iPhone Duo is the first foldable from Apple, and it arrives next month for £1,999

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Chief Executive John Ternus, just eight days after taking over from Tim Cook, described Apple's first foray into foldables as an "entirely new design, while preserving everything you love about iPhone". Whispers from inside the secretive company suggest iPhone Duo has been in the works in some form or another for almost a decade.

Since the launch of the first-generation Google Pixel Fold back in May 2023, Apple is the only major smartphone manufacturer without a foldable device. With the arrival of the iPhone Duo next month, that's no longer the case.

John Ternus dismissed competitors' foldables as often feeling more like two smartphone screens stitched together, rather than a single device. In his previous role, Mr Ternus — a 25-year Apple veteran — oversaw all hardware design and engineering across Apple products, including the creation of the iPhone Duo.

When closed, iPhone Duo is roughly the size of a passport, with a 5.4-inch exterior screen, which offers around 90% of the same usable screen real estate as the iPhone 18 Pro, despite that handset boasting a 6.3-inch screen. That's because of the different aspect ratio between the shorter, stockier build of the Duo.

Unfold the iPhone Duo like a paperback novel, and you'll find an expansive 7.6-inch Super Retina touchscreen.

When held in a landscape orientation, the Californian company says its widescreen design is the perfect way to watch blockbuster movies and cinematic television shows with minimal black bars along the top and bottom. Held in a portrait orientation, iPhone Duo offers an experience more akin to what you'd expect from an iPad.

However you hold the iPhone Duo, it offers Spatial Audio from the speakers scattered across its titanium chassis.

To put the sheer amount of screen squeezed into the iPhone Duo in perspective, Apple says that foldable screen is 50% larger than what you'd find on the iPhone 18 Pro Max (6.9-inch) and 80% more than iPhone 18 Pro (6.3-inch). A camera for video calls and selfies is hidden beneath the 7.6-inch screen, so it doesn't interrupt the all-screen design.

To make the most of that iPad-like screen in your pocket, iOS 27 — available as a free update for millions of iPhone owners next week — has been tailored to take advantage of this one-of-a-kind form-factor.

Shortcuts to your torch and camera, usually found at the bottom of the iPhone screen, have been shifted to the right side, so that it falls comfortably under the thumb. Likewise, when iPhone Duo is unfolded, the Dock on the Home Screen, with shortcuts to a handful of your favourite apps, is on the right side of the screen.

You'll find the same across a slew of iOS apps, with controls shifted to the right to maximise the vertical space for content. Applications like Mail and Messages add columns to showcase more information on the larger screen.

A new circular status symbol spotlights your Wi-Fi, mobile signal strength, and remaining battery at a glance.

There are flourishes throughout iOS 27 to take advantage of the Duo's dual-screens. For example, friends and family can join FaceTime calls via the exterior screen, so nobody has to crowd around one screen, while Kid Cue plays short Snoopy vignettes on the outer display to grab the attention of distracted children so they look at the camera.

If you prop up the iPhone Duo like a small laptop, it uses AI to automatically capture photos when you've struck a pose — saving the need to set a timer and sprint back into position.

Even though it can be folded in two, Apple has kept all of the same trimmings you'd find on its other flagship smartphones, including a high refresh rate for buttery smooth animations known as ProMotion, the ability to always show the clock face and incoming notifications when the device is asleep, and a maximum of 3,000 nits of peak brightness for easy viewing outdoors — even on the brightest summer day.

Likewise, Apple says iPhone Duo can withstand similar punishment as its other (non-foldable) smartphones. It boasts the same water- and dust-resistance, with an industry-standard IP68 rating.

Ceramic Shield 2, the strengthened glass introduced with the iPhone 17 last year, offers the same 3x better scratch resistance on the exterior screen. As for the foldable Super Retina display, Apple has devised a custom scratch-resistant coating that's up to 40% stiffer than materials used in other foldables on the market.

There's also a nano-textured cover layer to reduce glare. Beneath the foldable display, Apple has added an ultra-thin titanium plate to further bolster durability.

While other foldables often warn owners to only use a fingertip to interact with the touchscreen — Samsung warns owners of its foldables: "do not press the screen with a hard or sharp object, such as a pen or your fingernail, or apply excessive pressure. Doing so could result in scratching or puncturing the screen" — Apple is poised to add support for its Apple Pencil stylus to annotate screenshots, sign documents, and more.

The hinge, which relies on magnets to snap shut, is composed of more than 100 components.

Apple is leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the supply chain to ensure each hinge is perfectly matched with a chassis, ensuring a perfectly flush finish.

Chief Hardware Officer, Johny Srouji explained: "During manufacturing, we use AI algorithms to precisely match each individual hinge with its best-fit housing to ensure perfect alignment"

Just like the other new iPhone models announced during its blockbuster September Event, Apple is making some big claims about battery life. Expect 24-hours of usage from the iPhone Duo before you'll need to find a plug — and that's when using both the 5.4-inch outer screen and the 7.6-inch inside one equally.

Unlocking the iPhone Duo is handled via a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, once the standard for all iPhone models before the introduction of the iPhone X and its Face ID facial recognition became the standard, housed in the Side Button.

There's also Camera Control, the dedicated shortcut to launch into the viewfinder and new Siri mode.

The all-titanium iPhone Duo is available in two colourways: Star White and Night Sky.

Prices start from £1,999. For that, you'll take delivery of the foldable iPhone Duo with 256GB of built-in storage. If you want the most expensive model with 2TB of storage, you'll need to part with £3,199.

Preorders for iPhone Duo begin on October 16, with the first foldables due to be delivered to customers — and available to pick-up in your local Apple Store, from October 23, 2026.

Discussing the launch, analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight, told GB News: "Apple has taken its time entering this category and is now seeking to redefine what consumers should expect from a smartphone rather than simply following rivals.

"Interestingly, higher pricing across the premium iPhone 18 line-up could also sway some customers toward the foldable, narrowing the perceived jump to a completely new form factor. Apple will now flex its considerable marketing muscle to kick-start demand and give the foldable category a major boost.

"I fully expect it to be an instant hit, benefiting the wider market and developer community while putting rivals firmly on notice."