Reviewers call Apple's first foldable iPhone Duo fun but compromised
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The gist
Apple's first foldable iPhone, the Duo, drew mostly favorable early reviews after the embargo lifted.
Reviewers say it is fun but full of compromises, with apps not yet built for its folding screen.
Background
The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a display 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max when opened. Apple waited years to enter the foldable category while Samsung iterated through eight generations of Galaxy Z Fold hardware. It starts at $2,000 in the US and is priced from Rs 2,99,900 for 256GB in India up to Rs 4,49,900 for 2TB. Reviews landed after preorders sold out moments after opening.
How it unfolded
- Sep 2026Apple revealed the iPhone Duo at its September Keynote.
- Oct 16, 2026Preorders for the iPhone Duo sold out mere moments after they opened.
- Oct 21, 2026The first reviews were published after the review embargo lifted, including the Economic Times hands-on based on five days of testing.
- Oct 23, 2026The iPhone Duo launches in the United States, with deliveries starting for early buyers.
Who’s saying what
- Caution
- The Verge's Nilay Patel and Allison Johnson call it an expensive, compromised yet fun first-generation product that is "full of compromises" and "can be incredibly frustrating to use."
- Support
- Mashable's Stan Schroeder calls it the most exciting iPhone since the first one, saying that after a week he couldn't go back to a regular non-foldable iPhone.
- Analysts
- AppleInsider's Malcolm Owen says the reviews are very favorable overall, with praise for good features far outweighing the criticisms.
- Expert
- PetaPixel's Jaron Schneider calls it exceptionally crafted for a first-generation product but says it doesn't solve problems the iPad doesn't already address and revives old ones the iPhone overcame.
- Caution
- WIRED's Julian Chokkattu notes many third-party App Store apps still need updating to support the full width of the inner display.
Still unverified
AppleInsider notes that many buyers face long wait times and some confusion, while stating deliveries for early buyers will start from October 23.