iPhone Duo hands-on: Apple’s most exciting device in a decade
Engadget has published a hands-on account of Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, calling it the company's most exciting device in nearly a decade. The device marks Apple's entry into the foldable phone market, joining rivals such as Samsung, and features a refined design with rounded edges, a near-seamless transition animation between its two screens, and an under-display FaceTime camera that largely disappears when not in use.
The Duo has a 5.4-inch external OLED display and a 7.6-inch flexible internal OLED panel, built into a titanium frame with IP68 dust and water resistance. However, it is notably heavier and thicker than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, weighing 254 grams and measuring 11.3mm when closed compared with the Fold 8's 201 grams and 9.7mm. Its matte interior display helps reduce reflections, disguises the fold crease, and is designed to support Apple Pencil input, though this could not be tested as no styluses were available at the demo.
- Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, impresses in early hands-on testing.
- It's heavier and thicker than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8.
- Features a near-invisible under-display camera and Apple Pencil support.
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Foldable phones fold in half to shrink a large screen down to pocket size, and Samsung has led that category for several years with its Galaxy Z Fold line. Apple has held off entering the market until now, so the iPhone Duo represents its first attempt at a folding iPhone, putting the company's design and engineering approach up against established rivals.
The device combines a smaller outer screen for everyday use with a larger inner screen that opens up for more space, similar in concept to competitors' foldables. Engadget's hands-on report focuses on aspects such as build quality, materials, screen technology and how the phone compares with Samsung's latest model on measures like size and weight.
This matters because a serious entry from Apple could shape how quickly foldable phones become mainstream, and how the wider smartphone industry responds, given Apple's influence over design trends and consumer expectations.