The debate over foldable phone displays just reached a boiling point. It seems everyone has an opinion on Apple’s new nano-texture display for the iPhone Duo and how it stacks up to the ultra-vibrant glossy OLED on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8.

I posted two videos comparing these displays both indoors and outdoors on TikTok, and the reaction was instantaneous, racking up over 1.2 million views and nearly 5,000 comments.

On one side, the Duo’s nano-texture coating virtually erases glare and makes the creases almost invisible. On the other side, the Fold 8 delivers perfect black levels and punchy saturation you can’t get from a matte treatment.

I want you to be the judge. Watch the tests below, check out the debate and let me know in the comments if you agree with my verdict.

iPhone Duo vs Fold 8 Test 1: Outdoors in the sun (The Glare Test)

I want to give you fair warning that I’m obsessed with Marvel, so I used MCU movies for both comparisons. Starting outside in the shade but on a sunny day, I played the “Avengers Doomsday" trailer on both the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8.

As I pan around, you can tell that the Fold 8 suffers from more glare, and the crease is more visible, but this is more of a stress test. The average person is going to look at their device head-on, but the fact that glare creeps in off-angle is relevant when it comes to sharing content with others.

However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 offers deeper blacks and more saturated colors, just as you would expect from a glossier OLED panel. So I’d say in this round the Duo has the advantage, but it’s not a rout by any stretch.

Top comments

• “That crease kills it for the top one. (Fold 8)”
• “The colors are def more vibrant on the Samsung but that glare and crease are terrible. I would choose the Apple.”
• “I like the anti glare of the bottom one (iPhone Duo) but the vibrancy of the top one (Fold 8).”
• “Samsung looks better but the crease…”
• I can’t understand why people love matte displays. It just looks so greyish”

iPhone Duo vs Fold 8 Test 2: Indoors (The Color & Contrast Test)

Next, I tested the iPhone Duo and Fold 8 side by side in our video studio, so the lights are fairly bright overhead. In this environment, the crease on the Samsung was less visible and I noticed less glare.

More importantly, the colors on the Fold 8’s display look much richer, as Spider-Man’s red uniform pops a lot more. And once again, the black levels are perfect through the Samsung. There’s just better contrast overall. Even the Marvel Studios graphic looks better on the Fold 8.

The caveat here is that you’ll get better visuals from the iPhone Duo when it’s in your hand versus off- angle, but I did stand directly above these foldable phones when shooting.

Top comments

• “Unbelievable work from Apple — they’ve sacrificed brightness, contrast, sharpness, and HDR+ just to hide the crease, bravo.”
• “Matte made that OLED look like an IPS.”
• “Gloss > matte.”
• “The Duo looks dull.”
• The iPhone, because you can actually see the screen even if there’s light shining on it.”

My take

I honestly don’t believe that one display is objectively better than the other. It depends on what you prioritize. But based on my testing so far, I personally prefer the iPhone Duo’s main screen.

Apple’s panel does a better job of cutting down on glare and minimizing the crease to the point where it’s hard to see. I especially prefer using the iPhone Duo outdoors. I find it easier to do everything from watching videos in tent mode to reading, even in direct sunlight.

However, there’s no denying that the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s main display offers richer colors and the perfect black levels you’d expect from an OLED. And it's also worth keeping in mind that we've been using the Fold 8 for longer, which contributes to the crease.

I wish there was a screen that offered the best of both worlds. But for now, it all comes down to what you want in a foldable.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo battery life results: Here's how long it lasts
• Best iPhone Duo deals — save up to $1,200 right now
• I put the iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 through a 10-round camera face-off — here's the winner

With the iPhone Duo launch now out of the way, it's time to start looking forward to some of the phones headed our way in the near future — into 2027 and beyond. The next big release we're expecting is the Samsung Galaxy S27, and the latest leak may have revealed what batteries to expect from two of the four upcoming models.

That's right, four models, because rumor has it that Samsung will be releasing a new Galaxy S27 Pro. Presumably this is a device that will sit between the Plus and the Ultra models, though we'll have to wait and see just what Samsung has planned. This new battery leak covers the mysterious Pro and the flagship Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Two batteries have just shown up on the Safety Korea database, alongside photos, featuring the model numbers EB-BS957CBY and EB-BS958DBY. This lines up with the SM-S957 and SM-S958 model numbers tied to the S27 Pro and Ultra, suggesting these are the batteries we'll see in next year's high-end Galaxy phones.

We can't quite see the capacities, but past leaks suggest that we'll see 5,534 mAh and 5,087 mAh batteries, with typical capacities of 5,700 mAh and 5,200 mAh, respectively. If those figures are accurate, it means this is the first time the Ultra model has had a battery capacity upgrade since the release of the Galaxy S20 Ultra almost seven years ago. Charging is said to be 60W on both, which is the same as the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

This is a long time coming

For those that don't remember, the Galaxy S20 Ultra was the first of Samsung's modern Ultra phones, and it came with a 5,000 mAh battery — up from 4,100 mAh on the Galaxy S10 Plus. This 700 mAh upgrade effectively means that the S27 Ultra is shaping up for an extra 100 mAh for every year Samsung ignored the calls for higher battery capacity.

Presumably this increase in capacity will be aided by Samsung's recent push into silicon carbon battery technology. As we saw with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the different battery chemistry allows phone makers to improve battery density — packing more power into the same amount of space.

The batteries pictured don't look particularly big, which lends some support to that theory. Plus, the Z Fold 8 managed to adopt the new batteries without issue, and it makes little sense to avoid rolling silicon carbon out to other premium Samsung phones.

The Galaxy S27 series is expected to launch in early 2027, with rumors suggesting Samsung may pivot back to a January launch window. In the meantime we'll be seeing a lot more rumors about what all four phones can do, so stay tuned to Tom's Guide to hear all the best news and rumors as we hear about them.

More from Tom's Guide

• I put the iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 through a 10-round photo face-off — here’s the winner
• iPhone Duo full benchmarks — the world's fastest foldable, but how does it stack up to iPhone 18 Pro?
• I’ve been testing dozens of iPhone Duo apps — here’s my top 15 picks so far

The iPhone Duo is proving very difficult to come by, and right now, on the official release day, Apple's own delivery estimates stretch into late January of next year. The Duo is, by our metrics, an excellent foldable phone, but it isn't the only option available to you right now. In fact, there are more of the best foldable phones to choose from, none of which have the same availability issues Apple's option is experiencing.

Obviously these phones have one key difference, in that they run Android rather than Apple's iOS. That is enough to turn off a lot of people, especially if they've been Apple users for a long time. That said, if you're more open to being platform-agnostic, and desperately want to pick up a foldable phone without waiting, you have some options available to you.

Here are the best iPhone Duo alternatives you can buy today

Best iPhone Duo alternatives

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

If you're looking for another passport-shaped foldable — with a shorter design when closed and widescreen when open — then the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is easily your best bet. The Z Fold 8 offers a 5.5-inch cover display and 7.6-inch foldable display, which is close in size to the Duo.

That larger screen packs Samsung's new Flex Titanium display technology which promises to improve durability and minimize the crease. There's also an anti-reflective coating to prevent glare and help you see what's on screen. The Fold 8 is thinner and lighter than the iPhone Duo, and it lets you three apps at once instead of just two.

Camera-wise you're looking at a pair of 50MP rear lenses, with main and ultrawide shooters. Like the Duo, there's no telephoto lens for zoomed in shots. Selfie cameras are 10MP each, and you'll find one in both screens — though there's no under-display camera in this one. It's also a lot thinner and lighter than the Duo, and features the performance power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.

That's as good as you'll get on an Android phone. Oh, and you get some of the best AI features of any phone, with a price tag that's $100 less than the iPhone Duo.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

If you want a foldable that's a little larger than what the Duo has to offer, then Samsung's Z Fold 8 Ultra is worth considering. It offers all the same features and benefits as the Z Fold 8, albeit without the newly-popular wide design. Instead there's a skinnier 6.5-inch cover display and a 8-inch foldable display on the inside.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra benefits from better camera hardware, including a 200MP main camera lens and a 10MP telephoto shooter with 3x optical zooming capabilities. On top of that you get a larger battery with 14 hours and 30 minutes of battery life (an hour longer than the iPhone Duo.

You also get a lightweight and thin frame, and everything Galaxy AI and Google Gemini have to offer. The downside is that Galaxy foldables don't offer stylus support or dust resistance, and the 8 Ultra is $100 more expensive than the iPhone Duo.

Motorola Razr Fold

Here's another book-shaped foldable, coming in with the same $1,900 price tag as the iPhone Duo. The Motorola Razr Fold puts an emphasis on premium hardware at that base price, with a 6,000 mAh battery (with over 14 hours of life), 80W charging, 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM that works in conjunction with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

Screens are a little bigger, measuring 6.6-inches for the cover display and 8.1-inches for the foldable inner screen. You also get a trio of 50MP cameras, which are complemented by a 32MP inner selfie camera and a 20MP cover screen camera. Optional stylus support, a slightly thinner design than the iPhone Duo, and a bunch of Motorola's AI features round out the perks.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold

As a whole, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is not that impressive compared to other foldables. Performance is weak; app scaling is a very real problem; and the battery life is not particularly impressive. But there are a lot of benefits to picking up a Google-made foldable instead of one of its rivals. Particularly the AI support, which is some of the best you'll find on any Android thanks to the fact Google is responsible for Pixel phones and Gemini AI.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold also features the brightest screen of any foldable, with a 6.5-inch cover display and 8-inch main display, a 5x telephoto lens (with 30x Super Zoom), 16GB of RAM, 25W wireless charging, and the new Rambler dictation system.

On top of that, Google has added a new "app bubbles" system that lets you dock different apps at the bottom of your screen — with the ability to summon them as an extra layer on top of an ordinary split-view mode. There's no stylus support, though.

Other foldable options

The thing about foldable phones is that there are a lot more of them out there than you might realize. In fact, the foldable segment is particularly popular among Chinese brands and some of them actually go on sale outside of the country. Sadly, they can be much harder to find, especially if you live in the U.S.

That's less of an issue in places like the U.K., and any readers from across the Atlantic should be aware of a couple of extra options that are available to you. Plus, while these phones technically run on Android, the software looks very similar to iOS 27 — which means the shock of switching platforms won't be quite as severe.

Honor Magic V6

The Honor Magic V6 is a foldable that aims to be as premium as possible, particularly in the camera department. This thing packs in 50MP main and ultrawide lenses, alongside a 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and a pair of 20MP selfie cameras — one on each screen.

The software is very reminiscent of iOS, and it features a bunch of stuff that you'd normally only get from an iPhone. That includes the ability to use the V6 as a secondary Mac screen, the inclusion of an Apple-like interface for AirPods and even Apple Watch notification support. Which is astounding for an Android

As for the screens, you get a 7.95-inch foldable display with anti-reflective coating and a 6.52-inch cover display with anti-scratch coating. Both screens are rated for a respective 5,000 and 6,000 nits. You get stylus support on both displays, and they come wrapped in a shiny gold casing. Add in the swift Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and up to 16GB of RAM and you have a powerful phone that's ready for AI.

