$3500 for the 256gb in Australia I have a feeling thats going to be a hard sell here.
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Apple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo'
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jmgregory1
macrumors 68040
What I would really like Apple to try is making a single screen iPhone the same size as the folded Duo - just the outer screen. Maybe that will be the new iPhone Air 2?
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
About 4% of the global population have “faint fingerprints”…yay for body diversity!!!
Setting my fingerprint in previous versions of iPhone would typically only last a few hours tops, before the phone would no longer recognize my touch. Anytime I wash my hands or shower, the phone also can’t recognize my touch anymore.
In short TouchID is unusable for some 350 million people…
The difference is, you can't fit an iPad in your pocket.
I'd probably not buy it regardless, but (not) having optical zoom is a pretty big deal for me. And I don't even take that many photos.
menist
macrumors 6502a
Only Apple can sell us a $1999 alarm clock 😅
mistymac
macrumors member
Pretty neat! Curious to see how the screen holds up over time and if it develops any crease in the center. Love that it supports the pencil, but I'm curious if its as accurate as it is on the iPad. Also kind of a bummer there's no attachable mini pencil but I suppose that just doesn't really make sense for most use cases if you've gotta take it off every time you open it up. I think the biggest thing holding me back from giving this a go is the apparent lack of magsafe. I have an older vehicle and like to use my phone as GPS and media device with a magsafe mount. Plus I love my magsafe wallet. Hmmmmmm!
Edit: ooo magsafe is supported!
Edit: ooo magsafe is supported!
skinnylegs
macrumors 65816
Have you ever picked up a Samsung Fold 8? IMO passport style is the *only way to go with a folding device. The Google Pixel Fold looks silly. If you don't like the form factor I get it. Each to their own; but it is silly to say nobody is buying it. I'm buying it and I can virtually guarantee it will be sold out at launch very quickly.
DankeBrutus
macrumors regular
I was cautiously optimistic that Apple would pull the "last one to do it but did it right" thing and from first impressions they may have made the best foldable phone. I have not been tempted by a folding phone before but the Duo does look good. $2000 USD for just 256GB of storage is wheeze-inducing, but if I am going to buy a Duo it probably will be the Duo 2 or 3 since I am very happy with my iPhone 17. Hopefully by then memory and storage prices will come back down to Earth.
The one design decision I am skeptical of is moving the status bar to the side. In a way the Duo sort of resembles how I prefer my macOS GUI with the Dock to the side, though on my Macs I prefer the Dock on the left side. It makes physical sense to have the controls remain near the thumb, and the passport-like shape is going to influence people to hold the Duo a certain way, but I wonder how the Duo will accommodate left-handed people. I'm looking forward to the inevitable JerryRigEverything durability test to see how the titanium heavy chassis handles stress. The iPhone Air did very well when he got his hands on it, but that hinge could be the weak point of the device.
The one design decision I am skeptical of is moving the status bar to the side. In a way the Duo sort of resembles how I prefer my macOS GUI with the Dock to the side, though on my Macs I prefer the Dock on the left side. It makes physical sense to have the controls remain near the thumb, and the passport-like shape is going to influence people to hold the Duo a certain way, but I wonder how the Duo will accommodate left-handed people. I'm looking forward to the inevitable JerryRigEverything durability test to see how the titanium heavy chassis handles stress. The iPhone Air did very well when he got his hands on it, but that hinge could be the weak point of the device.
It's not for me personally, but Samsung Fold is actually doing quite well. Sales up 30% YoY. There clearly is a market for it.
The thing I hate about these idealized presentations is we don't get to see a live go at playing with these like they used to at keynotes. It's all rendered garbage.
Apple today announced the "iPhone Duo," a new kind of iPhone featuring two screens and a foldable inner display.
The two halves of the iPhone Duo connect into a single continuous frame with the same aspect ratio across both displays, and Apple said the transition between open and closed is designed to feel fluid. When fully open, Apple called it the thinnest iPhone ever made, with an architecture that packages its components into the camera plateau.
The frame is machined and polished titanium, with Ceramic Shield on the back and Ceramic Shield 2 on the front, and the device carries an IP68 rating. iPhone Duo comes in two colors, Star White and Night Sky. Touch ID is built into the side button, and the device can also be unlocked using an Apple Watch.
A custom hinge, made from more than 100 tiny precision components, holds the display flat when open and controls the folding motion. Apple said the structure uses a multi layer lamination design with viscoelastic adhesives that let the display's layers glide against each other during folding "like pages in a book," preventing distortion over time. A titanium plate forms the bottom layer for added durability, with carbon fiber support plates creating a stiff, lightweight base for the display to rest on.
The inner display measures 7.6 inches, which Apple said is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 80% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro, while the outer display is 5.4 inches and offers 90% of the screen area of the iPhone 18 Pro. Apple Pencil support is coming to both displays later this year.
