California [US], September 10 (ANI): Apple has introduced iPhone Duo, the first foldable iPhone, at the launch event on Wednesday in California. When opened, it is the thinnest iPhone ever, with a 7.6-inch inner display that provides a large canvas for viewing content, gaming, and multitasking, and a special nano-texture finish that minimises glare for an unparalleled viewing experience.
When closed, the 5.4-inch outer display delivers 90 per cent of the screen area of iPhone 18 Pro in a compact, pocketable design.
According to Apple’s press note, both displays share the same aspect ratio, so content scales proportionally for visual continuity. iPhone Duo is built to last with an innovative hardware design and a precision hinge that offers a smooth, satisfying feel with every use.
Powered by the new A20 Pro, iPhone Duo features an advanced thermal management system with a custom-designed vapor chamber and a dual-battery architecture, delivering pro performance and impressive all-day battery life.
The advanced camera system takes stunning photos and videos, with the folding design unlocking fun new ways to use the camera that aren’t possible on any other iPhone. iOS 27 is reimagined, remaining familiar and intuitive while adapting to the versatile ways users can interact with iPhone Duo. And with Apple Intelligence2 and Siri AI,3 iPhone Duo brings powerful AI capabilities together with a user’s personal context.
iPhone Duo is available in two refined colors: star white and night sky. Pre-orders begin Friday, October 16, with availability beginning Friday, October 23.
“iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original. With an entirely new design and intuitive experiences, it shows what’s possible when hardware and software are engineered together and redefines what it means to use a foldable phone,” said John Ternus, Apple’s CEO, as quoted on the Apple website.
“With the largest display ever on iPhone that still fits easily in your pocket, combined with the power of A20 Pro, iPhone Duo helps you stay more immersed and productive wherever you go, whether you’re enjoying content, multitasking across apps, or gaming,” added John Ternus.
According to the press note, iPhone Duo delivers an advanced camera system that brings all-new experiences made possible by its breakthrough design. With the new 48MP Fusion Main camera, users can shoot sharp photos at up to 48MP resolution with zero shutter lag, capture in the 24MP default for incredible image quality at a file size perfect for sharing, and get closer to the subject with an integrated optical-quality 2x Telephoto.
The 48MP Fusion Main camera also benefits from a new computational image pipeline for sharp details, and excels in low light thanks to a large sensor, fast aperture, and sensor-shift optical image stabilisation.
The foldable design with dual displays unlocks camera experiences that are not possible on any other iPhone.
With Smart Take, users no longer miss out on being in the photo because they are behind the shutter or racing to beat a timer. On-device AI models running on A20 Pro 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.
Duo Preview shows the live preview on the outer display, helping subjects pose, check their framing, and guide the shot.
Kid Cue plays animations from Peanuts on the outer display to grab the attention of children so they look at the camera.
Duo FaceTime lets people who are with the user join a video call on the outer display, so everyone can share the moment without crowding around one screen.
According to the press note, iPhone Duo supports 4K120 fps recording in Dolby Vision on the 48MP Fusion Main camera, unlocking gorgeous slow-motion effects by adjusting the playback speed. Users can now apply Cinematic effects after capture at up to 60 fps, and Audio Mix introduces new algorithms that deliver higher-quality voices and can now isolate music.
Time-lapse supports 4K in Dolby Vision HDR, and users can prop iPhone Duo up without needing a tripod to easily capture longer-duration videos.
iPhone Duo gives users access to Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri that is rolling out in beta with iOS 27. Powered by Apple Intelligence, Siri is profoundly more personal, capable, and conversational, and becomes even more useful on the large inner display. Powerful AI capabilities paired with personal context make iPhone Duo an intelligent personal hub with privacy and security at its core.
Siri AI can draw on personal context understanding to help users find what they need in the moment across messages, emails, photos, and more; use onscreen awareness to take action related to the content on a user’s screen; and answer questions about virtually any topic. Users can write with Siri by simply describing what they need. The all-new Siri app also makes it easy to revisit past conversations or kick off new ones, with conversational history synced privately across products with iCloud.
Additionally, Apple Intelligence makes apps smarter and more useful. Users can improve the composition of a photo after it’s been taken with Spatial Reframing, Extend, and upgraded Clean Up. Image Playground also now offers photorealistic imagery, and with upcoming support for the SynthID standard, users can identify images generated or edited with AI.6 In Safari, Notify Me helps users monitor web pages for changes, like product restocks or price drops, to stay on top of updates. To protect users’ privacy, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, which extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud.
Powered by A20 Pro — the same chip in iPhone 18 Pro models — and paired with an advanced thermal management system, iPhone Duo delivers up to 35 per cent better sustained performance than iPhone 17 Pro.
According to the press note, iPhone Duo is designed with one high-energy battery on each side to maximize capacity while efficiently using internal space. A combination of Apple silicon and energy rebalancing algorithms allows the batteries to operate seamlessly as one, so users get up to 31 hours of video playback when using the inner display, up to 44 hours of video playback when using the outer display, and up to 24 hours of usage per charge when both displays are used equally. Users can also enjoy fast charging — iPhone Duo can charge up to 50 percent in around 20 minutes or wirelessly charge up to 50 percent in around 30 minutes with a MagSafe or Qi2 charger.
iPhone Duo features an eSIM-only design worldwide that saves internal space to maximize battery capacity. eSIM offers greater flexibility, better security, and seamless connectivity compared to traditional physical SIM cards, and as an industry standard, it is supported by over 500 carriers around the world, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and more. iOS 27 also introduces iPhone Handoff, which allows users with supported carriers to easily switch back and forth between two iPhone models with the same phone number.
iPhone Duo is available in star white and Night Sky, and starts at 1,999 USD in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage capacities. (ANI)
Apple’s first foldable iPhone launched; iPhone Duo to be available in India from October 23