Oppo Find N6

Oppo's Find N series has been the gold standard for crease elimination for the past couple of generations, and the Oppo Find N6 is the bar at which the iPhone Duo's lack of crease will be judged by. The 8.12-inch foldable screen also features a "self-healing memory glass" which is said to keep that crease away for good. Both it and the 6.62-inch cover display offer stylus support, as well as Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

As for cameras, you're looking at a 200MP main lens, a 50MP ultrawide and a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Selfie cameras are both 20MP, using a hole-punch design on each screen. Performance is handled by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, in conjunction with either 12 or 16GB of RAM. Meanwhile, there's a monster 6,000 mAh battery inside, complete with 80W wired charging speeds.,

More from Tom's Guide

• I put the iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 through a 10-round photo face-off — here’s the winner
• iPhone Duo full benchmarks — the world's fastest foldable, but how does it stack up to iPhone 18 Pro?
• I’ve been testing dozens of iPhone Duo apps — here’s my top 15 picks so far

We really liked the iPhone Duo. Our Global Editor-in-Chief, Mark Spoonauer, gave it an impressive 4.5-star rating. Personally, I passed on Apple's first foldable, even after waiting more than five years to get my hands on it.

For many shoppers, the biggest issue with the iPhone Duo (besides the price) is the lack of Face ID. Some negative iPhone Duo reviews have called it a dealbreaker for the new phone. For those people, the latest edition of Mark Gurman's PowerOn podcast has good news — Apple is apparently already testing an iPhone Duo 2 with Face ID support internally.

That's right, the iPhone Duo doesn't officially drop until tomorrow, and the company is already working on the sequel. At least it's listening to buyer and critic feedback as it enters the second iteration of its foldable phone.

What to expect from iPhone Duo 2

On the podcast, Gurman said the iPhone Duo Face ID will still be an under-display camera if it launches with the phone, following the current model's design.

He didn't go into much detail about specifics — namely, how Apple will fit Face ID into the tight form factor, one of the key limitations that kept the technology out of the first iPhone Duo. He mentioned smaller components and AI advances could help it fit inside the foldable phone, but we'll have to see if that happens next fall when the future iPhone Duo hits shelves.

Gurman also said that Apple is considering adding an Action Button to the next iPhone Duo, which would help bring it to feature parity with the Pro and Pro Max models.

Obviously, it's too early to say what will happen around the iPhone Duo 2, but if it gets Face ID and an Action Button, that could be enough to push people over the edge. For me, it's more about clearing those first-time issues before I'm ready to take the $2,000 plunge.

More from Tom's Guide

• Lefties are out of luck with the iPhone Duo, but Apple plans to add reachability features later this year
• iPhone Duo full benchmarks — the world's fastest foldable, but how does it stack up to iPhone 18 Pro?
• 'Polished but rough': The common flaws in the iPhone Duo found by nine different reviewers

If you haven't been able to get yourself an iPhone Duo, and you'd rather not wait for different retailers and carriers to get them back in stock, I have some good news — and some bad news. The good news is that Apple has confirmed some walk-in customers will be able to buy an iPhone Duo on launch day (October 23). The bad news is that supply will be limited.

Apple confirmed this to MacRumors, with a spokesperson reiterating that some countries will be able to sell iPhone Duo units to walk-in customers — meaning those people who do not have a valid pre-order or confirmed collection booked.

"On Friday morning, our teams look forward to welcoming customers at Apple Stores to experience iPhone Duo and the incredible iPhone line-up for themselves," the statement reads. "Apple Stores will have limited iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers, and we're working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers' hands as quickly as possible."

What we know about in-store iPhone Duo stock

Countries confirmed to get walk-in stock include:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Mexico
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Singapore
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Türkiye

Certain Italian Apple Stores will also have stock, but Apple hasn't specified which ones.

We don't know how limited the supply of in-store iPhone Duos will be, but Apple has said that they'll only be available on launch day. My guess is that, given the sheer amount of demand for the iPhone Duo, Apple is simply assuming that stores will sell out on day one. I'd be surprised if they still had walk-in Duo units available by lunchtime, to be perfectly honest.

If you're planning on picking up an iPhone Duo from the Apple Store, my advice would be to get there early and try to be first in line — or as close as you can be. Obviously your success is going to differ depending on the rules at that specific store, and the mall many of them are located inside.

Apple has previously told customers to check back on October 24 (Saturday) if they want to try and get a pickup reservation, but it's unclear if any will actually be available if units all sell out tomorrow. It's equally unclear as to whether customers will be able to reserve an in-store pickup tomorrow, and secure a Duo without setting up camp outside the front door.

Apple's ordering even more Duo units

Obviously, demand has been extremely high, and Apple has described it as "nothing short of extraordinary." To the point where we've already heard claims Apple could be increasing its iPhone Duo order to 10 million units, or roughly 30% more than it reportedly wanted for the remainder of 2026.

In fact, a report from DigiTimes claims Apple is raising that figure to 14 million units. That order apparently covers the next 12 months, rather than the several weeks left of the calendar year. If things all go according to plan, this should help ease the supply issues Apple is facing over time.

DigiTimes did note that the actual output will depend on the assembly process, and whether Apple can overcome the challenges it's reported to have faced since the Duo entered mass production earlier this year.

Not that this actually helps you pick up an iPhone Duo on launch day. For that, you're going to have to head to the Apple Store ahead of opening time and hope for the best. Or you can check out our ever-updating list of when all the major retailers and carriers are expecting to deliver new iPhone Duo orders.

More from Tom's Guide

• Lefties are out of luck with the iPhone Duo, but Apple plans to add reachability features later this year
• iPhone Duo full benchmarks — the world's fastest foldable, but how does it stack up to iPhone 18 Pro?
• 'Polished but rough': The common flaws in the iPhone Duo found by nine different reviewers

One of the best reasons to get the iPhone Duo over an Android foldable is the app selection. Yes, already. It’s clear that developers have been preparing for this device, as there are lots of apps that have been optimized for Apple’s first foldable.

And I’m not just talking about two-column layouts that look better on the Duo’s big 7.6-inch screen. Apps like Netflix put playback controls on the bottom half of the screen in “seated” mode, and there are some really fun and ingenious examples of what foldable-first apps should look and feel like, from music to games.

Now that I’ve been living with Apple’s $2,000 device for a week, here are my favorite iPhone Duo apps so far.

Slack

I put Slack at the top of my list because it’s the app I use most often. The app uses a handy two-column layout that puts your rooms and contacts on the left and your messages on the right. You’ll find the controls on the right side, including Home, Direct Messages, Notifications and Search. You can also remove the left pane from the menu at any time. The Cover Display view is a bit cluttered and I wish it was easier to hide the keyboard, but overall this is a good app.

TikTok

My famous time waster just got even more addictive. TikTok has an optimized app for iPhone Duo that lets you seamlessly scroll videos on the cover display and have a super immersive viewing experience in portrait mode on the main screen. Want to check out comments? Flip over to landscape and you can read them on the right while doom scrolling on the left. The only thing missing are controls on the right, which I’m assuming is imminent with an update.

UnGodly

If you’re looking for a 3D action game that makes full use of the iPhone Duo’s A20 chip and massive 7.6-inch screen, this is it. UnGodly is a fantasy action RPG that lets you play as multiple characters as you battle. I had a blast swinging swords, launching lightning attacks and hurling fire at my enemies. And the graphics look great on the iPhone Duo, complete with complex lighting effects and reflections.

Instagram

I give Meta credit for being one of the first developers out with fully optimized Duo apps. That includes Instagram, Facebook and Threads. I like Instagram best because it offers an immersive video experience on the front display as you scroll. And on the inside display you can turn the Duo to portrait mode for watching vertical video or go landscape. The comments load on the right side and stay there as you keep scrolling.

Deck-Man

The Deck-Man app proves that developers can have fun with the iPhone Duo’s foldable design. The app transforms your device into a 1980s-style Walkman. With the iPhone Duo open you choose your music via virtual cassette tapes (it syncs with Apple Music), and when you close the phone the front screen shows the cassette spinning along with playback controls. Put the Duo in tent mode and you can flip through thumbnails of your music collection. It’s a very slick design.

YouTube TV

Technically YouTube TV isn’t yet fully optimized for the iPhone Duo, because the controls aren’t on the right side yet, leaving a sliver of blank space on the right side of the screen. I don’t care. Once you start watching your favorite shows — it’s First Take on ESPN for me — they take up the full screen. Even better, you can watch up to four shows and/or movies at once with the Multiview feature. I also like that you can continue watching in tent mode, perfect for when I’m grilling and need to keep my hands free.

Spotify

Spotify is one of my favorite iPhone Duo apps because it takes (nearly) full advantage of the big display. You get an expansive view of your music collection along with recommended stations and a dedicated mini player that pops up on the right side. The menu items have not yet moved to the far right, leaving a blank space. I’d also like to see a tent mode view added once Spotify fully optimizes this app.

Perplexity

Perplexity is an AI app that I generally trust for direct answers to my questions, complete with citations. You can use Deep Research for projects and there’s a built-in assistant for doing things for you like drafting emails and booking reservations. The two-column layout looks snazzy on the iPhone Duo’s main display. I asked for the key differences between the iPhone Duo and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and got a helpful and unbiased guide along with a handy table.

Netflix

There’s a reason Apple showed off Netflix at the iPhone Duo launch event. The app was built from the ground up for this foldable. The cover display is great for scrolling through mobile Clips. And on the main display you can watch movies and shows full screen or use the phone half-folded in tabletop mode with the content up top and controls below. The colors from the top part reflect on the bottom, which is a nice touch.

OpenTable

OpenTable is a beautifully designed iPhone Duo app that’s guaranteed to make you hungry. When clicking on restaurants you’ll see wide photos that stretch across the big screen, and the available times up top. The Notify Me feature sends an alert when a last-minute table opens up at a popular spot. The controls on the right side look just as good on the main display as on the cover display.

Carrot Weather

If you like your weather apps with a bit of personality, Carrot Weather will not disappoint. You can choose from Professional, Friendly, Snarky and more. But it’s the slick layout that keeps me coming back for more. There’s multiple widgets to help you keep tabs on the weather at a glance, including hourly and 7-day forecasts, UV index, Sunset and more. And you can even customize the layout.

Gemini

I think Gemini looks pretty good on the iPhone Duo, though it’s not fully optimized yet and has a weird bug. But first the good news. You get a two-column layout that shows the main menu on the left (Library, Images, Gems, etc), as well as your recent history, and the main chat window on the right. My only issue is that the button for going live with your camera gets covered up on the large screen due to overlapping menus. It’s better to access that option from the front screen for now.

PianoFold

PianoFold is what happens when developers take full advantage of the iPhone Duo’s foldable nature. You can play with the screen fully open in flat mode, but the game feels more immersive in laptop (folded) mode. The goal is to hit the bars on the bottom display just as the colorful notes fall from the top portion. And, yes, you can choose a realistic keyboard instead. I found the game quite challenging, and it helps that the Duo has great speakers.

