The first Android foldable devices appeared in 2019, and Apple fans have long yearned for a device with a similar design. After nearly seven years, the iPhone Duo was finally launched last September, receiving an extraordinary response. If you missed the initial pre-order window, the device won’t reach your hands until the end of January 2027.
Was the nearly seven-year wait for Apple’s first foldable phone worth it? What does Apple do better than Android, and where does it fall short? Here are my first impressions of the iPhone Duo after 24 hours of use. Specifications
Apple iPhone Duo
Display External Display
5.4″ LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, 3000 nits
Internal Display
7.6″ LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, 3000 nits
Processor Apple A20 Pro
Chip 2 x 4.93 GHz High-Performance Cores
4 x 2.64 GHz Efficiency Cores
Graphics 7-core Apple GPU
RAM 12GB RAM
Internal Storage 256/512/1000/2000 GB NVMe
Main Camera 48MP f/1.6 OIS (Wide-angle)
48MP f/2.2 (Ultra-wide-angle)
Selfie Camera External
12MP f/2.0
Internal
4MP f/1.8 UDC (Under-Display Camera)
Battery 4,883 mAh
60W wired charging
25W MagSafe wireless charging
15W Qi wireless charging
SIM/Telephony 2x eSIM
5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack None
Water Resistance IP68
Authentication Touch ID fingerprint scanner
Retail Price RM 9,499 (12/256 GB)
RM 10,499 (12/512 GB)
RM 12,499 (12/1000 GB)
RM 15,499 (12/2000 GB)
Display
The external display is a 5.4″ OLED panel featuring 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision support. It is the same size as the Z Fold8, but slightly wider and shorter due to its 1:1.4 aspect ratio. The right side of the outer screen serves as a taskbar area, housing shortcuts for the four applications used most frequently. This entire right-hand section is dedicated to the taskbar, which narrows the space available for displaying apps on the outer screen.
Take a look at the examples below featuring Chrome, Instagram, X, Reddit, Apple Music, and Netflix. Approximately 15% of the screen area is taken up by the taskbar—a waste of space, in my view, when using apps like Chrome, X, and Reddit, as these have not yet been specifically developed for the iPhone Duo. In the case of Apple Music, Instagram, and Netflix, this right-hand space is utilized for various shortcut menus.
Apps not optimized
Apps optimized
iPhone Duo owners will need to exercise some patience for a few months until more apps are designed specifically for the device. The Apple Store has begun displaying a special "Made for iPhone Duo" badge, making it easier to find apps that are fully compatible with the phone. In Malaysia, apps such as Grab, Zus, and Astro Radio are among the first confirmed to be built specifically for the iPhone Duo.
The inner screen is a 7.6-inch OLED display featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and a 1:1.4 aspect ratio. The surface of the inner screen features a non-glossy, nano-textured layer. According to Apple, this is intended to mimic the look and feel of real paper when using the Apple Pencil. Oh, and I should mention that the Apple Pencil can be used on both screens—unlike the Z Fold8, which offers no support for the S Pen at all.
This texture also helps make the crease less noticeable. Straight out of the box, the crease is completely invisible. However, after 24 hours of use—with colleagues opening and closing the phone dozens of times—the crease began to show. It is not very prominent against a dark background. I conclude that the nano-textured layer serves not only to provide a paper-like feel but also to reduce light reflections that would otherwise highlight the crease.
That said, this layer also makes the colors appear slightly less vibrant compared to, for instance, the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro. At its highest setting, it remains sufficiently bright—comparable to the screen of the Z Fold8 when also set to its maximum brightness.
Biometrics
Face ID is absent; instead, it utilizes Touch ID, much like an iPad. The scanner is positioned on the right-hand side of the device. It is easily accessible, and unlocking is swift. There is no 2D facial recognition system—similar to the one found on Apple HomeView—due to the requirement for a higher level of security.
Design
The design is undeniably premium, especially in the black version reviewed here. The edges are rounded, reminiscent of the iPhone X era. After years of becoming accustomed to iPhones with flat edges, returning to this design felt a bit awkward at first. However, the moment I tried to unfold the screen, I immediately understood why the rounded edges were brought back.
It is easier to unfold the device with your fingers compared to the thin, flat-edged design of the Z Fold8. The iPhone Duo is slightly thicker than the Z Fold8, which prevents the issue where you might otherwise need to pry the screen open with your fingernails. When unfolded, the iPhone Duo measures 5.2mm in thickness, whereas the Z Fold8 is 4.5mm.
