iPhone Duo: Apple's First Foldable iPhone Launches on 23 October
Image: 茅野ふたば / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
In short: The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable iPhone. It opens to a 7.6-inch display and has a 5.4-inch cover screen when closed. It is built from grade 5 titanium, powered by the A20 Pro and unlocked with Touch ID in the side button. Pre-orders opened on 16 October 2026, and it goes on sale on 23 October 2026 in more than 70 countries, including Germany and Türkiye. Prices start at $1,999 in the US and €2,299 in Germany.
What is a foldable?
A foldable is a phone with a bendable OLED screen that opens like a book. Closed, you use it like a normal phone through a cover display. Open, it becomes a small tablet. Apple announced the Duo on 9 September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and confirmed prices and dates on 15 October.
Displays
The 7.6-inch inner screen is about 50 percent larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max display and has a nano-texture finish. The 5.4-inch cover screen offers roughly 90 percent of the iPhone 18 Pro's display area. Both screens share the same aspect ratio, so apps do not need awkward re-layouts when you switch between them.
- ProMotion up to 120 Hz with Always-On
- up to 3000 nits peak brightness
- an under-display FaceTime camera on the inner screen
- Apple Pencil (USB-C) support, coming later this year
Hinge, build and Touch ID
The body is grade 5 titanium, and the hinge has more than 100 parts. The phone is rated IP68, which is rare for a foldable. It comes in star white and night sky. Instead of Face ID, the Duo uses Touch ID in the side button, which works whether the phone is open or closed.
Specs at a glance
| Feature | iPhone Duo |
|---|---|
| Chip | A20 Pro (2 nm) |
| Inner display | 7.6 in, nano-texture, ProMotion |
| Cover display | 5.4 in, ProMotion |
| Cameras | 48 MP main, 48 MP ultra wide, under-display front camera |
| Battery | dual cells, up to 31 h video (inner) / 44 h (cover) |
| SIM | eSIM only |
| Software | iOS 27.1 with Split View |
Apple claims up to 35 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro. There is no telephoto lens and no variable aperture. In typical mixed use Apple quotes about 24 hours of battery life, and the phone charges to 50 percent in roughly 20 minutes.
Prices and availability
| Storage | Germany | US |
|---|---|---|
| 256 GB | €2,299 | $1,999 |
| 512 GB | €2,549 | $2,199 |
| 1 TB | €3,049 | $2,599 |
| 2 TB | €3,799 | $3,199 |
Sales start on 23 October in more than 70 countries, and 28 more follow on 30 October. Apple's own Case costs $79 and the Folio $129.
Trade-offs
- the most expensive iPhone ever
- no telephoto camera
- eSIM only
- long-term hinge durability is still unknown
Apple Intelligence works in German, but Siri AI is not initially available in the EU (see Siri AI in Europe).
Verdict
The iPhone Duo is a late but well-considered debut. Matching aspect ratios, IP68 and Touch ID solve typical foldable pain points. The price and the reduced camera make it a device for people who genuinely need the big screen. More in our smartphones section.
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