Apple just unveiled its first-ever foldable phone, the iPhone Duo.
I’ll skip over the big stuff you’ll see all over the place about this model, like its form factor, new processor, and updated OS – and get straight to a few less-discussed features that you’ll want to know about.
Three things I’m looking forward to
Apple Pencil support
The passport-shaped iPhone Duo opens up to reveal a nicely sized 7.6-inch OLED screen, which offers you plenty of room to multitask with two apps side by side, and work on a larger canvas than with a regular phone.
Couple that with support for the US$79 Apple Pencil (coming later this year), and you’ve got yourself a handy-dandy tool for writing, note-taking, sketching, and annotation.
Apple
This means you’ve essentially got an iPad Mini you can carry in your pocket, along with the ability to use all the high-quality apps that support detailed stylus input, like Notability, Apple Freeform, and ProCreate.
To recap, an Apple Pencil beats generic capacitive styluses with near-instant response time, advanced pressure sensitivity to vary line thickness when you’re drawing, and palm rejection (so you don’t have to worry about your hand accidentally touching the screen while using it).
An under-display camera for video calls
While some Android phones have had this for years – starting with the ZTE Axon 20 in 2020 – Apple’s finally gotten around to hiding a camera beneath the display.
The FaceTime camera embedded in the inner 7.6-inch screen is practically invisible. Apple hasn’t specified what resolution it shoots at, but promises you can make 1080p video calls with it, and its Center Stage feature will center you in the frame even if your face isn’t directly in front of the f/1.8 aperture lens.
Apple
This is by no means a primary camera – there’s a 12-megapixel cutout camera you can use on the external display instead. But it’s nice to know you have this option as well for when you want to FaceTime on a bigger screen. Under-display cameras sort of went away for a bit because they simply couldn’t get as good as the ones you can fit in a notch or cutout, but this is a good use of the tech.
Kickstand case
You can set the Duo in a ‘seated’ position (with one half flat on a surface) or ‘standing’ position (like an A-frame house) to watch videos, and that’s fine. But if you want to use the big internal screen hands-free, you’ll want to get this accessory.
Apple’s iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand does what it says on the tin – it adds a way to prop up the device on a table, so you can enjoy the full 7.6-inch display you bought this for.
Apple
The case features a custom fabric to maintain a slim profile, and magnets to hold the kickstand in place. What’s neat about this design is when the kickstand isn’t in use, it sits flush with the rest of the case. Plus, you can set it up at several different angles for reading or watching stuff. Oh, and it supports Qi2 wireless charging.
This one costs US$129, but I imagine third-party accessory brands will have cheaper alternatives out soon enough.
Two things I’m disappointed about
The camera setup misses variable aperture and a telephoto lens
Alongside the Duo, Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. Both of them get two things the Duo misses out on.
The first is an aperture control on the 48-megapixel main rear camera. This lets you switch between four aperture settings, which means you’re opening or closing physical blades in front of the lens.
At the widest aperture of f/1.8, you’ve got the maximum amount of light hitting the lens, and a shallow depth of field which can make for a bokeh effect in the background. Close up the aperture, and you let in less light. This can come in handy when you want more of your frame in focus, and to have greater control over light when shooting in brighter environments. It sure would’ve been nice to see this on the Duo.
Apple
Like the iPhone 18 Pro, the Duo gets a 48-megapixel main camera, along with a 48-megapixel ultrawide. But unlike the 18 Pro, there’s no telephoto on here. That means you’re not getting a zoom lens that can go from focal lengths of 100 mm to 200 mm for capturing subjects from a distance.
Granted, an ultrawide is likely more useful than a tele as a secondary camera – but given this is a flagship-grade handset, you don’t expect to have to compromise on something like this.
No Face ID
Apple’s skipping its Face ID tech to secure your phone using facial recognition on the Duo. Instead, you’ve got a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the side button to log in to apps, allow payments and such.
Apple
For the price, you’d think Apple would have included all the features you’ve seen on previous phones in this one. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means, but Apple’s had plenty of time to work out how to support Face ID on here.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for the 256-GB model, and goes up to $3,199 for the 2-TB variant. That’s $800 more than the base iPhone 18 Pro – so you’ve really got to want this to make the price make sense.
Source: Apple