First Look at the Apple iPhone Duo – The First Foldable
The first Android foldable devices appeared in 2019, and Apple fans have long yearned for a device with a similar design. After nearly seven years, the iPhone Duo was finally launched last September, receiving an extraordinary response. If you missed the initial pre-order window, the device won’t reach your hands until the end of January 2027.
Was the nearly seven-year wait for Apple’s first foldable phone worth it? What does Apple do better than Android, and where does it fall short? Here are my first impressions of the iPhone Duo after 24 hours of use. Specifications
Apple iPhone Duo
Display External Display
5.4″ LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, 3000 nits
Internal Display
7.6″ LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, 3000 nits
Processor Apple A20 Pro
Chip 2 x 4.93 GHz High-Performance Cores
4 x 2.64 GHz Efficiency Cores
Graphics 7-core Apple GPU
RAM 12GB RAM
Internal Storage 256/512/1000/2000 GB NVMe
Main Camera 48MP f/1.6 OIS (Wide-angle)
48MP f/2.2 (Ultra-wide-angle)
Selfie Camera External
12MP f/2.0
Internal
4MP f/1.8 UDC (Under-Display Camera)
Battery 4,883 mAh
60W wired charging
25W MagSafe wireless charging
15W Qi wireless charging
SIM/Telephony 2x eSIM
5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack None
Water Resistance IP68
Authentication Touch ID fingerprint scanner
Retail Price RM 9,499 (12/256 GB)
RM 10,499 (12/512 GB)
RM 12,499 (12/1000 GB)
RM 15,499 (12/2000 GB)
Display
The external display is a 5.4″ OLED panel featuring 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision support. It is the same size as the Z Fold8, but slightly wider and shorter due to its 1:1.4 aspect ratio. The right side of the outer screen serves as a taskbar area, housing shortcuts for the four applications used most frequently. This entire right-hand section is dedicated to the taskbar, which narrows the space available for displaying apps on the outer screen.
Take a look at the examples below featuring Chrome, Instagram, X, Reddit, Apple Music, and Netflix. Approximately 15% of the screen area is taken up by the taskbar—a waste of space, in my view, when using apps like Chrome, X, and Reddit, as these have not yet been specifically developed for the iPhone Duo. In the case of Apple Music, Instagram, and Netflix, this right-hand space is utilized for various shortcut menus.
Apps not optimized
Apps optimized
iPhone Duo owners will need to exercise some patience for a few months until more apps are designed specifically for the device. The Apple Store has begun displaying a special "Made for iPhone Duo" badge, making it easier to find apps that are fully compatible with the phone. In Malaysia, apps such as Grab, Zus, and Astro Radio are among the first confirmed to be built specifically for the iPhone Duo.
The inner screen is a 7.6-inch OLED display featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and a 1:1.4 aspect ratio. The surface of the inner screen features a non-glossy, nano-textured layer. According to Apple, this is intended to mimic the look and feel of real paper when using the Apple Pencil. Oh, and I should mention that the Apple Pencil can be used on both screens—unlike the Z Fold8, which offers no support for the S Pen at all.
This texture also helps make the crease less noticeable. Straight out of the box, the crease is completely invisible. However, after 24 hours of use—with colleagues opening and closing the phone dozens of times—the crease began to show. It is not very prominent against a dark background. I conclude that the nano-textured layer serves not only to provide a paper-like feel but also to reduce light reflections that would otherwise highlight the crease.
That said, this layer also makes the colors appear slightly less vibrant compared to, for instance, the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro. At its highest setting, it remains sufficiently bright—comparable to the screen of the Z Fold8 when also set to its maximum brightness.
Biometrics
Face ID is absent; instead, it utilizes Touch ID, much like an iPad. The scanner is positioned on the right-hand side of the device. It is easily accessible, and unlocking is swift. There is no 2D facial recognition system—similar to the one found on Apple HomeView—due to the requirement for a higher level of security.
Design
The design is undeniably premium, especially in the black version reviewed here. The edges are rounded, reminiscent of the iPhone X era. After years of becoming accustomed to iPhones with flat edges, returning to this design felt a bit awkward at first. However, the moment I tried to unfold the screen, I immediately understood why the rounded edges were brought back.
It is easier to unfold the device with your fingers compared to the thin, flat-edged design of the Z Fold8. The iPhone Duo is slightly thicker than the Z Fold8, which prevents the issue where you might otherwise need to pry the screen open with your fingernails. When unfolded, the iPhone Duo measures 5.2mm in thickness, whereas the Z Fold8 is 4.5mm.
