Apple launches its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has finally released its first folding iPhone, seven years after Samsung Electronics (KRX: 005930) began selling foldable smartphones. The new iPhone Duo opens into a 7.6-inch handset and closes into a smaller 5.4-inch device.

Apple says it becomes its slimmest iPhone when unfolded. Buyers get two finishes, star white and night sky. Orders open on Friday, October 16, while store availability starts Friday, October 23.

The outside panel gives users around 90% of the usable display area found on iPhone 18 Pro. Open the phone and the inner screen becomes 50% larger than iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Both Super Retina XDR panels use matching proportions, so apps resize without suddenly changing their layout. They also support ProMotion, Always On mode, and 3,000 nits of maximum outdoor brightness. Apple covered the inner panel with a nano-textured surface to cut glare, reduce visible reflections, and make the fold line harder to notice.

Apple rebuilds the iPhone around a 100-part hinge, titanium frame and two-screen layout

Apple placed the inner FaceTime camera underneath the screen so it disappears when unused. Apple Pencil with USB-C support arrives later this year and will work across both screens for writing, drawing, and document markup.

Authentication comes through Touch ID inside the side key. Owners can also open the phone using an Apple Watch.

The iPhone employs grade 5 titanium. Apple has applied polishing treatment to the main body of the smartphone, whereas the housing of the 3D printed hinges gets another treatment known as micro-blasting. Ceramic Shield is the material used on the backside of the iPhone, while Ceramic Shield 2 on its front promises triple scratch resistance than its predecessor.

More than 100 separate pieces make up the hinge. Reinforcement ribs sit inside the frame, while ceramic-fiber material strengthens breaks around the antennas. The foldable screen comes with a scratch-resistant surface finish on top and a polymer nano coating that Apple claims to be as much as 40 percent stiffer than competing polymers.

Strong glass sits on both sides of the flexible display assembly. Special adhesive lets those layers move independently while the handset bends, reducing pressure around the folding point. A titanium plate underneath adds another structural layer.

John Ternus, Apple’s CEO, said:

“iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original. With an entirely new design and intuitive experiences, it shows what’s possible when hardware and software are engineered together and redefines what it means to use a foldable phone.”

John added: “With the largest display ever on iPhone that still fits easily in your pocket, combined with the power of A20 Pro, iPhone Duo helps you stay more immersed and productive wherever you go, whether you’re enjoying content, multitasking across apps, or gaming.”

Apple gives A20 Pro new camera tricks while Siri takes on more personal data

The A20 Pro powers the device. It has been specially designed to work with a customized vapor chamber, two batteries, and a new cooling system to ensure consistent performance and full-day usage. The iOS 27 operating system has been modified to adapt to the foldable design with its software layouts depending on the state of the phone.

The main rear sensor is a 48MP Fusion camera, which shoots at full 48MP resolution without shutter delay, while 24MP remains the standard setting. A built-in 2x telephoto option provides optical-quality zoom. Apple also uses a revised computational image system, plus a large sensor, wider aperture and sensor-shift stabilization for darker scenes.

In addition to this, there is another 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera similar to the one that can be found in the iPhone 18 Pro series.

The two displays also transform photography. Smart Take allows AI processing on the device’s own system, A20 Pro, observing the scene and shooting when the subjects are positioned properly. The users may take high-quality pictures using the rear cameras to photograph themselves with themselves on the external display. Duo Preview allows the subjects to see their composition.

Kid Cue puts Peanuts animations on the outside screen to get children looking toward the lens. Duo FaceTime can place people standing beside the owner on that same exterior display during calls.

Video reaches 4K at 120 frames per second in Dolby Vision, technology from Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB), through the main 48MP camera. Playback speed can then be changed for slow motion. Cinematic effects can be added after recording at up to 60 fps. Audio Mix gets new processing for clearer speech and music separation. Time-lapse now records in 4K Dolby Vision HDR, while the folding body can stand by itself for longer recordings without a tripod.

John called the AI system an “intelligent personal hub” and said it would use “the most private details of your daily life.” He said many requests will stay “on device.” Tasks needing outside computing will use protected remote servers.

“Others see that data as something to collect and store,” John said. “Here, not even Apple can access what’s yours.”

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