Highlights

Verge staffers react to the iPhone Duo: What we love and do not love
The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable

Pinned
Hands-on with the foldable iPhone Duo
The first foldable iPhone has arrived, and after its announcement we had the opportunity to test the device ourselves. We had long heard that Apple would release a foldable iPhone once the technology matured - has the wait been worthwhile?
It feels like something new. The inner screen features a matte finish that managed glare from windows above the hands-on area effectively. The folding mechanism operates smoothly and carries an IP68 rating, while the crease is nearly undetectable by touch. The 5.4-inch outer screen appears compact compared with current slab phone norms.
Apple reports that iPhone Duo preorder demand has been extraordinary.
The pre-order demand for iPhone Duo, our first foldable iPhone, has been nothing short of extraordinary. We are working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers hands as quickly as possible, and we will continue accepting orders online, the company said in a statement.
Our teams look forward to welcoming customers at Apple Stores worldwide to experience the iPhone Duo and the incredible full iPhone line-up for themselves, it added, without disclosing whether inventory would be available for customers who were unable to secure pre-orders when the device goes on sale Oct. 23.
iPhone Duo orders are already delayed into 2027
Delivery estimates for the iPhone Duo moved into next year less than an hour after Apple opened preorders for it at 8AM ET on Friday.
At the time of writing we see late January delivery dates for every configuration on Apples website. The foldable is slated to launch in stores on October 23rd, and Apple typically reserves some units for in-store availability. So while online orders are delayed, you might be able to get one sooner in-person at an Apple Store.
The iPhone Duo is now available to preorder at $1,999
Few phones have been more anticipated than a foldable iPhone, but it is finally here. The iPhone Duo was unveiled during Apples Surprise and shine event alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models.
Apples first foldable has a 5.4-inch outer screen, and it unfolds to show off its 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR screen. Apple Pencil support is coming later this year. While it lacks Face ID for facial unlocking, there is a Touch ID sensor along its edge to identify your fingerprint. The device has an IP68 rating, with Ceramic Shield 2 on its back, with Ceramic Shield covering the front display. It has the same A20 Pro chipset as the iPhone 18 Pro. Notably, the Duo has the same 48-megapixel fusion camera as the 18 Pro, though it does not have variable aperture.
Prep your cart before iPhone Duo preorders open tomorrow
Apples iPhone Duo foldable phone opens for preorder tomorrow, October 16th, at 8am ET / 5am PT, but you do not have to wait until then to get your order mostly sorted. The companys product page for the phone now lets you select the color you want, along with storage capacity, carrier preference, and whether you want to set up a trade to make the $1,999 foldable a little cheaper.
Once you enter all of the details, all you will need to do tomorrow morning, once preorders open, is to confirm your order. It will be sitting in your cart ready for checkout. This will save you some time, and you will jump ahead of people who are still customizing their iPhone Duo details.
Repairing the iPhone Duos folding screen costs as much as a new iPhone
If you do not get AppleCare Plus for the iPhone Duo, any repairs are going to be pretty expensive. Apple published the estimated repair costs for the iPhone Duo without AppleCare Plus today, as reported by MacRumors, and they can be high: Battery service, for example, will cost $229, inner display damage will cost $999, and other damage costs $1,499.
Heres Apples estimated costs for various repairs if you do not have AppleCare Plus:
TCLs paperlike OLED phone made me more excited for the iPhone Duo
I have spent most of the last couple weeks using an otherwise unexceptional midrange Android phone with one amazing feature: a matte OLED display. That screen is by far the best thing about the TCL P80 Ultra, and weirdly, it has made me more excited for the iPhone Duo and its matte inner display.
2023s TCL Nxtpaper 40 first brought matte displays to the companys phones after they appeared on tablets in 2021. Nxtpaper is more than a simple matte finish on a panel; it also includes a paperlike feel and low-power, monochrome modes that create a reasonable facsimile of an E Ink screen. But the matte effect has always been the biggest draw for me.
We unfolded the iPhone Duo
You only get one chance at a first impression, and getting to introduce Apples first folding phone is certainly a strong way to start things off as Apples CEO. On The Vergecast today, we are talking all about Apples launch event: how John Ternus did in his first appearance as CEO, what we make of the new iPhones, and whether Apple is stepping into dangerous territory with its new AI features on the Apple Watch.
First up, Allison Johnson joins me to discuss the new iPhones, which she had a chance to test in Cupertino. Both of us have some questions about the new variable aperture camera on the iPhone 18 Pro - and whether the real upgrade simply lies in the wider aperture, not the ability to stop it down. Then we dig into the iPhone Duo and how Apple decided to pick and choose the best parts of Android foldables.