Airmail

Airmail is a great alternative to Gmail, and right now it’s a better looking email app for the iPhone Duo. This Apple Design Award winner lets you sync Gmail, Outlook, Exchange and more into a single inbox. The two-column layout is easy to navigate, and it’s a cinch to clean out your inbox with customize swipes.

Battlefleet Duo

You sunk my Battleship! Get ready for the nostalgic feels to come flooding back with Battlefleet Duo, an app that mirrors the classic board game. In tabletop mode you position your ships on the bottom part of the display and launch your attacks on the top, watching as your missiles fire across the water. When you miss, you’ll just hear a splash, but when you get a direct hit you’ll see and feel an explosion. It’s simple and it’s a blast.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple just bumped up some iPhone Duo delivery dates — here is how to check yours
• 'Polished but rough': The common flaws in the iPhone Duo found by nine different reviewers
• My iPhone 18 Pro Max just got delivered and I immediately regret the purchase and I think iPhone Duo is to blame

​Two of the best foldable phones are on a collision course to determine which is superior. But before my colleagues and I can definitively crown a champion, I’m taking a close look at how the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8 cameras stack up against one another. Seeing as both handsets feature evenly matched dual rear camera systems, imaging performance will likely be the deciding factor for anyone considering either device.

​The iPhone Duo features a dual 48MP rear camera array supplemented by a 12MP selfie camera on the outer cover screen and an under-display sensor on the inner folding display. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 packs an equally formidable dual 50MP rear camera system alongside matching 10MP selfie cameras on both its inner and outer displays.

​It’s worth noting that unlike the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Duo lacks Apple’s Pro Controls, denying users the granular adjustments that serious photographers crave — such as manual shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and manual focus. In contrast, Samsung provides comprehensive manual shooting controls right out of the box. For this photo face-off, however, I’m strictly judging the final image quality and processing each phone delivers.

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Daytime

​First up, let’s look at the perspective shots of the building above to see how their main cameras handle daytime conditions. At first glance, the iPhone Duo immediately catches my eye with its stronger contrast, which gives the brickwork across the facade noticeable pop and definition.

​Punching in closer, both phones resolve excellent detail — even the signage along the leftmost windows of the middle building remains crisp and legible on each. Across the entire frame, however, the iPhone Duo retains a bit more edge sharpness and micro-contrast.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Dynamic range

​With harsh afternoon sunlight washing over the New York Public Library and the surrounding skyscrapers, it’s clear which phone commands the wider dynamic range. While you could argue that the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s high contrast creates a punchy, dramatic aesthetic, the iPhone Duo does a significantly better job balancing exposure across harsh highlights and deep shadows.

​The Duo lifts the foreground without blowing out the sky, making it easy to discern fine carving on the fountain to the right, while preserving natural highlight detail in the tree foliage framing the left side.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Ultrawide

After polling my colleagues in the office on which ultrawide shot was better, picking a clear winner sparked genuine debate. Many initially favored the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for its brighter exposure and punchier, more saturated colors. However, upon closer side-by-side inspection, the iPhone Duo’s edge-to-edge sharpness and superior contrast prompted several people to reconsider.

​Personally, I lean toward the dramatic tone of the iPhone Duo, even though it doesn't lift shadow areas as aggressively as the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Ultimately, this round boils down to personal taste: Samsung's crowd-pleasing vibrancy versus Apple's refined contrast and clarity.

Winner: tie

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Colors

​Inside Whole Foods overlooking the floral department, one immediate difference stands out: the iPhone Duo’s ability to deliver rich, punchy colors without clipping highlight details.

​Both cameras produce richly saturated tones, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 tends to lift shadows too aggressively, leading to noticeable color bleeding and smearing when punching in on dense arrangements. Looking closely at the white flower petals throughout the scene, the iPhone Duo renders much tighter contrast and balanced exposure, preserving delicate petal textures that get washed out on Samsung’s shot.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Macro

​Almost immediately, I’m drawn to the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s macro capture of a bright orange Zinnia. The flower's petals take on a vibrant, iridescent sheen that pops off the screen, while the sensor resolves delicate textures like the finely fringed edges of each petal with crisp precision.

​Don't get me wrong: the iPhone Duo’s capture remains impressively sharp, but it lacks the visual punch found in Samsung’s rendering.

Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 8

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Inner screen selfie

​You have several ways to take a selfie on both foldables, but using their inner folding screens should strictly be a last resort. Because these under-display and pinhole shooters are engineered primarily for video calls, they yield the softest captures of the bunch.

​Evaluating the test shots my colleague Mark captured on each handset makes picking a decisive winner tricky, as both frames lack sharpness. Still, the edge goes to the iPhone Duo for delivering better overall contrast and avoiding the blown-out, overexposed skin tones visible in Samsung's capture.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Outer screen selfie

​Switching over to their cover screen selfie cameras, the gap between the two widens noticeably. The iPhone Duo produces a visibly sharper image that resolves finer facial detail on Mark, while metering a far more balanced, true-to-life exposure across his skin. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 still delivers a respectable shot, but it sits a distinct step behind Apple’s rendering.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Portrait

What jumps out at me right away is the sheer intensity of the iPhone Duo’s artificial bokeh, which ends up looking unnatural. While you can dial down the blur intensity in post, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 clearly delivers a more convincing, true-to-life depth effect at its default setting.

​Despite that aggressive blur, the iPhone Duo captures far more fine detail — from the distinct woven texture of Mark’s collared shirt to the clean, natural blur transition around the edges of his face. In comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn't have nearly as much edge definition, while also leaving his skin tone looking somewhat flat and muted.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Zoom

​Both phones rely solely on in-sensor cropping from their primary cameras for zoom duties, maxing out at 10x digital zoom. Pushing them to that extreme, it quickly becomes evident which handset's processing algorithms handle heavy digital magnification better.

​At 10x zoom, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 yields a noticeably cleaner, sharper image — I can easily read the fine menu text posted underneath the hot dog stand umbrella. In comparison, the iPhone Duo fails to resolve the same degree of clarity, resulting in a noisier shot with grainy artifacts.

Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 8

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Low Light

​Both main cameras navigate tricky low-light situations with relative ease, but one clearly pulls ahead under close inspection. Most notably, the iPhone Duo renders a visibly sharper image across the frame — preserving delicate vein textures on the plant's leaves and sharp definition in the planter's decorative eyelashes. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 holds its own by general smartphone standards, but its output is noticeably softer overall.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Verdict

​This camera face-off turned out to be a one-sided affair after tallying up all 10 rounds, with the iPhone Duo sweeping an overwhelming number of categories. If pure image quality and consistency matter most to you, the Duo delivers noticeably superior straight-out-of-the-camera results across nearly every scenario. While it struggles against the Galaxy Z Fold 8 at extreme digital zoom levels, its primary camera proves far better at resolving fine detail and balancing challenging lighting conditions.

​That doesn't mean the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a complete wash. The margins across several rounds remained razor-thin, with a couple coming down to personal preference. While it may lack the tack-sharp definition and refined dynamic range of its rival, Samsung still offers a more versatile suite of pro shooting controls and manual tools out of the box.

More from Tom's Guide

• I disabled these iOS 27 features and my iPhone finally feels responsive again
• iPhone Duo Live Q&A: I spent a week with Apple's foldable and can answer ALL your questions
• I've waited 5 years for the iPhone Duo — here are 7 reasons I decided not to pre-order

The iPhone Duo has been in reviewers' hands for at least a week, and early reviews are starting to trickle out. I read and watched reviews from multiple sites, including the Tom's Guide iPhone Duo review, to find out what consistent flaws critics found in Apple's first foldable.

Overall, the reviews are quite positive, with a common refrain being that the iPhone Duo is an early adopter device. This means that there are some initial growing pains but with plenty of room for Apple to grow.

Most of the complaints come down to hardware issues, both what's missing (Face ID) and how it feels to use the Duo. One consistent flaw is software-based, but that might be fixed before most people get their foldable iPhones in a couple of months.

Let's dig into the seven most common flaws in the iPhone Duo.

The price

Bringing it back to the early adopter tone, price is mentioned in every review I looked at, but it's not listed as a major concern. Most reviewers acknowledge that the $2,000+ price tag is high (higher than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 by $100).

However, compared to other foldables, the iPhone Duo appears right in line pricewise and is a good phone.

"If anything, the Duo’s high cost and limited availability only reinforce that Apple’s foldable isn’t for everyone," CNET's Abrar Al-Heetl wrote. "But if you’re looking for something compact that unfurls into a tablet-like experience – and you want to stick with iOS – the iPhone Duo could be the right fit."

For people who aren't early adopters or need to be more mindful of their budget , that high price can be an impediment, and it's unlikely to get cheaper any time soon thanks to the ongoing AI-fueled memory shortage.

Missing camera

Outside of price, the lack of a telephoto lens was remarked on by nearly every review. The cameras are a downgrade compared to the iPhone 18 Pro models.

PetaPixel has more of a camera focus in general, and truly breaks down the cameras in their review, but it can be summarized in one line: "This camera is the epitome of 'fine,' Jaron Schneider said.

He also noted that shooting with the Duo is awkward, lacking a firm grip when closed and feeling like a grandmother with an iPad when unfolded.

Notably, the iPhone Duo's Smart Take feature was praised since it waited for people to enter and pose in frame before taking photos and hopefully that's a feature that comes to other iPhones.

A dim display

For foldable phones, one of the concerns is the crease that becomes more prominent over time as the display is opened and closed hundreds, nay, thousands, of times.

Apple's attempt to obscure the crease mostly works thanks to the nanotexture layer on the display that hides it a bit. This is both a boon, with many describing it as reducing glare and feeling nice to the touch.

Though, as Wired's Julian Chokkattu noted, videos aren't as crisp compared to the iPhone 18 Pro, even if people are watching more content on the larger 7.6-inch inner display. "You don’t get the crisp video quality, deep blacks, and sharp contrast of the iPhone 18 Pro when watching movies and shows on apps like Netflix on the nanotexture panel."

Apple already features the nanotexture display as an option on the MacBook Pro and Studio Display XDR but If you don't like it there, you likely won't enjoy it on the Duo.

Missing Face ID

We called the lack of Face ID in favor of Touch ID a downgrade in our review. This was a quite common complaint regarding the Duo, with most reviewers finding it quite annoying.

"Touch ID introduces lag versus Face ID when unlocking your phone. Not a lot, just enough to be annoying," Tom's Guide editor-in-chief Mark Spoonauer said. "If you own an Apple Watch, you can unlock your iPhone Duo just by swiping up, but even that’s slower than Face ID."

Heat and weight

I've combined these two because it relates to how it feels to use the iPhone Duo.

"The Duo feels significant and solid," Marques Brownlee said in his review, but compared it to the Z Fold 8, which is 20% lighter. "Making everything metal, glass and heavy doesn't necessarily make it better to use. It's the permanent Apple-design default."

The iPhone Duo weighs 8.96 oz (254 grams) compared to the Z Fold 8's 7.09 oz (201 g). It's not the end of the world, but over time that weight is noticeable, especially if you pick up another company's phone.

