Apple’s iPhone Duo Marks a New Chapter in Foldable Smartphones

This week, I’ve been lucky enough to have some hands-on time with the new iPhone Duo. In this article, I share my first thoughts on the device and what Apple’s arrival means for this area of the smartphone market.

Over the past few years, one of the most common questions I’ve been asked is: “when will Apple have a folding iPhone?”. My standard answer was that I was convinced that Apple has been experimenting with flexible display technology in its product development labs for more than a decade and was waiting until it felt the technology was ready for prime time. With the arrival of the iPhone Duo, that time has come.

The iPhone Duo unquestionably builds on the work that Samsung and others have done as the market-makers for foldables. Samsung took huge risks when it launched the first Galaxy Fold in 2019. It paid a heavy price because of screen failures soon after the first devices started shipping. But it was an essential move for Samsung to differentiate its line-up and compete with the mighty iPhone, and its perseverance has paid off. The company has evolved its designs, worked with Google to optimize Android for dual-display devices, and its screen technology is now so good that Apple is believed to have a multiyear agreement with Samsung Display to supply flexible OLED panels for the iPhone Duo.

At first glance, Apple’s decision to enter the market may seem like a blow to Samsung and others. However, I think the iPhone Duo will lift the entire foldables market thanks to the legitimacy that Apple’s presence will bring the category.

At the launch event in Cupertino, the excitement about the iPhone Duo was palpable. Apple’s introduction of a new device design is a big deal, so a lot was riding on it. My first impressions were positive, but it’s hard to form an opinion about a new device when you only get a few minutes with it in a controlled demo environment. The real test comes when you get one in your hands, and for the past few days I’ve been lucky enough to try out the Duo as my daily device.

The first thing that struck me is that the iPhone Duo oozes Apple’s usual hardware quality. There’s no question that it’s a premium device, and so it should be with a starting price of $2,000. Samsung and a few others beat Apple to market with the passport-style design, and Apple has made no secret of its frustration about this. But the iPhone Duo’s design feels great in the hand, albeit a little heavier than I expected.

Elements such as the matte nano-texture display, which improves readability and helps conceal the crease, and the software transition as you open the device underline the thought that Apple has put into the Duo experience. These small touches count for a lot. The rounded edges give the device a distinctive look and ensure that, once it’s open, the larger internal screen is perfectly framed (see Video: Hands-On with Apple’s iPhone Duo).

In terms of usability, the iPhone Duo brings back Touch ID, which feels like a backward step. I’ve lost the muscle memory of using my fingerprint to unlock an iPhone, and it’s testament to how well Face ID works that you really miss it initially. However, after a couple of days, I’ve got back into the swing of things, although I’d much rather the Duo had Face ID. A useful tip if you’re struggling with this is to use your Apple Watch to unlock the device.

Another challenge is the volume keys. Their placement on top of the device is different from every smartphone I’ve used in the past few years, and it’s another change to the physical interface that takes some getting used to. It’s also a compromise that Samsung didn’t feel the need to make on the Galaxy Z Fold8.

On the software side, the iPhone Duo includes many capabilities that rival foldable smartphones have introduced. For example, the ability to place apps side by side on the larger display to improve multitasking, and dragging images from the gallery into a WhatsApp message. And, of course, you just can’t beat a foldable for showing people pictures or reviewing a presentation. The extra screen real estate and the screen ratio simply make content pop.

But, to take advantage of that lovely large display, apps must be optimized. The native apps have all been updated and Apple teased updates to a few leading third-party apps such as Netflix, Slack and Zoom at the launch. But there are still lots of gaps. It’s reminiscent of the early days of the iPad, when most third-party apps still needed optimizing after launch. It took time, but eventually they caught up, particularly once app-makers realized how popular the iPad was.

I’m pretty confident that app development teams have been scrambling to build updates. Every day, I’ve noticed that more of my most-used apps, including CityMapper, Claude, Spotify, Microsoft Outlook and WhatsApp, are getting refreshed for the iPhone Duo. But plenty — including mainstream apps like LinkedIn — still aren’t optimized. However, it’s only a matter of time.

The thing that’s really captured my attention is how excited people are about the iPhone Duo. The device delivers serious bragging rights, and I’m certain that people will ask to have a look at it when I use it in a coffee shop, on the train or in a meeting. When I showed it to a few trusted friends and colleagues behind closed doors, they all loved it, and several said they wanted to buy one. Even when I pointed out that it costs over £2,000, those who already own iPhones didn’t seem overly concerned. Of course, they’d probably paid over £1,000 for their current iPhone. That might say more about the value they place on their mobile phone, but I was a little surprised.

To put my feet back firmly on the ground, it’s worth remembering that the ultrapremium foldable device category is a tiny niche in the overall smartphone market. FDM CCS Insight estimates that foldables represented just 2% of the smartphone market in 2025, and we forecast it will rise to 4% of the total market by the end of the decade. Admittedly, the strength of pre-orders for the iPhone Duo could indicate that it’s a conservative estimate, but I can’t see foldables achieving a double-digit share of the global market. However, they could certainly help to move the needle on device-makers’ earnings given their whopping price tag.

I always admire innovation in the smartphone category, and design diversity that goes beyond the boring sea of sameness is always a good thing. Apple is building on others’ work but, as always, adds unique twists that I’m sure others will copy. Having the tech giant join the foldables market can only be positive for everyone, and I look forward to seeing how the iPhone Duo evolves over the next few years.