Apple addresses iPhone Duo copycats
Apple was far from the first company to announce a passport-shaped folding phone this year, but that does not mean it was not copied. As my colleague Dom Preston already explained, it is almost impossible to keep product development secret when Apple and its competitors all share the same global suppliers.
Apples new CEO John Ternus and head of marketing Greg Joz Joswiak addressed the topic during an interview with TechRadars Lance Ulanoff and Mark Spoonauer of Toms Guide.
The iPhone Duos hardware does not look special, but its software might be
With the iPhone Duo, Apple has pulled off a familiar trick. It arrives into a mature Android foldable market with a handful of hardware features we have mostly already seen elsewhere, but paired with a level of software polish that makes a lot of them feel new again. It is those software flourishes that have me excited to try the iPhone Duo when it launches next month, but I am less convinced that its hardware will be anything special.
If Apple had gotten there first, the Duos biggest surprise would have been its squat, wide, passport-inspired shape. But its slow-moving supply chain meant that Huawei, Samsung, and Xiaomi all managed to beat Apple to market with similarly sized rivals, so the unusual design already feels fairly familiar - helped by Samsungs aggressive efforts to market its new design.
How the iPhone Duo compares to other folding phones
Apples foldable phone is finally here - well, almost. The iPhone Duo, coming October 23rd, follows in the footsteps of past folding devices from Android phone makers like Samsung, OnePlus, and Google, with a $1,999 price tag that sits just above the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 8.
While its hardware bears similarities to its competitors, the iPhone Duo is one of a few models that takes a passport-like approach. The aspect ratio is the same on the inside and outside screens, and it is even usable with some apps while partially folded. The interior screen has a special outer layer, which along with its hinge design, makes the interior crease almost impossible to spot (something that many competitors struggle to do, though Samsung and Oppo are making fantastic progress).
Verge staffers react to the iPhone Duo: What we love and do not love
Apple has just announced its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo. The new phone has a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.6-inch inner screen, two back cameras, Touch ID for authentication, an IP68 rating, and all sorts of slick software tricks to make iOS feel more at home on the new device. Preorders start on October 16th ahead of availability on October 23rd, and it starts at $1,999 for 256GB of storage.
It is a huge announcement for Apple, and we have many feelings about it. Here is our gut reactions to the phone. And let us know in the comments what you think!
Apple iPhone Duo launch event: The 5 biggest announcements
Apple just wrapped up its first iPhone launch event with CEO John Ternus at the helm, and it did not disappoint. We got a look at Apples long-rumored foldable iPhone Duo, along with the next generation of AirPods and the Apple Watch.
Here is a roundup of all the biggest announcements from the event.
Apple completely revamped iOS 27s controls and apps for the iPhone Duo
Obviously, part of the appeal of a foldable phone is all that additional screen real estate. That gives you plenty of room for some serious multitasking that just is not possible, or at the very least is clunky, on a smaller screen. Apple rarely does things without seriously considering all the implications, so it was never just going to shove iOS as-is into its new foldable.
The company did not have to start from scratch or reinvent the wheel, however. It already had a mobile OS capable of multitasking in iPadOS, which was built on iOS to begin with. The company even said that the iPhone Duo was designed to be as natural and intuitive as iPad.
The iPhone Duo is Apples first foldable
Apple has announced its long-anticipated foldable iPhone, which arrives more than seven years after the first Samsung Galaxy Fold phone hit the market. My colleague Allison Johnson has already had the chance to try out the device in person at Apples event, so read what she thinks of it so far.
The Duo will be available to preorder on October 16th, going on sale on October 23rd, a month later than the two 18 Pro models. It starts at $1,999 - $100 more than Samsungs Galaxy Z Fold 8, but $100 less than its Z Fold 8 Ultra - for 256GB of storage, with the option to go up to 2TB total. Like the iPhone Air, it is eSIM-only worldwide.

Highlights

Hands-on with the foldable iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo orders are already delayed into 2027

The iPhone Duo is now available to preorder at $1,999

Prep your cart before iPhone Duo preorders open tomorrow

Repairing the iPhone Duos folding screen costs as much as a new iPhone

TCLs paperlike OLED phone made me more excited for the iPhone Duo

We unfolded the iPhone Duo

Apple addresses iPhone Duo copycats

The iPhone Duos hardware does not look special, but its software might be

How the iPhone Duo compares to other folding phones

Verge staffers react to the iPhone Duo: What we love and do not love

Apple iPhone Duo launch event: The 5 biggest announcements

Apple completely revamped iOS 27s controls and apps for the iPhone Duo

The iPhone Duo is Apples first foldable