For the display surface itself, Apple said it created a custom nano texture finish that cuts down on glare and reflections. The company also described a separate micro lens texture, produced using maskless laser lithography that writes each lens pixel by pixel, which it said creates a "perceptually flat matte surface" that minimizes the visibility of the fold crease while still feeling premium to the touch.
The iPhone Duo also features a number of special software features. Essential controls have moved to the sides of the display to sit within thumb's reach, the Home Screen dock is now oriented vertically, and the status bar has been redesigned to fit into the corner of the display. Software transitions gracefully between the outer and inner displays as the device opens, with controls staying in a consistent position while content scales up.
iOS also adapts to how the device is angled or propped, and it can be used partially folded, with content sliding away from the crease where taps are harder to register. Custom audio tuning adjusts for the changing distance between the speakers depending on how the device is positioned. Users can run two apps at once or open the same app twice, and can swipe up from the bottom to switch apps or pair two apps together to reopen later. A new Standby mode adds widgets for music, calendar, or weather, and Apple said the device can double as a bedside clock with a soft glow.
The iPhone Duo uses the same 48MP Fusion main camera design Apple has used elsewhere in its lineup alongside a 48MP Fusion ultra wide camera, the same ultra wide used in the iPhone 18 Pro, and supports Apple's upgraded Photographic Styles. Since the device can stand on its own, Apple said it opens up new options for capturing time lapses in 4K Dolby Vision HDR.
The outer display houses a 12MP Center Stage front camera, which Apple said improves selfies by letting people preview the shot before taking it. The inner display has its own FaceTime camera hidden behind the screen, which works whether the device is fully open or propped on a surface, and the two cameras can dual capture front and rear scenes simultaneously. A new Duo FaceTime feature lets someone else join a video call from the outer display. A Smart Take feature tracks a scene and automatically takes the photo once everyone in a group shot is ready, removing the need to set a timer, and the outer display can play animations to help hold a child's attention for the camera.
The iPhone Duo features the new C2 modem, which Apple said is up to 50% faster than the C1X, adds 5G mmWave support in the U.S., and uses up to 15% less battery. Apple also said AI algorithms improve everyday cellular reliability, including reconnecting faster in areas with weak coverage, and that the device delivers up to 35% higher sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone Duo is eSIM only worldwide.
Each half of the device has its own battery, which Apple said operate together as a single battery for all day use, rated at up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and 44 hours on the outer display. Using both screens equally, Apple rates the device for up to 24 hours of battery life, with fast charging reaching 50% in around 20 minutes and just five minutes of charging providing up to five hours of video playback on the outer display.
New accessories include a Duo Folio case with a built in kickstand, along with an iPhone Duo case made of two separate parts that wrap around each half of the device.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB, with storage options going up to 2TB. Preorders begin October 16, with availability starting October 23.
More to follow...
Article Link: Apple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo'
Prabas
macrumors 65816
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
I'm sort of hoping JT decides to do an entire ground up rethink on these presentations, maybe for WWDC.
I don't know why, but I'm just tapped out on this format of "zooming all over" and a new presenter every 3 minutes ... and just "overload" .. I don't know. It just has an ADD feel to it for me.
SilmarilFinder
macrumors regular
As the rumours suggested, Touch ID and the standard two camera setup are deal breakers.
Overall package is phenomenal though.
Overall package is phenomenal though.
kingjames1970
macrumors 6502
Loved the animation to make kids smile, that is a lovely touch and shows some really integrated thinking. If the rest of the package is so well thought out, I can be persuaded to buy one. (D’oh was so sure I’d hate it and could never justify £2K on a phone.)
kp98077
macrumors 601
Technically it has a screen on the front or back... which ever way you hold it.
rhinosrcool
macrumors 68000
Well, I'm very impressed. Especially, with the addition of the apple pencil. I hope the logi stylus works with it?
fullauto
macrumors 65816
Yep…in the EU the equivalent of 2700 Dollar for the base model, without any AI features
This "looks" like a great device, and Apple does make great hardware. However, in the everyday usage I think it will be more show than function. Asking someone to take a photo for you may be odd at first, plus it will be pretty heavy in your pocket as well as thick.
I think in size it is around the size of the Magic Trackpad when open. The pencil support and hidden camera are great, but I think those will be coming to the next iPhone next year. The way the wording was "the first iPhone to support the Apple Pencil" makes me think the iPhone 20 will get most of this tech.
For me, it is nice, but for 2k and less of a photo device in many ways vs the Pro lines, it would be a pass at this time.
I think in size it is around the size of the Magic Trackpad when open. The pencil support and hidden camera are great, but I think those will be coming to the next iPhone next year. The way the wording was "the first iPhone to support the Apple Pencil" makes me think the iPhone 20 will get most of this tech.
For me, it is nice, but for 2k and less of a photo device in many ways vs the Pro lines, it would be a pass at this time.