At Apple’s “Surprise & Shine” event, Apple introduced the next-generation iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, AirPods 5, and the all-new iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone iteration. With a starting price of $2,000, the iPhone Duo is a multi-feature first for the iPhone. Among them, this is the first foldable iPhone, the first with an under-screen camera, and even though it doesn’t have a telephoto lens, it has exclusive camera advantages that you can’t even get with the iPhone 18 Pro models.
According to Apple CEO John Ternus, “iPhone Duo is the most transformative change to iPhone since the original. With an all-new design and intuitive experiences, it delivers the largest screen ever in an iPhone that still fits easily in your pocket.” What’s interesting about this device is that it features two screens, with the outer screen providing 90% of the screen real estate of the iPhone 18 Pro, and the inner screen providing 50% more screen real estate than the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Although this mobile phone will not be available until October, probably with iOS 27.1, there is a lot you need to know about it so that you can decide whether to get the new Pro phones or go for the massive investment that is Apple’s most innovative technology in years. These are some of the coolest new features in the iPhone Duo.
He bends
Even though Samsung has been bending phones for years, this is a big step forward for Apple. Rumors have been swirling for years that the company is introducing a foldable device, and while reports vary from a Z Flip-like device to a Z Fold-style device, it is ultimately known to be an innovative passport-style form factor. Not only did Apple manage to make the iPhone bend, it made it fold in style. From the moment users start folding/unfolding the device, a glass-like animation appears, making it appear as if you are carrying an app from the outside to the inside or from the inside to the outside.
Apple says it’s made from “Grade 5 titanium for incredible strength, with a case featuring a sleek mirror-polished finish and a 3D-printed hinge cover with a contrasting bead-blasted finish.” In other words, it’s built to last a long time, while virtually eliminating wrinkles. Early videos of this phone reveal that it’s almost impossible to see – and even feel – the crease, something other manufacturers have been trying to fix for years.
This iPhone also has an IP68 rating, so even if it rains, you drop it in a pool, or take it to the beach, it won’t suffer from small debris, sand, or water ruining the components. That said, Apple has finally managed to create a foldable phone while making it very high-end, durable and durable.
Camera under the screen
In total, the iPhone Duo has four cameras. The main system includes a 48 MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera and a 48 MP Fusion main camera, which should give users an experience similar to that offered by an iPhone 17, with improved features of the iPhone 18 Pro, such as enhanced photographic styles, spatial video recording, and more.
On the outside, it has a 12MP Center Stage front camera, which means customers can take selfies, record videos, and chat on FaceTime while the lenses continue to follow them even if they move a little or readjust what’s shown if someone else joins the video call in person. Still, none of these cameras are new features. In fact, when you open the iPhone Duo, you might think you’ve seen all the cameras, but no, there’s a FaceTime camera under the screen inside this phone.
This revolutionary feature has been rumored to be available on Pro iPhones for years. Even though Apple isn’t revealing this camera’s megapixels, which could be a bad sign, the company has done a very good job of hiding it (according to people who first saw this phone after the Apple event), and it only shows up when you actually need it, like during a FaceTime call or to take a selfie with the interior screen. This way, users can still enjoy a fully displayed design when the inner screen does not use a camera function.
Matte screen
For the first time in almost 20 years, Apple has added a matte display to the iPhone. Although this feature has become a highly sought-after feature, especially after Samsung introduced the Galaxy S26 Ultra with a privacy screen, Apple decided to include this display technology for a few simple but genius reasons. First, a matte interior display can help combat glare, which is always helpful when using your phone outdoors, but it also helps hide the Duo’s crease, as well as the selfie camera. Apple also says that one of the benefits of the matte display is that it feels “nice to the touch.”
iPhone Duo users, despite a completely new format and new ways to interact with the phone, will also have a screen on the iPhone that has until now only been available with the iPad, MacBook and Studio Display. While users need to be more careful with the inner matte screen, as there are specific ways to care for it, the company added Ceramic Shield to protect the back of the iPhone, and Ceramic Shield 2, which has three times better scratch resistance than previous display technology on the outer screen, making this iPhone more resilient to daily use. Although we will have to wait until this foldable is in the public’s hands, it seems that Apple has been able to develop a sturdy foldable phone.
New ways to interact with iOS
iOS 27 has taken over the iPhone and we think it’s one of the updates everyone should get. However, the experience for iPhone Duo users is very different. Above all, it offers iPad experiences, like using two apps simultaneously. Another big improvement coming will be support for the Apple Pencil, something unimaginable for an iPhone in its nearly 20 years of existence. Aside from the tablet’s capabilities, Apple has also revamped several experiences. The dock is in the right corner of the screen, with the Wi-Fi and cellular indicators.
The Duo can be used in multiple positions, and each of them changes the way you interact with the phone. When standing, for example, it can go into sleep mode, in which you can see the calendar, get a bright orange light when it’s time to wake up in the morning, watch movies, and much more. Speaking of movies, if the phone is sitting, you can watch content on one side and the other will have buttons to control the experience, such as play/pause, forward/back, etc.
Apple also claims that this iPhone can be perfectly used in half-folded, landscape, portrait and closed design. Each method will make apps behave in a different way, ensuring users get the most optimal experience possible.
Creative ways to take photos and record videos
Last but not least, iPhone Duo offers new ways to take photos and record videos. For example, with Smart Take, iPhone can intelligently understand that you’re posing and take a photo for you, without setting a timer. Once the photo is taken, you can do another pose and repeat. This can be used even with the iPhone sitting down. With Duo Preview, both people know exactly what the photo or video will look like. When the phone is opened, the outer screen shows what the photo will look like while the inner screen shows the controls for who is taking the photo.
Kid Cue is another way to creatively use the outer screen when taking a photo with the main cameras. With Apple TV-style animated backgrounds, Apple wants to help parents take photos of their kids when they don’t want to look at the camera. Kid Cue shows playful animations of Snoopy and other characters.
Finally, with Duo FaceTime, a second person can join the call using the exterior screen. This way more people can join a FaceTime call. All of these camera features are exclusively available for the iPhone Duo, so even iPhone 18 Pro users won’t have access to them. Still, several camera features remain focused on the Pro models, which might tempt you to choose an iPhone 18 Pro over the iPhone Duo.
