iPhone Duo is here and yes, it folds: Here’s how Apple’s first foldable iPhone stands apart

Apple finally launched its first ever foldable iPhone, iPhone Duo, at the Apple Event 2026. Here are some of its coolest features that you should know about.

Apple took a major leap in the world of smartphones today. The company unveiled its much-awaited foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, at the Apple Event 2026 in Apple Park today. While the reports have forever suggested the device being in development, this year Apple finally took the curtains off of its foldable phone. With this, Apple has plunged in the league of companies like Samsung and Motorola that unveiled their first foldable phones back in 2019, OPPO, which launched its first foldable phone in 2021 and Google, whose Pixel Fold arrived in 2023.

Apple unveils its first ever foldable phone, iPhone Duo at Apple Park. (Apple)

By Shweta Ganjoo

Shweta Ganjoo is a Chief Content Producer at HT Tech. She has over 10 years of experience covering technology, during which time she has focused on consumer tech devices, AI, social media, gadgets, and tech policy, delivering authoritative and reader-focused insights across India’s fast-evolving digital ecosystem.

She began her career in the early 2010s, building a strong foundation in digital-first reporting as India’s tech landscape rapidly expanded. Over the years, she has worked with leading media organizations including India Today Tech, Indian Express Group, and Techlusive, where she played a key role in scaling editorial content and audience engagement. At HT Tech, she drives product recommendation coverage, combining newsroom leadership with hands-on reporting experience.

Her expertise spans smartphones, wearables, smart home devices, AI, and social media ecosystems, along with regulatory developments shaping the tech industry. Shweta is known for her analytical approach to product reviews and news coverage, grounded in hands-on testing and real-world usability. She has conducted industry interviews, tracked emerging tech trends, and produced research-backed stories using verified sources and expert inputs. She holds a masters in Mass Communication, which complements her professional experience in digital journalism and content strategy, and aligns with her academic background in technology. Shweta follows a reader-first editorial philosophy, prioritising accuracy, transparency, and fact-checked reporting to deliver reliable, insightful, and practical insights.

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Apple's foldable iPhone Duo comes at a time when the world isn't in the process of getting used to this form factor anymore. Instead, it comes at a time when the foldable phones market is steadily growing. As per a Counterpoint report, this market is expected to cross the cumulative mark of 100 million units by the end of 2026. Interestingly enough, the same report predicts that Apple will capture a 25 percent of the global foldable phone market being second only to Samsung that will capture a 38 percent market share by the end of this year. Simply put, the iPhone Duo is expected to help Apple capture a sizable share of the global foldables market.

This brings us to the simple question, what makes the iPhone Duo so special? Before we get into that, let's walk you through the key specifications of this phone.

iPhone Duo specifications

Here are the detailed specifications of the new iPhone Duo:

FEATURE	iPHONE DUO
Display	5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED outer display; 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR OLED inner display
Build & Design	Aerospace-grade titanium
Water/Dust Resistance	IP68; Ceramic Shield 2 front; Ceramic Shield back
Processor	A20 Pro
RAM & Storage	256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Operating System	iOS 27
Front Camera	12MP Centre Stage outer camera; 12MP FaceTime under-display inner camera
Rear Camera	48MP Fusion main camera; 48MP Fusion ultra-wide camera
Battery & Charging	Up to 24 hours on typical use; fast-charging support
Security	Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Connectivity	5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, NFC, eSIM support
Colours	Night Sky, Star White
Price	Starts at ₹2,99,900

iPhone Duo: What makes it so special?

- The iPhone Duo will get support for Apple Pencil with USB-C later this year. This will enable users to take notes, sketch, or mark up documents on either display.

- The iPhone Duo comes with Touch ID that is integrated into the side button for easy, secure, and consistent authentication. It can be used for unlocking the device whether it is opened or closed. Users can also unlock the iPhone Duo using their Apple Watch.

- The Dual Capture feature in FaceTime shares front and rear camera feeds simultaneously.

- Additionally, Duo FaceTime lets someone join the conversation using the outer display and camera.

- The iPhone Duo gets a new Smart Take feature lets users capture images effortlessly. Apple says that the iPhone Duo comes with on-device AI models running on A20 Pro that analyse the scene in real time and automatically capture photos when subjects are posing.

- Users can take a selfie with the higher-resolution rear cameras and preview their shot on the outer display.

- iPhone Duo also comes with a Duo Preview feature that shows the live preview on the outer display, which in turn helps subjects pose, check their framing, and guide the shot.

- There's a Kid Cue feature that plays animations from Peanuts on the outer display to grab the attention of children so they look at the camera.

- Apple has also made changes to iOS 27 for providing a more seamless experience. For instance, Lock Screen controls, the Dock on the Home Screen, and app navigation and controls now appear on the side to maximize vertical space for content.

- Apple says that when the iPhone Duo is opened, the display shows two Home Screen pages with Today View, which is a vertically scrolling list of customizable widgets, on the left.

- Apple has also redesigned the Dynamic Island to fit vertically on the side of the outer and inner displays, and expands to show Live Activities and alerts when needed.

- Another feature coming to the iPhone Duo is Split View. It allows users to open two apps side by side on iPhone for the first time. Users can also quickly swap between apps, open two windows of the same app, have a conversation with Siri AI while looking at content on the other side of the screen, and save pairs of apps to come back to later.

- Apple has also updated the StandBy mode. Users can set iPhone Duo down and it enters StandBy on either the outer or inner display, even when it’s not charging. This standby screen can turn the device into a photo frame, hub for widgets, clock and more.

iPhone Duo: India price and availability

The iPhone Duo starts at ₹2,99,900 for the base variant with 256GB of storage space. Its 512GB variant costs ₹3,24,900, while the 1TB variant costs ₹3,74,900. The top variant with 2TB of storage space is priced at ₹4,49,900.

It will be available for pre-orders in India starting 5PM IST on October 16. It's sale will begin on October 23.

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