As for heat, we noted that the iPhone Duo was a few degrees hotter than the Z Fold 8 in our testing, though it appeared that Apple's phone spread the heat out more.

Joanna Stern found that the back of the phone kept getting "really warm."

"I've consistently noticed the back of the Duo getting surprisingly warm when taking photos, FaceTiming, and using certain apps," she said. In one clip, as she FaceTimed with Casey Nystat, she ended a call because the phone felt too hot.

Software Optimization

The iPhone Duo utilizes a customized version of iOS 27, but it has some flaws, like the fact that lefties are out of luck thanks to the locked dock on the right side of the display.

When it comes to Apple's own apps, the iPhone Duo and iOS 27 are great, with the apps designed to fill the inner display. However, third-party apps aren't yet optimized for the Duo, including apps like Telegram and Disney Plus.

It can make non-optimized apps look terrible, from huge black sidebars to as simple as a sense that the app is a bit askew.

"The difference between optimized and unoptimized apps is the biggest growing pain you'll face on Apple's first foldable," Engadget's Sam Rutherford wrote.

Fortunately, unlike any hardware complaints, this one is more easily rectified since developers can update their apps for the Duo. Or in the case of things like the docked controls, Apple has already promised an update in the coming months.

Anything I missed that you think is a concern? Let me know in the comments below.

More from Tom's Guide

• I disabled these iOS 27 features and my iPhone finally feels responsive again
• iPhone Duo Live Q&A: I spent a week with Apple's foldable and can answer ALL your questions
• I've waited 5 years for the iPhone Duo — here are 7 reasons I decided not to pre-order

As a leftie, one of the iPhone Duo's biggest drawbacks is the controls. The current setup isn't great for those of us who want to use the phone with our left hand.

Fortunately, a fix is on the way, and since most people won't get their Duo until December or January anyway, it might not be a problem by the time you get one.

Apple told Tom's Guide in a briefing that reachability features will come later this year. It's unclear exactly when the setting will arrive.

As you can see in our video above, the iPhone Duo is not quite left-handed-friendly. For a better example of the stretch your thumb will need, check out this Instagram reel from Bytereview.

For those of us with shorter thumbs or smaller hands, getting across the display to tap apps or controls will be quite the stretch.

For the unfamiliar, Reachability is an accessibility setting that is available for standard iPhone models. It allows you to swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen to bring the top half of the UI down so that controls are easier to reach with one hand.

It's not quite the ability to customize where the control dock is actually located, but it's helpful.

That's not all

Reachability isn't the only potential misstep on the iPhone Duo. As my colleague Dave LeClair points out, the Duo is heavy, expensive and not quite optimized outside of Apple's in-house apps.

The iPhone Duo is an interesting foldable. In our lab testing, the battery results and full performance benchmarks showcase a foldable that is powerful and efficient, with battery life that will last you most of the day.

In a recent Live Q&A, we covered many questions that Tom's Guide readers had about the Duo. Including answers about the crease, the drawbacks to the camera system, and Touch ID versus Face ID.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments if the locked dock on the iPhone Duo is a major flaw or a mere nuisance.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple 'Pro and Tell' event rumors: OLED MacBooks, M6 chips, and why you shouldn't buy anything today
• iPhone Duo Live Q&A: I spent a week with Apple's foldable and can answer ALL your questions
• I disabled these iOS 27 features and my iPhone finally feels responsive again

​Apple has a lot to prove to critics — including myself — if it wants to show that the iPhone Duo is, without question, the best foldable phone on the market. That’s because book-style foldables demand far more system resources, especially when driving larger canvases than traditional slab phones.

​One area where the iPhone Duo could solidify its position as the foldable to beat is performance. Armed with the A20 Pro chip, early signs suggest it is no slouch, especially given the outstanding performance we’ve seen from the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. But where does it land against key rivals, as well as its slab siblings?

After running various synthetic benchmark tests, I can tell you that the iPhone Duo is easily one of the most powerful phones around. Here’s why.

iPhone Duo CPU performance: Geekbench

​First off, I want to show how the iPhone Duo operates on a baseline level when its CPU is put to the test — which is where Geekbench scores come in. This synthetic benchmark tests a device’s single- and multi-core performance, and the A20 Pro proves once again that it is just as formidable inside the iPhone Duo.

Apple’s first foldable phone pulls in impressive Geekbench 6 single- and multi-core scores of 4,722 and 12,708, respectively. While those figures trail its Pro siblings slightly, the difference is practically negligible given that the single-core scores are separated by fewer than 20 points, and multi-core by less than 100.

If you’re curious, the iPhone 18 Pro Max edges out the iPhone Duo across the board in Geekbench 6 and 7, but it holds less than a 1.5% performance advantage overall — effectively proving that the Duo is just as capable as Apple’s traditional flagship slabs.

​Compared to foldable rivals like the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the iPhone Duo easily outmuscles the field. Neither the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra nor the Motorola Razr Fold eclipses the 4,000-point mark in Geekbench 6 single-core, while the Pixel 11 Pro Fold sits far behind the pack with noticeably subpar scores.

iPhone Duo graphics performance: 3DMark

​Nowadays, you could argue that most flagship phones feel perfectly responsive during basic tasks — like sending emails, browsing the web, or streaming the occasional video. Where I tend to notice the biggest differences, however, is how they handle the demanding load of running today’s graphically intensive games. While the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max have already proven that Apple's silicon can outpace Qualcomm's (for now) the iPhone Duo simply cements that lead.

​Running 3DMark’s Solar Bay Unlimited test, the iPhone Duo achieves the same fluid frame rates as its siblings. Averaging 62.3 fps, it slots directly between the two Pro flagships. And while it doesn't cross the 17,000 threshold like the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the iPhone Duo’s score of 16,496 is still remarkably strong.

That advantage becomes even more pronounced when comparing its graphics processing scores against rival foldables. In fact, none of its key competitors come close to cracking the 50-fps mark. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Fold 8 hover just beneath it at 49.24 fps and 47.35 fps, respectively, but the iPhone Duo’s 62.3-fps average puts it in an entirely different league. That translates to a roughly 32% GPU performance advantage over the Z Fold 8 — a massive gap in mobile gaming.

​All of this points to an obvious takeaway: the iPhone Duo is a legitimate gamer’s phone. Beyond its sprawling 7.8-inch main canvas that beautifully renders complex landscapes with realistic lighting effects, it delivers smooth, fluid gameplay without noticeable stutter or frame drops when on-screen action heats up.

iPhone Duo performance: GeekBench AI

With more and more people leaning on AI tools, it’s always telling to see how phones handle on-device tasks — because let’s face it, waiting for an AI assitant to come back with a request can quickly derail my productivity. Running Geekbench AI 1.7, the A20 Pro’s dual 16-core Neural Engine handles machine learning models with impressive speed.

​Its average score of 69,438 in Geekbench AI 1.7 is strong enough to once again slot right between the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and standard Z Fold 8 hold a narrow lead here with scores of 71,715 and 72,242, respectively. Even though Qualcomm's silicon notches a win over the A20 Pro in this specific test, the gap is so slim (roughly 3% to 4%) that it won't matter in day-to-day use.

iPhone Duo performance: Bottom line

Apple’s switch to a 2-nanometer manufacturing process with the A20 Pro is clearly paying off in the iPhone Duo. While benchmark scores prove it is easily one of the most powerful iPhones to date, that strength translates directly into daily use, where it handles complex tasks with the same finesse as basic navigation. Considering its sprawling main display is designed specifically to run two apps side by side, these benchmark results show that the Duo can more than deliver on that multitasking promise.

​At the same time, this serves as a wake-up call for Samsung, Google, and Motorola. With their next-generation foldables already deep in development, the iPhone Duo’s performance proves that rivals can no longer afford to compromise on raw power or thermal execution.

More from Tom's Guide

• My iPhone 18 Pro Max just got delivered and I immediately regret the purchase — and I think iPhone Duo is to blame
• 7 ways the iPhone Duo could change foldables for the better
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable

Apple's first foldable is finally here, and our full iPhone Duo review has been attracting a lot of attention and comments ahead of tomorrow's official release date. I've been living with the Duo for a little over a week now, using it as my everyday phone, so I have lots to share in terms of pros and cons. And it seems you have plenty of questions, too, with nine questions and counting in the thread below and more on our socials.

So whether you've already pre-ordered and want a sneak peak of your new handset, you're thinking of camping out at a store tomorrow, or you're on the fence about whether this device is worth $2,000, I'm here to answer any and all questions you have.

So far we've answered questions about:

• Inner display durability
• Portability
• Battery life
• Apps
• How it compares to Samsung's Fold 8 Ultra
• The speed of Touch ID vs Apple Watch unlocking
• Buying advice

With this Live Q&A on Tom's Guide I'm here to answer all of your questions, so keep them coming. Hopefully my advice can help you decide for yourself whether to rush out to buy, or hold off. Drop your question in the Live Q&A box below, and I'll give you my honest and informed advice.

Answering your questions is me, Mark Spoonauer, Tom's Guide's global editor in chief and Apple expert. I just reviewed the iPhone Duo and have interviewed Apple's CEO John Ternus twice now.

How to ask a question

I'm here answering your questions live over the next few weeks. A lot of you probably have preorders heading far into November, December and even January, so I can help you decide whether to keep or cancel it.

You can ask anything you want: whether it's actually the best phone for your particular needs, how to get one where you are, what I thought of a specific feature when I reviewed it, or something else. Just type your question in the Live Q&A box above, and look out for my response (you should get an email and a notification on the site to show I've responded).

If you've never commented on Tom's Guide before, then you may need to sign up to ask questions. Signing up is free and will unlock a multitude of Tom's Club member benefits, like rewards and savings, the ability to enter giveaways, participate in popular conversations and all Live Q&As, reveal hints for our quizzes and puzzles and see the results of all polls.

Speaking of polls, let us know below where you're at with the Duo right now:

Please keep all questions appropriate and on-topic. We want this to be a space where everyone feels safe and respected, regardless of whether you're familiar with foldable phones and tech jargon or just excited for this cool new handset.

It's awesome to read everyone's thoughts and concerns so far; I can't wait to hear from you.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple just bumped up some iPhone Duo delivery dates — here is how to check yours
• 'I'm not paying top dollar for a worse camera': readers debate the $2,000 iPhone Duo's trade-offs
• Forget iPhone Duo, Samsung could release six different foldable phones next year — including the mysterious 'Galaxy Z Slide'

The best foldable phones come with some compromises, and the iPhone Duo is no exception to that. You only have two main cameras, the screen is shorter than you'd find on other iPhones and the battery is noticeably smaller than the one in the iPhone 18 Pro Max — just to name a few.

But when it comes to battery, size only matters so much. There are a bunch of different factors that impact how long a device can last on a single charge, which is why testing is so important.

