Apple unveils its first foldable, the iPhone Duo
Apple finally has a foldable phone!
During its "Surprise and Shine" event on Sept. 10 Philippine time, the tech giant revealed its latest iPhones, including the company's first foldable: the iPhone Duo.
This was among the first devices to be unveiled under newly minted CEO John Ternus' era.
The phone features a book-style folding design, akin to popular foldables like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series. It's about the size of a passport with a 5.4-inch outer display that's interrupted by a hole-punch cutout for the Center Stage front camera on the upper right side.
Unfolded, the iPhone Duo, which Apple said is its thinnest iPhone yet, carries a 7.6-inch screen with the same aspect ratio so content scales proportionally. Its hinge is made with over "100 components" for precise control and a "satisfying feel" when opening the device.
The inner display is uninterrupted, with the FaceTime camera fitted under the screen, so it only appears when you're using it. It's also protected by a scratch-resistant coating and a nano-textured cover layer.
Apple made sure to tailor iOS 27 to the iPhone Duo's unique form factor. It looks and feels a bit different from the iPhone, or even the iPad. The lock screen controls, dock, and app navigation are on the side of the device instead of the bottom of the screen to maximize space for content. The status bar—which shows your battery percentage, WiFi connectivity, and cellular strength—is all in a new icon to free up space.
The foldable can be used in different orientations—even half-folded—and iOS will automatically adjust. Users can also use two apps side-by-side through Split View, so they can, for instance, browse Safari while they watch something on Netflix.
At the back of the phone, a dual 48MP Fusion ultrawide and 48MP Fusion main camera take care of photos. The form factor unlocks different ways to shoot, like Duo Preview, so you can get a live preview on the outer display to check your framing, and Duo FaceTime.
Under the hood, it's powered by an A20 Pro chip supporting Apple Intelligence for features like Siri AI. The Siri makeover gives the virtual assistant the capability to draw on personal context to help find what you need across apps like Messages, Mail, Photos, and more. The update will also introduce new photo-editing features to improve the composition of shots like Spatial Reframing, Extend, and upgraded CleanUp.
Apple touts that the dual battery (one on each side) can last up to 24 hours using both screens equally on a single charge.
The device doesn't support Face ID, but it does have a Touch ID on the side for security.
Additionally, the foldable will support Apple Pencil with USB-C for taking notes, sketching, and more "later in the year."
The iPhone Duo comes in colors of Star White and Night Sky.
Here's how much it will cost:
- 256GB - P159,990
- 512GB - P175,990
- 1TB - P207,990
- 2TB - P254,990