Another peculiar behavior of Split View in iOS 27 is that it can only be used in landscape orientation. When the phone is rotated to portrait mode, only one of the applications—the one most recently interacted with—is displayed in a larger size. I cannot fault John Ternus for this, as the exact same behavior occurs on the iPad. Finally, there is some consistency in how Split View functions across both iOS 27 and iPadOS 27!
I am still in the process of getting to know the ins and outs of iOS 27 on the iPhone Duo. My initial experience, as described above, has left a somewhat underwhelming first impression. I acknowledge that, in the early days of foldable devices, Android also faced issues regarding poor user-friendliness and inconsistent app behavior—problems that were eventually resolved with the release of Android 12L two years later. One can only hope that it won’t take Apple as long to address these usability inconsistencies on their future foldable devices.
Other features in iOS 27—such as Liquid Glass, Image Playground, Siri, and more—are identical to those found on the iPhone 18 Pro. They are smooth, fast, responsive, and easy to use. The core issue is that Apple does not yet seem fully prepared to offer a hybrid interface—blending elements from the iPhone and iPad—for the iPhone Duo at this stage.
BENCHMARKS
The iPhone Duo is powered by the Apple A20 Pro chip, the same processor found in the iPhone 18 Pro series. Below is a comparison of benchmark scores for this chip, alongside several other foldable devices currently available on the Malaysian market. Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold – Tensor G6
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 – Exynos 2600
Honor Magic V6 – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Oppo Find N6 – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 – Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Apple iPhone 18 Pro – Apple A20 Pro
Antutu 3D
Score Device
Apple iPhone Duo 3,143,158
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold 1,212,510
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra 2,630,271
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 2,184,626
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 2,463,934
Honor Magic V6 3,439,798
Oppo Find N6 3,080,123
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 1,747,012
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 3,136,285
Apple iPhone 18 Pro 3,517,879
Geekbench 6
Single Core Multi Core Device
Apple iPhone Duo 3992 11090
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold 1764 4688
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra 3295 9125
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 3512 9871
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 1923 5091
Honor Magic V6 3529 9938
Oppo Find N6 3450 9393
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 2745 9060
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 3651 10819
Apple iPhone 18 Pro 3999 11338
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Chip Score
Apple iPhone Duo 7118
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold 3318
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra 5996
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 5365
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 4099
Honor Magic V6 6481
Oppo Find N6 6020
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 5633
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 7375
Apple iPhone 18 Pro 7843
The benchmark test results confirm the iPhone Duo’s status as the most powerful foldable device currently on the market. Furthermore, the score gap between it and the iPhone 18 Pro is relatively small—especially when compared to the performance disparity often seen between Android foldables and their standard "candybar" counterparts equipped with the same chip.
Conclusion
The iPhone Duo is a premium, beautiful—dare I say, sexy—device, especially when compared to other foldables. It is exactly what Apple fans have dreamed of since the first Z Fold launched in 2019: a foldable device crafted with that signature Apple touch.
As a first-generation product, I’m inclined to be lenient regarding its shortcomings. Yet, at the same time, Apple had seven years to perfect its debut foldable. We often hear the sentiment: "Apple may be slow, but when they finally release a product, it’s bound to be better than what the competition offers."
In the case of the iPhone Duo, I can’t repeat that sentiment without my nose growing like Pinocchio’s. The majority of apps are not yet 100% compatible. The placement of the volume buttons is awkward and inconsistent with the iPad. Even the positioning and design of the speakers are asymmetrical—a choice that feels entirely uncharacteristic of Apple’s design philosophy. Furthermore, the Split View implementation in iOS 27 differs from that of iPadOS 27, which I have long been accustomed to.
The good news is that the iPhone Duo is a first-generation device. Both the original iPhone and the first Apple Watch had various shortcomings that were subsequently addressed. More often than not, Apple tends to resolve such flaws.
Pros
The foldable screen shows no visible crease.
The Apple A20 Pro delivers high-level performance.
Dual-camera system with large sensors.
Premium design that feels great in the hand.
The screen is easy to unfold, thanks to its rounded edges.
Large battery with fast charging.
Excellent long-term software support.
Cons
Not particularly left-hand friendly.
Not all applications are compatible.
A return to Touch ID.
The Split View system is inconsistent with the one on iPad, which can be confusing.
The placement of the volume buttons is not ergonomic.
The asymmetrical speaker placement looks awkward.
Supports only eSIM.