We have done our testing with the iPhone Duo, using a custom battery life test designed to mimic ordinary daily use. And the results are fairly impressive, even if they aren't as impressive as they were on iPhone 18 Pro Max.

iPhone Duo Battery Life Results

We tested the battery life of the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 simultaneously, with all three phones situated side-by-side. The results of this test found that the iPhone Duo lasted 13 hours and 20 minutes, and unsurprisingly the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasted 17 hours and 31 minutes. The difference isn't that surprising, since the 18 Pro Max has an extra 684 mAh of battery capacity.

How the Duo compares to the Z Fold 8 is rather interesting, considering the difference in battery size is a mere 83 mAh. According to this test the Duo lasted more than three hours longer than the Z Fold 8, which just goes to show how much of a difference energy efficiency and reduced power consumption can make.

I should also caveat this by pointing out that our original battery life test for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 review saw the phone last 12 hours and 19 minutes. The discrepancy is down to the fact that the Fold is now a little older, and the variables of the test environment may be having an impact. However, it's worth noting that the original battery life result is still almost an hour less battery life than the Duo.

As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the extra 117 mAh of capacity pushes the battery life a little bit further with an extra hour and 13 minutes of battery life. Though this is the original result, and that figure did not come from a brand new battery life test.

The iPhone Duo also exceeds the battery life of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, which died 49 minutes faster than Apple's foldable. Considering the minor difference between the two battery sizes, and Pixel phones' reputation for less-then-stellar battery life, that's not a huge surprise. Likewise it's not shocking that the 6,000 mAh Motorola Razr Fold lasted 14 hours and 44 minutes, considering how much more battery capacity it has.

iPhone Duo charging speed

The iPhone Duo is meant to offer 60W charging, the same as the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but that doesn't mean it charges at the same rate. In fact, despite having a larger battery, the 18 Pro Max draws in power much more quickly. After 15 minutes it was at 44%, compared to the Duo's 42%, and after half an hour of charging the foldable had 11% less power than its non-folding sibling.

It's a similar situation with the iPhone Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra, both of which are limited to 45W charging speeds. The Ultra hit 49% after 15 minutes, while the smaller battery in the Fold 8 reached 43%. After half an hour the two phones held a respective 76% and 70% charge. Meanwhile the Razr Fold, which supports up to 80W wired charging, had 75% of its power restored after a 30 minute recharge.

Unsurprisingly the Pixel 11 Pro Fold comes out much worse for wear in this test as well. It only managed to recoup 29% charge in 15 minutes and 56% after half an hour — a problem exacerbated by its limited 30W charging speeds.

How we test phone battery life

The key thing we should mention about battery testing the iPhone Duo was that our typical test had to be redesigned to fill the entire screen. Otherwise it wouldn't have been a very fair test. The test itself involved continually surfing the web over a 5G connection, with the screen brightness set to a consistent 150 nits.

In the case of foldable phones, this test is always performed on the larger folding screen.

All phones we test go through this process, though so far only three have gone through this newly optimized testing regiment. They are the iPhone Duo, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max. In this instance all three phones were tested in the same room, with the tests running simultaneously.

Bottom line

Overall the iPhone Duo's battery life is rather middling compared to its rivals, but that's not to say that it's bad. The battery isn't good enough to land a place on our best phone battery life list, but it should be enough to get through a typical day without having to carry a charger with you.

Those hoping to prioritize strong battery life above all else will want to stick with the non-folding iPhone 18 Pro Max. It's a sad fact that foldables are just a little too power hungry to outpace their single-screen counterparts in the battery department. But as far as foldables go you could do a lot worse than the iPhone Duo.

Though, admittedly, two Android rivals offer over an hour extra battery life as well. Likewise many of them charge faster than Apple's phone, even if regaining 42% in 15 minutes isn't a particularly slow recharge speed. That should, at the very least, get you through a good part of your day before the usual low battery anxieties start knocking at your door.

More from Tom's Guide

• I've waited 5 years for the iPhone Duo — here are 7 reasons I decided not to pre-order
• Forget iPhone Duo, Samsung could release six different foldable phones next year — including the mysterious 'Galaxy Z Slide'
• iPhone Duo wait times — latest updates and how to beat Apple's January delay

I honestly haven’t been this excited about a new iPhone since the iPhone X nearly a decade ago. The iPhone Duo finally gives Apple fans a foldable phone, and there’s something really cool about having a 5.4-inch iPhone that transforms into a 7.6-inch mini tablet in your pocket, complete with dual-app multitasking. Finally!

Apple’s first foldable phone doesn’t look or feel like a first attempt, either, because of the sheer attention to detail. The way the friction hinge holds nearly any angle. The seamless switching between the cover and main display with the same aspect ratio. And the nano-texture coating, which minimizes glare and the dreaded crease. I also like how the hardware and software play together, giving you several different modes. It feels like I’m playing with a $2,000 Transformer.

On the other hand, the Duo name is apt because I’m of two minds about it. While the first wave of iPhone Duo apps look great, many third-party apps aren’t optimized for this form factor (yet).

And then there’s the trade-offs versus the iPhone 18 Pro Max, such as the lack of a telephoto zoom and Face ID. I’ve spent the past week living with this $2,000 device as my daily driver. From the nano-texture display and battery life to real-world performance and software quirks, I’m going to answer all your most pressing questions in my full iPhone Duo review. And I'll keep adding questions and answers to my Duo review based on your feedback, so feel free to drop into the comments!

Who is the iPhone Duo for?

The iPhone Duo is for people who want a big screen on the go for watching videos and playing games, as well as for heavy multitaskers who want to run two apps at once. It’s for people who want a compact phone and tablet in a single device — and are willing to pay a hefty premium to get it.

For example, I used the iPhone Duo a lot during my commute to get caught up on Slack while watching “First Take” on YouTube TV in another window. And I could open spreadsheets without having to endlessly scroll. I think business travelers in particular are going to love this foldable.

Design

How does it feel and how is the weight?

My colleague Tony Polanco may have said it best when he picked up the iPhone Duo for the first time. He said “It feels like an iPhone.” And that’s a good way to sum up the build quality of this foldable.

The passport design has already been done by Samsung with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, but to me, Apple’s Duo feels a notch above. The asymmetrical design looks a bit weird at first, with the flat left side and rounded corners on the right, but it allowed Apple to offer identical 1.4:1 aspect ratios on both the cover and main display. And I think this makes the Duo feel more polished.

Speaking of which, the iPhone Duo’s polished titanium frame looks premium while being tougher than aluminum. This might sound minor but I also like that the Duo doesn’t wobble as much when placed on a table.

And I really dig the reassuring and satisfying clasping sound the Duo makes when you close it, thanks to the help of magnets.

On the other hand, the Duo is pretty chunky compared to the Fold 8. The iPhone Duo is the world’s thinnest iPhone when opened at 5.2mm thin, but it’s thicker than Samsung’s 4.5mm. And when closed the Duo is 16.5% thicker than the Fold 8.

I also felt the additional heft of the Duo when picking up both foldables. Still, the Duo slipped easily into my front jeans pocket without weighing me down.

What can you do with the hinge? What are all the modes?

The iPhone Duo’s hinge is super flexible yet rigid, thanks to a variable torque profile. There’s just the right amount of friction. And you can position the hinge at almost any angle you like for optimal viewing.

Even better, the iPhone Duo is smart enough to know how you’ve positioned the device and the software adapts (if the app is optimized). For example, when watching “Man of Steel” for the hundredth time on the Apple TV app, I could put the Duo in tabletop mode like a laptop, and it showed the video up top and the playback controls down below.

And when watching Ohio State vs Indiana on YouTube TV while writing this review, I put the Duo in tent mode on my desk so I could keep one eye on the action.

Apple also gives you a couple of Standby modes with the Duo. I turned this phone into an alarm clock at night in tent mode. And while I was working I half folded the phone in portrait mode to transform the Duo into a clock and digital photo frame.

You can even literally use the iPhone Duo as a mini laptop in apps like Notes where the keyboard takes up the bottom half of the display. And if you’re in Safari and half fold the screen in landscape mode the keyboard will automatically split, though I don’t find typing this way comfy.

How durable is it?

The iPhone Duo makes up for some of its girth with the fact that it has an IP68 rating. That means it's resistant to both dust and water. That’s better than the Fold 8’s water-only IP48 rating.

In addition to the Grade 5 Titanium frame, you also get a titanium hinge cover. And Ceramic Shield 2 protects the outer display while regular Ceramic Shield protects the back on the phone.

Apple employed a nano-texture cover layer on the main display using an advanced polymer that’s up to 40% stiffer than what competing foldables use, which is designed to prevent scratches and dents. This will come in handy for the Apple Pencil, whose support is coming with a software update.

Display

How good is the matte nano-texture display? And does it mute the colors?

I’m going to be honest. I’m torn about the iPhone Duo’s nano-texture display. Yes, I like this matte panel seriously reduces glare. And the paper-like texture feels especially nice when you’re reading ebooks. It almost feels like you’re flipping a real page.

But while the iPhone Duo’s main display gets plenty bright, it doesn’t offer the perfect blacks or vibrant hues I normally associate with OLED. When I played the “Avengers: Doomsday” trailer on the Duo and Fold 8, I preferred Samsung’s screen because of those inky blacks and richer colors, even though I could make out more details in the shadows on the Duo. Sometimes, glossy is better.

However, when I watched the same trailer outside, the Duo exhibited much less glare and the crease was a lot less prominent. Check it out in this video.

The front 5.4-inch display on the Duo is a more traditional glossy OLED panel, and I prefer the color saturation there. But it’s too small for me to watch a movie.

I do have to give a shout-out to the iPhone Duo’s designers for the under-display camera. They did a fantastic job hiding it when not in use. That’s thanks in part to the A20 Pro’s new display engine that blends the pixels around the area.

The iPhone Duo’s display fared well in our lab testing, reaching nearly 2,600 nits of brightness with HDR content. That’s slightly behind the Fold 8. The Fold 8’s panel offered comparable color reproduction and color accuracy.

Is there a visible crease?

This is where the nano-texture finish shines. I had a hard time making out the crease on the iPhone Duo while viewing content even when outside. It’s there, but you have to angle the display just right to see it.

On the Fold 8, Samsung Flex Titanium tech also does a great job minimizing the crease, but it’s more prominent. Though, to be fair, we’ve been opening and closing this foldable for over three months while the Duo is still fresh.

Is the front screen big enough for running apps? And how about typing?

The 5.4-inch cover display on the iPhone Duo is plenty bright, colorful and sharp, but its squatter dimensions means I could see less info at once in Gmail and Safari.

Still, the aspect ratio is great for scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. I easily got lost when watching a student in a Spider-Man outfit kick a $3 million field goal before the Notre Dame game.

And when it comes to cranking out quick replies to Slack messages or emails, the cover display is plenty wide for typing with two thumbs.

However, reaching the left side of the front screen can be a challenge. I had to stretch my thumb to reach those app icons.

Audio

How good are the speakers?

Surprisingly good! Apple positioned the speakers on the iPhone Duo so that when open they’re on the top left and bottom right. That means you get more balanced sound versus the Galaxy Fold 8, whose speakers are on the top and bottom left when open.

