives away the crease is the reflection.
Apple has very cleverly eliminated the reflection altogether and thereby made the crease disappear.
The other standout of the iPhone Duo is just how beautifully iOS 27 has been adapted for the foldable form factor.
We know for a fact that iPadOS is nowhere to be seen. This is still completely iOS 27 end to end.
Splitting the screen to use two apps at the same time was remarkably simple.
The other feature we liked was the fact you could save the paired apps sharing that larger screen and come back to them later.
You might like to have your emails open with Instagram and the iPhone Duo will save that pairing so you can easily replicate it later.
But you can only run a maximum of two apps at the same time on the inside screen.
The shape of the inside screen is the same as an A4 sheet of paper, which means you can enjoy it in widescreen for viewing content or in portrait mode for reading books and checking out websites.
That large inside screen is ideal for viewing Netflix, YouTube and Apple TV.
And your own pictures and videos also look stunning on the larger display.
The great feature of the hinge is the fact that it can be opened and set in multiple positions to allow you to set up your phone to take a photo, view video hands-free or use it as a clock on your bedside table.
In this position the iPhone Duo’s camera allows users to take advantage of the main rear cameras – it’s a 48MP dual fusion camera system – for selfies.
Subjects can see themselves on the front screen to make sure they’re in position and looking their best.
Then all they have to do is pose and a new feature called Smart Take will detect this and start snapping away.
The Netflix app has been optimised for the iPhone Duo and presents a great interface to find content as well as great viewing modes when positioned like a laptop view hands-free.
Another little effect we noticed was when viewing Netflix content in this position, the reflexion of the screen appears on the other half of the screen, like a real TV.
This isn’t a real reflection – it’s a digital effect designed to imitate reality.
That’s just one of the many examples that we’re sure we will find once we get the iPhone Duo in our hands for review.
The iPhone Duo goes on sale on October 23rd with prices starting at $3,499.
