Apple began worldwide sales of the iPhone Duo on 23 October 2026, marking the company's entry into the foldable phone market. The handset pairs a 5.4-inch outer display with an inner screen that unfolds to 7.6 inches. According to BornCity, both panels share the same aspect ratio, and the inner OLED carries a matte nanotexture coating.
The inner display is half again as large as the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, BornCity reports. Unfolded, the device measures 5.2 millimetres thick; folded, it remains slimmer than an iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max.
Why it matters
The Duo is Apple's first foldable, and its arrival changes how the company's software is used rather than just how the hardware looks. A tablet-sized canvas inside a phone-sized body forces changes to multitasking, unlocking and even the orientation lock, all of which Apple has had to rework for the new shape.
The launch also drew attention in Germany. SZ.de and the FAZ both reported the device arriving in Berlin, with the FAZ noting limited stock at the outset. Manager Magazin described a successful sales start for the company's first folding handset.
Split View, app pairs and a fixed 50/50 split
Multitasking on the 7.6-inch panel runs through Split View, which BornCity notes works only in landscape orientation. Users can drag an app to the edge of the screen with a swipe or open it from a context menu to place two apps side by side. For Apple's own software, including Safari, Mail, Notes and Files, two windows of the same app can run at once.
Tapping the divider lets users create app pairs that launch together from then on and are preserved in the recent-apps view. The split stays locked at a 50-to-50 ratio, and only one app plays audio at a time. In portrait orientation, the only option is picture-in-picture video layered over another app.
The orientation lock can be set separately for each screen, so the outer display can stay fixed while the inner one rotates freely. The phone also enters StandBy mode when propped in a stand or tent position, without needing to be charging.
Hinge, cooling and the A20 Pro
A teardown scan of the hinge, cited by BornCity, shows close to 100 components across six sections. The hinge opens across a range of 15 to 145 degrees: a magnet snaps it shut below that span, and above it the hinge opens fully. A 3.85-millimetre bending gap protects the panel.
Inside the titanium frame sits the A20 Pro chip, cooled by a vapour chamber with heat transferred through the hinge. According to BornCity, this allows up to 35 percent more sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple has dropped Face ID on the Duo in favour of Touch ID built into the side button. A setting lets users skip the swipe after unlocking, so resting a finger on the sensor is enough.
Cameras, battery and repair costs
The dual camera offers 48 megapixels each for the main and ultra-wide lenses and delivers up to 4x optical-quality zoom. There is no telephoto lens. With two batteries, the system lasts more than a day of normal use, according to BornCity.
Pricing starts at 1,999 US dollars in the United States and 3,099 Singapore dollars in Singapore. Repairs are a consideration given the construction: replacing the inner display without AppleCare+ costs 999 US dollars, against a 99-dollar fee with the protection plan.
Third-party developers are still catching up. BornCity reports that adapted apps such as streaming services and office software add extra controls on each half of the split screen, while apps that have not been updated sometimes show black bars. Support for the USB-C Apple Pencil is slated to arrive through an update later in 2026.
Watch for that Pencil update and for how quickly third-party apps adapt to the split layout, which will shape whether the Duo's large inner screen pays off in daily use.