I played Batille’s “Save My Soul” on the iPhone Duo via Spotify and then switched to the Fold 8, and Apple’s foldable provided better bass and more well-round audio. Samsung’s sound was loud but tinny by comparison.

Touch ID

Is it a big deal that Face ID is gone?

I’ve already engaged some commenters in a debate on this and I haven’t changed my mind. Replacing Face ID with Touch ID on the iPhone Duo is a downgrade. The Touch ID sensor works perfectly fine, which is embedded in the oversized side button.

However, Touch ID introduces lag versus Face ID when unlocking your phone. Not a lot, just enough to be annoying. If you own an Apple Watch, you can unlock your iPhone Duo just by swiping up, but even that’s slower than Face ID. Come at me, bruh.

Software and Multitasking

Did Apple make the right call with redesigning iOS 27, and are lefties screwed?

The iPhone Duo runs a custom version of iOS 27 as opposed to iPadOS. This includes combining key status bar elements like battery life and signal strength into a circle in the top right corner. And the Dynamic Island pops out of the top right corner on both the cover display and big screen.

It took me time getting used to the dock on the right side of the display. The controls and menu items in your apps move to the right, too.

The bad news is that you can’t move the dock or app controls to the left side, which is a bummer if you’re lefty. And it’s clear Apple could do this if they wanted to. When you’re multitasking I noticed that the dock moves to the left on the left home screen view.

Apple is going to be rolling out a software update that improves reachability overall, but southpaws are generally still out of luck.

What is Split View multitasking like? Any downsides?

The iPhone Duo introduces dual-app multitasking for the first time on an iPhone, and it’s super intuitive. I just swiped up on an app I was using, like Messages, and then you see that you can dock it to the left or right side of the display.

From there, the iPhone home screen automatically appears on the other side of the screen. It’s like having two distinct desktops. As you’d expect, dragging and dropping items like photos works seamlessly.

I also like how easy Apple makes it to create app pairs. Simply tap the center of the bar in the middle of the main display. When you go back to the app switcher it will automatically show up.

However, I was annoyed to discover that turning the iPhone Duo to portrait mode temporarily breaks the Split View, leaving you with just a single app. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 gives you two skinny versions of the same app, which is better than nothing. At least when you turn the Duo back to landscape the app pair returns.

You can do a form of multitasking on the iPhone Duo in portrait mode. You can park a video player up top while running another app down below. But entering this mode requires hitting a tiny button rather than dragging and dropping the window. It’s a weird UI inconsistency.

Apps

What are the best iPhone Duo apps so far?

As you might expect, Apple’s own apps look fantastic on the Duo. For example, I love being able to quickly move between multiple tabs in Safari, and Notes and Messages have handy two-column layouts. Apple Music looks slick, too, with Liquid Glass menu items that persist on the right as you scroll.

But I was more intrigued to try third-party apps optimized for the iPhone Duo, and there are plenty of standouts so far. For example, the new Slack app gives you a dual-pane layout on the 7.6-inch display with your contacts and rooms on the left and messages on the right. The Fold 8’s version is a stretched out phone app with wasted space.

Netflix lets you scroll through mobile clips on the cover display. But the cooler effect is in the tabletop mode. The content in the top screen reflects on the bottom portion, complete with touch controls.

Instagram and TikTok have also been updated for the iPhone Duo. Scrolling videos in portrait mode on the main display is supper immersive, and if you flip the phone sideways you can load comments on the right.

Other iPhone Duo apps that take full advantage of the 7.6-inch display include Carrot Weather, Sonos, Gemini and OpenTable.

Another standout is Battlefleet. It’s just like playing Battleship, where you put the Duo in tabletop mode and launch missiles at the enemy on the top part of the display and position your own ships on the bottom half.

The Deck-Man app is nostalgic fun. It turns the Duo into a 80's-style Walkman, complete with all the buttons on the cover display. For more, check out my roundup of the best iPhone Duo apps so far.

How bad do non-optimized apps look?

Non-optimized apps for the iPhone Duo can range from looking a bit off to horrible.

Keeping in mind that many top apps will be updated by the Duo’s release date, I noticed that certain apps had huge black bars on the left and right side of the display, like Disney Plus and The Weather Channel.

Unoptimized games look pretty terrible, too, filling up only three quarters of the screen.

Other apps have been updated for iOS 27 but not for the Duo. So they will go close to full screen but still have a narrow black bar on the right side. This includes YouTube, though I appreciate that comments pop up on the right side during playback.

Gemini has a sleek dual-pane layout, as does Spotify, so you can see the player on the right and your stations on the left.

I just hope developers update their wares. Quickly. And I expect they will out of fear of sheer embarrassment.

Cameras

Do you really miss not having a telephoto zoom?

I think it’s a big deal that the iPhone Duo doesn’t have a telephoto lens. You get just a 48MP main and 48MP Ultrawide, which take great shots. But if you’re zooming in you’re going to miss the level of detail a dedicated optical can provide.

Check out this photo of a hot dog stand. The Sabrett sign is much sharper through the iPhone 18 Pro Max at 10x zoom, while the iPhone Duo’s image looks like a blurry water color. Same thing goes for this No Smoking sign at the same 10x. You can’t even make out smaller text on the Duo.

I also took a series of photos between the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro Max of this dock at 2x, 4x, 8x and 10x. The Duo holds its own up until 8x and then things start to get fuzzy, like the text on the boat and engine.

Is the image quality good enough from the dual 48MP cameras?

The iPhone Duo’s main camera is quite capable, capturing bright and vibrant flowers in this shot. The Galaxy Fold 8’s image is brighter but looks a bit washed out and less crisp when I zoom in.

The Duo also does a good job with this shot of fruit inside Whole Foods. The oranges pop more on the iPhone versus the Fold 8’s image, but Samsung’s image has better focus on the lemons to the left.

I’m kind of torn on this portrait, as my face is brighter through the Fold 8. But I prefer the bokeh effect through the Duo, and my shirt and jacket have a lot more detail. It gets pretty fuzzy on Samsung zoomed in.

The 48MP ultrawide on the iPhone Duo impressed in my testing, too. It struggles a bit with the darkness of the fountain in the foreground, but the Fold 8 pumps up the brightness so much it blows out the buildings, and the trees look more natural through the iPhone.

I give the edge to the Fold 8 in this macro shot of a bright orange Zinnia. There’s more contrast and the Duo looks a bit flat.

In low light, the iPhone Duo wins hands-down. Check out this shot of Halloween decorations. The mystical hand and the fuzzy eyes and plant all look sharper versus the Fold 8.

How is the under-display FaceTime camera for selfies and video calls?

Lots of people have been asking me if the under-display FaceTime camera on the iPhone Duo is trash. And I’m happy to report that it’s not. It wouldn’t be my first pick for selfies, but it captures reasonably sharp images as you can see in this comparison with the Fold 8.

I calculated the resolution, since Apple doesn’t tell you the megapixels, and it’s 4.4MP. The Fold 8’s shot was 5.7MP.

I also used the FaceTime camera to have a call with my daughter. She said I looked fine but a bit grainy. I did like that I could prop up the Duo like a laptop so I didn’t have to hold the phone.

Just as with portraits, I found the iPhone Duo produced more detailed selfies with its 12MP Center Stage camera. But when taking selfies with the main 48MP camera I thought the Duo was neck and neck with Samsung.

However, it’s more intuitive to take selfies with the main camera on the Duo. You just flip the phone around with the camera on and swipe on the cover display. With the Fold 8 you have to press a button on the main screen first.

Is Smart Take worth it and what about the other camera modes?

I had the most fun testing the Smart Take feature on the iPhone Duo. I propped the foldable up, activated the Smart Take mode and then the Duo was smart enough to snap photos automatically as I struck different poses. It’s ideal for group shots where you want everyone in the frame — and don’t want to have to deal with a timer.

There’s also Duo Preview, which lets subjects see themselves on the cover display as you snap pics, and Kid Cue, which takes a page from Google’s Pixel Fold by displaying a cute Snoopy animation on the outer display, giving you a better chance of a smile.

Performance

Is there a foldable power penalty for the Duo?

The best thing I can say about the iPhone Duo is that it’s just about as fast as the iPhone 18 Pro Max, even though it has a larger screen to power and less thermal headroom.

When playing the UnGodly game on the Duo’s 7.6-inch display, the action was immersive and the graphics top-notch, complete with reflections and captivating special attacks like lightning strikes. I noticed a hint of slowdown at times, but not enough to ruin the fun.

The iPhone Duo also didn’t lag when running two apps side by side. I loaded several stories on ESPN.com on the left while playing Spotify on the right and pages still loaded quickly.

How much does the vapor chamber help with sustained performance?

Apple has made a big deal about offering vapor chamber cooling in the iPhone Duo, something the Galaxy Z Fold 8 lacks. But how does that translate to sustained performance?

To find out, we ran the 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme tests, which loops the same graphics benchmark 20 times before returning a stability score. The iPhone Duo hit 75.9%, compared to 72% for the Fold 8. The iPhone 18 Pro Max notched 79%, which makes sense because it has a thicker design and more room to dissipate heat.

We then geeked out with a thermal camera to see how well each foldable performed, and the iPhone Duo did a better job spreading out the heat evenly across the design. The Fold 8 had a hot spot to the right of the camera.

To be fair, though, the iPhone Duo hit a few degrees higher when measured with our laser thermometer on the back than the Fold 8.

Battery life and charging

Full disclosure: We had to redesign our battery test so that it filled the whole screen on the iPhone Duo. The Tom’s Guide Battery test surfs the web at 150 nits of brightness over 5G until the battery dies.

The iPhone Duo turned in a solid result, lasting 13 hours and 20 minutes. That’s over 3 hours longer than the Galaxy Fold 8, which we tested in the same room at the same time. But keep in mind that the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasted 17.5 hours under the same conditions.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 did last over 12 hours when we first received the device, so I’d say fresh out of the box the iPhone Duo is at worst an hour better. But since our test uses the live web, that’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.

Note that we ran this test with the iPhone Duo’s larger display.

In my anecdotal testing, which involved using the iPhone Duo for most of the day in mixed usage — including taking photos, gaming, downloading apps, playing music and checking Slack — the phone was down to 40% at the end of my day. That’s pretty solid endurance.

The iPhone Duo charges fairly quickly with Apple’s 40W charger (sold separately). It got to 42% in 15 minutes and 66% in 30 minutes. That’s good but not quite as good as the Fold 8’s 70% in half an hour.

Verdict

Is the iPhone Duo worth $2,000?

Do I think the iPhone Duo is worth two grand? Yes, as it’s only $100 more than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. And you get a more durable design, faster performance, longer battery life and smarter software. However, the Fold 8 is thinner and lighter, and it lets you run three or more apps compared to just two for the Duo.

I like the iPhone Duo’s nano texture display in that it greatly reduces glare outdoors and minimizes the crease better than any foldable I’ve tested. But you give up perfect blacks with this matte panel and more saturated colors versus the iPhone 18 Pro Max. You also sacrifice a telephoto lens and Face ID. I can live with those trade-offs, but that doesn’t mean I like them.

In a way it’s a good thing that the iPhone Duo is backordered for many until December or January. That will give developers plenty of time to update their offerings for this foldable. I don’t think it will take that long, though, based on the high demand.

Overall, though, I think the iPhone Duo is the best designed foldable yet with the most polished, intuitive and fun software experience.

Since the original Samsung Galaxy Z Fold launched, all I've wanted is a foldable iPhone. All along, I've said that once Apple releases one, I'd be lined up on day one to buy it.

Release one Apple did; buy one I did not.

The pre-order date came, and I even live-blogged how quickly they were selling out, all while my Apple Card stayed firmly planted in my digital wallet. Something fizzled out in my brain, and I decided this wasn't the right time — or the right phone — for me.

Why the change of heart? At first, I didn't give it much thought, but now that the dust has settled, I've had a chance to look at seven reasons I passed on the iPhone Duo. On their own, none is a true dealbreaker, but together, they were enough to get me to hold off on the phone I've waited more than five years for. At least for now.

$2,000 price tag

This is the big, obvious reason to pass on the iPhone Duo. The phone starts at $1,999 for the base model and goes up from there. I currently own an iPhone 17 Pro Max. It's hard to justify spending around $2,000 when I have a really good, one-year-old device.

Let's be real here: the iPhone 17 Pro Max is still a fantastic phone. We gave it a nearly perfect 4.5-star rating in our review, citing its durable design, stellar A19 Pro performance, fantastic 48MP 8x zoom camera, and more as reasons for the high score. And I agree with all of that after using it for a year, which makes it even harder to give up.

But I'll be honest: even if I paid the $1,100 asking price for the iPhone 17 Pro Max out of pocket, I'd still struggle to justify paying almost double for the iPhone Duo.

Let the early adopters deal with the issues

Sure, Samsung has eight iterations of the Galaxy Z Fold, but Apple hasn't. This is the company's very first crack at a folding phone, and there's bound to be some issues that pop up.

Could it be the folding screen's durability? An issue with the outside display? MagSafe woes? Issues with iOS transitioning to a larger screen?

Who knows?

But something will probably degrade the experience of the $2,000 foldable iPhone Duo, and I'll let everyone else work through it and buy the Duo 2 next year once Apple has had time to iron out the kinks.

Waiting for more optimized apps

Apple will update its own apps and make them look great on the iPhone Duo. It'll probably add useful functionality that takes advantage of the larger screen. And we've already heard about optimized third-party apps like Slack and Netflix But there's millions of iPhone apps that will take time to update, and I can see a situation where a lot of them just look like stretched out phone apps for a while.

Not sold on Nano-texture finish

I'll start by saying I haven't used the iPhone Duo yet. I've only seen videos and talked to several people who have used the phone. And based on what I've seen and heard, I don't think Nano-texture was the right choice for such a big screen.

Sure, it cuts glare and minimizes the crease, but it seems to do so at the cost of color vibrancy, which doesn't sound optimal with a massive 7.6-inch display. We'll see how it functions in the real world as more people get it into their hands, but for now, this is one of the main reasons I didn't get it on day one. If it ends up being better than expected, I might come around in a couple of months when the stock stabilizes, but for now, I'm holding off.

I like zooming in on my camera phone

One of the most expensive phones to ever hit the market doesn't have a telephoto lens. Seriously? As most other phones move to push their cameras to the absolute limit, Apple has limited the Duo by not having any kind of telephoto lens.

Now, this isn't an Apple problem alone: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn't have a telephoto lens either (presumably, the extra size required for a zoom lens is an issue in a foldable design), but I was really hoping Apple would push things forward by including one.

I like being able to zoom in at concerts, sports events and other far-away places, and not having that functionality on the camera that's always in my pocket seems like a deal breaker.

I just don't need a screen that big

This is a real clincher for me: I don't need a big screen on my phone. I sat down and looked at my most-used apps, and none of them would really see much benefit from a massive screen (which is the same reason my iPad collects dust while my iPhone and MacBook are in constant use).

I'm not an artist. I don't draw on my screen. I don't do handwritten notes. I'm not looking to set my phone on the table to take selfies (I have a portable tripod if that need arises).

All of the big selling points that made me think I wanted an iPhone Duo didn't actually sell me on the phone when it came time to throw down my hard-earned money. Sorry, iPhone Duo, but I just don't see how you fit in my life right now.

It's built like a brick

The iPhone Duo isn't light. In fact, it weighs a hefty 8.96 ounces, making it the heaviest iPhone to ever hit the market. As the first iPhone with two screens, that isn't surprising.

But I would have liked to have seen the Duo at least compete in the same weight class as Samsung's foldables. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra comes in at 7.6 ounces while the base Z Fold 8 weighs just 7.09 ounces. That's a sizable weight difference that could be quite noticeable.

This isn't a deal breaker for me — if it weren't for the other factors, I'd put up with a heavier device. But compounded with everything else, I think it seals the deal on me waiting for next year.

More from Tom's Guide

• My iPhone 18 Pro Max just got delivered and I immediately regret the purchase — and I think iPhone Duo is to blame
• 7 ways the iPhone Duo could change foldables for the better
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable

The iPhone Duo sold out its launch-day pre-orders overwhelmingly quickly. If you weren't there the minute the devices went on sale, you didn't get one on October 23.

In fact, it didn't take long for iPhone Duo shipments to be delayed until January 25 of next year. Clearly, lots of people want to get their hands on Apple's new foldable phone, and they're even willing to wait months.

But that wait might get a little shorter, as some users in the U.S. and Japan are taking to social media to point out that their iPhone Duo delivery date has moved up by as much as a couple of weeks.

How far are iPhone Duo orders moving up?

The amount of time moved up varies widely between users. For example, one shopper in Japan said (and showed in a screenshot) that their order was originally scheduled to ship in December, and it's now coming on October 23, the original launch day.

That seems like an outlier, since most people posting on X say their order has been moved forward a few weeks.

However, one U.S. purchaser was originally scheduled to receive their device on January 25, and their order status now shows an ETA of November 16 through November 23. That's two months sooner, and if you've ever waited a long time for an order, you know how much of a difference that makes.

Another X user said their order was originally scheduled for December and is now coming between November 16 and November 23. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, with tons of users in the MacRumors comments section reporting that theirs moved up, too.

It'll be interesting to see how many people get their pre-orders moved forward as Apple allocates its stock.

How to check your iPhone Duo pre-order

Checking your iPhone Duo pre-order status at Apple is quick and easy. Simply go to Apple's Order Listing page. You'll be prompted to log in with your Apple account, or you can enter the order number and email address associated with your iPhone Duo pre-order.

From there, click the individual order to see the latest estimated arrival date. While I can't promise yours will move up, with so many people posting on social media that theirs did, you might get lucky.

Some users have reported receiving text messages or emails letting them know that their delivery date has changed, so you might find out without even needing to hit the website.

More from Tom's Guide

• My iPhone 18 Pro Max just got delivered and I immediately regret the purchase — and I think iPhone Duo is to blame
• 7 ways the iPhone Duo could change foldables for the better
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable

2026 has been a big year for foldable phones, especially with the launch of the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone. But it sounds like Samsung isn't going to let Apple take the glory. After a successful launch of the passport-shaped Galaxy Z Fold 8, it's been claimed that Samsung could launch six foldables devices next year — including a new "Galaxy Z Slide."

This rumor comes from TheGalox on X, who claims that Samsung is prepping its biggest foldable lineup ever." Apparently the 2027 lineup will start with the launch of the Galaxy Z TriFold 2, and will be followed by a Galaxy Z Slide, Z Fold 9 Ultra, Z Fold 9 Pro, Z Fold 9 and the Z Flip 9.

That certainly is an interesting lineup of new phones. The two things that stand out most are the inclusion of the Z Fold 9 Pro and the Z Flip 9 — the latter of which is rumored to have been canceled. Likewise the "Pro" is not something we've heard of yet, and I'm curious to hear what kind of niche it might fill in the Z Fold 9 lineup.

There isn't a whole lot of difference between the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra, after all, and the last thing Samsung needs is to confuse people with multiple foldables that are too similar to one another.

The Z Slide is another mystery, and this is the first we've actually heard about such a device. If I were to guess, this is some kind of extendable phone with an extending screen, similar to various concept devices Samsung (and others) have produced over the years.

What we think is coming

The last time we saw one was back at CES 2025, with a number of different "slidable" phones. There was the Slidable Flex Duet, which extended its screen from 8.1-inches to a massive 12.4-inches, as well as the Slidable Flex Solo which grew from 8-inches to a mammoth 17-inches. Then there was the Flex Vertical, which grew vertically from 5.1-inches to 6.7-inches.

The question is whether or not these designs will be utilized for the Galaxy Z Slide, and if so which one will actually go on sale. My first guess would be some kind of smartphone-sized device, similar to the Flex Vertical, though that all depends on whether Samsung could make those smaller extendable displays at scale.

It's quite possible that a larger screen is easier (and therefore cheaper) to mass produce, which would see one of the tablet-inspired designs arrive first. @TheGalox has not elaborated on what's to come, and that means all we can do at this stage is guess.

As for the TriFold 2, it's no huge surprise that a sequel triple-foldable is coming. We've heard rumors about that already, but it's unclear how easy it will be to get hold of. The original TriFold was only available in limited quantities, and Samsung completely canceled production back in March. Here's hoping the sequel is a little easier to purchase.

It's still very early days for Samsung's 2027 foldables, and until we hear more there's no telling how accurate any of this information might actually be. So we're just going to have to wait and see what the rumor mill produces in the coming months.

More from Tom's Guide

• My iPhone 18 Pro Max just got delivered and I immediately regret the purchase — and I think iPhone Duo is to blame
• iPhone Duo's battery is officially bigger than Galaxy Z Fold 8 — here's how it compares to other foldables
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable

You do it without thinking: swipe up, then flick, flick, flick until every app card is gone. It feels productive, like wiping down a counter, and you’re sure your battery will thank you.

It won’t. Force-closing your apps doesn’t save power. Done constantly, it makes your iPhone work harder and can drain your battery faster. I’ll admit I did this for years. But the habit millions of us swear by is based on a misunderstanding of how iOS actually works.

Here’s what’s really happening when you swipe an app away, and what to do instead if you want your battery to last.

What really happens when you leave an app

It’s easy to picture your open apps like programs on a laptop: all running at once, all eating power. That’s not how an iPhone works.

When you go home or switch to another app, iOS gives the app a few seconds to finish what it was doing, then suspends it. The app stays in memory, paused where you left it, but it isn’t using the processor. That’s why it reopens instantly.

You don’t need to clear any of this yourself. When your phone needs more memory, iOS closes suspended apps on its own. The App Switcher is really just a list of apps you’ve used recently.

There are exceptions. Apps playing music, giving directions, handling a call or finishing an upload can keep running in the background. Some apps can also wake briefly to refresh their content, which you can switch off — more on that below.

Why swiping them away backfires

When you swipe an app away, you remove it from memory entirely. The next time you tap it, your iPhone has to start it from scratch: load it from storage, rebuild its screens and fetch fresh content.

That fresh start, called a cold launch, takes more work than resuming a suspended app. Once, you’d never notice. But, if you operate like how I used to and clear out Messages, Safari and Mail several times a day, your phone repeats that work over and over for no benefit.

Apple’s own advice is to force-close an app only if it has stopped responding.

When you should swipe an app away

Force-closing is useful for troubleshooting. If an app freezes or stops loading, swiping it away and reopening it gives it a clean restart.

The rest of the time, leave the App Switcher alone. If you want to cut background battery use, these steps help more.

• Turn off Background App Refresh for apps that don’t need it. Go to Settings, General, Background App Refresh and switch this off completely, or any apps you don’t need updating in the background.
• Check which apps use your location. In Settings, Privacy & Security, and Location Services, set apps to "While Using the App" unless they need your location all the time.
• See what’s actually using your battery. Head to Settings and Battery, then "View All Battery Usage" to see which apps are consuming the most power.

Tethered to a charger by 2 PM? If you voted no, drop your iPhone model in the comments and tell us which app is eating through your battery the fastest.

More from Tom's Guide

• I turned off this hidden iOS 27 setting and instantly fixed my iPhone’s battery drain
• The 4 emergency phone tweaks that keep your battery alive in a power outage
• iOS 27 has a hidden anti-scam setting — here’s why every iPhone user should turn it on

If you're hoping to pick up an iPhone Duo of your very own, you're going to have to wait. Apple opened pre-orders for the phone last Friday at 8 a.m. ET, and an hour later delivery estimates had already been pushed back into January for some. At the time of writing, it doesn't actually matter which iPhone Duo variant you want — they're all equally (albeit temporarily) sold out.

The bad news is that the iPhone Duo is out of stock pretty much everywhere, but the good news is that you don't necessarily have to wait until 2027 to pick up one of your own. I don't mean getting gouged for a scalped unit, that's a complete waste of money. I mean shopping around at different retailers and carriers to see what options are available.

You won't be able to magically pick up an iPhone Duo on release day, but at the time of writing some units will be available in mid-to-late November — or over two months before Apple is due to get a resupply.

Quick Links

• T-Mobile: up to $1,000 off w/ new line + unlimited
• Verizon: up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in + unlimited
• AT&T: up to $1,200 off w/ new line + trade-in
• Xfinity Mobile: up to $1,000 off w/ trade + unlimited
• Red Pocket: $100 off + data from $10/month

iPhone Duo Availability (Updated October 22)

As you can see, Apple is completely out of iPhone Duo units and isn't expecting to start shipping more until late January — though delivery estimates have been reduced by a few days across the board and some pre-orders will be arriving sooner.

It's also been confirmed that Apple has implemented a two device limit on all Duo pre-orders. It's not entirely clear whether this has always been the case, or if Apple realized this was necessary after the fact. Which should help avoid pre-order waits getting too extreme.

Apple is pretty much your only option when it comes to buying an unlocked iPhone Duos for the time being. However, if you are willing to lock your device down to a specific carrier, you can pick one up a lot earlier.

Both AT&T and Verizon currently promise some iPhone Duo units will be available in mid-December, while T-Mobile is expected to have stock available throughout December and into January depending on the storage configuration.

Best Buy is also expecting to deliver 512GB models in mid-November, but other storage variants won't be available until over a month later. You are forced to lock your phone to AT&T or Verizon, though.

Sadly, Walmart is totally out of stock at the time of writing, with no mention of when iPhone Duo units might be available to ship.

iPhone Duo UK Availability (Updated October 21)

iPhone Duo availability in the U.K. is pretty dire, and it's not looking good for those of you that will want to get your hands on one. A pre-Christmas delivery is going to be borderline impossible, especially since Apple is out of units until January 22, while both Argos and Currys are completely sold out. Carphone Warehouse is out of stock until January 7.

When it comes to mobile networks, Three has made it clear it won't be getting more iPhone Duos until January 14. Vodafone promises a 13-14 week delivery window, which takes us to January 20.

Meanwhile EE and O2 have been far less helpful, giving very vague details about how deliveries will happen more than 4 weeks into the future. This could mean anything from late November to this time next year for all we know.

Can I just go to the Apple Store?

There has been some speculation about whether or not users will be able to camp out at their local Apple Store, and grab an iPhone Duo on release day without going through the arduous process of pre-ordering and waiting. Sadly, it sounds like such attempts may be futile.

MacRumors claims to have been in touch with Apple Store employees that made it clear they will not be getting any iPhone Duo units for walk-in purchases on launch day. Apparently staff have been told to discourage anyone without a valid pre-order from showing up on October 23 if they want to avoid disappointment.

Customers are also apparently being told to check back on October 24 for pickup availability, though this does not guarantee that iPhone Duo stock will be available.

It isn't clear whether this advice is universal, or if it only applies to a few Apple Stores. So this isn't to say you shouldn't try your luck at getting a Duo on Friday, but it sounds like your odds of successfully getting one are slim to none. In other words, you may just have to wait your turn.

What to do if you can't grab an iPhone Duo this year?

The good news is that those of you that have picked up iPhone Duo pre-orders from Apple may have noticed that your delivery estimate has actually decreased over the past day. This has been particularly noticeable in Japan, and while it's unclear whether it will be a global change the fact that Apple is adjusting its delivery estimates does bode well.

One thing you should also note is that Apple operates a two-week return policy. It's possible that some of the Duo units that are shipped to customers on October 23 will be returned, either because someone decided they didn't want it anymore or because they were purchased by resellers who couldn't sell their stock.

That could lead to a trickle of Duo units being recirculated from the returns department and back out to other customers — especially if they're unopened. We can't predict how much of an impact this will have on wait times, though, and it will likely differ from region to region.

The last thing you should do is resort to buying from scalpers and resellers, regardless of where they may be selling. You'll end up paying an overinflated price for a phone that will be back in stock in the near future, and all you'll gain is a few extra months of time. Apple wants to get these to you as soon as possible, so don't waste your money.

More from Tom's Guide

• My iPhone 18 Pro Max just got delivered and I immediately regret the purchase — and I think iPhone Duo is to blame
• I've waited 5 years for the iPhone Duo — here are 7 reasons I decided not to pre-order
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable

The first iPhone Duos will be landing in users' hands by the end of this week, and it means we finally get a chance to find out all the things we still don't know about the phone. One thing we can cross off the list is the phone's total battery capacity, thanks to the newly published EU energy label.

According to EU law, all phones that go on sale in the region also need a publicly accessible Energy Label, which offers key details about the device in question. Alongside information like IP rating, drop test performance and repairability, the labels also lists the phone's energy performance and battery specs. In the case of the iPhone Duo, it confirms the long-standing rumor that the phone packs in a 4,883 mAh battery pack.

For reference the eSIM-only variants of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max both have respective 4,288 mAh and 5,567 mAh batteries. Which means the iPhone Duo falls somewhere in the middle of the two.

However, considering this is a dual screen phone, one of which is almost 8-inches in size, it's not entirely clear whether the actual battery life will do the same. We'll have to wait and see how the Duo fairs in our own battery life testing.

How iPhone Duo's battery compares to other foldables

As you can see, the iPhone Duo's battery life isn't dissimilar to that of other foldables out there. It's slightly below the Z Fold 8 Ultra, and slightly higher than the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, though both of them are full size book-shaped foldables with a little more space for larger batteries. As is the Motorola Razr Fold, which has a hefty 6,000 mAh battery hiding inside.

The closest we have to Apple's passport-shaped design is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which has a slightly smaller 4,800 mAh battery.

This phone lasted just shy of 13 hours during testing, which may give us a benchmark of what to expect from the Duo. Not only is Apple's battery store an extra 83 mAh of power, it also features the same energy-saving features as the 18 Pro series — including the A20 Pro chipset and C2 modem.

I'd expect the iPhone Duo to last a little longer than the Z Fold 8 based on those two factors, but we can't know for sure until we actually get it into the Tom's Guide lab.

Everything else the EU just revealed about iPhone Duo

The EU Energy Label also confirmed some other details. One of which is that the Duo's battery is rated for 1,000 full recharge cycles (zero to 100% and back), which means it should keep at least 80% of its total capacity for that duration.

The Duo also lasted 140 free falls without causing problems, though this number dropped to 35 when it was dropped with the screen fully open.

So as durable as it may be, the iPhone Duo is still a lot more fragile if you leave the inner screen open and exposed. For comparison the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra both lasted 210 drops, which dropped to 45 when opened, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasted 180.

As for water, the phone is IP68 rated (as expected) and is capable of being immersed in up to six meters of water. The screen is also listed as scratch-resistant up to 5 Mohs on the hardness scale, compared to just one on the Z Fold 8 series. Since this is the same as the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which has a Ceramic Shield 2 display, my guess is that only the Duo's outer display was tested.

The Duo's repairability index score of 2.65 is also lower than that of the other three phones. The 18 Pro Max hit 3.14, while the Z Fold 8 and 8 Ultra score 2.79 and 2.78, respectively.

More from Tom's Guide

• My iPhone 18 Pro Max just got delivered and I immediately regret the purchase — and I think iPhone Duo is to blame
• 7 ways the iPhone Duo could change foldables for the better
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable

There’s tremendous anticipation for the iPhone Duo, and current delivery dates for pre-orders indicate you might have to wait until next year to get it in your hands. Three months is a long time, but if you’ve already committed to that $1,999 investment, you’ll have plenty of runway to pick up some of the best gear to complement it.

Considering this is Apple’s first foray into the foldable space, it unlocks a whole new category of add-ons tailored to the dual-screen form factor. Having spent the last year testing the best phones on both sides of the aisle — from standard flagships to rival foldables — I have a good idea of which gadgets are actually worth splurging on.

From obvious essentials like cases designed to protect that delicate hinge to less obvious productivity tools, here are the best iPhone Duo accessories to buy right now.

Best iPhone Duo accessories you can buy right now

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo Geekbench scores leak, and Apple's foldable is about to leave Android rivals in the dust
• iPhone Duo: Here’s why an iPhone 18 Pro Max and MacBook Neo combo is the better buy
• Apple increases iPhone Duo production by 30% — here's what that means for you

The iPhone Duo is officially available to pre-order, and that means we're one step closer to experiencing Apple's first foldable for ourselves. The fact that Apple is jumping into the world of foldable phones is a big deal, and it's practically guaranteed that other foldable phone makers will be watching the iPhone Duo with great interest.

By which I mean they're going to be looking for ways they can copy Apple and enhance their own foldable offerings. Phone development often seems like a cycle of companies constantly taking existing ideas and adapting them for their own devices. Apple does it, and in turn the iPhone's popularity means it's a popular target for plagiarists. Which has led to a shocking number of Android phones that feel like they're running a bootleg copy of iOS.

Needless to say, there are definitely some aspects of the iPhone Duo that will make their way to the foldables of the future. That's not necessarily a bad thing either, and here are the seven ways iPhone Duo could end up changing foldable phones for the better.

More wider foldables

We've already seen an influx of wider foldables ahead of the iPhone Duo's launch, and at least one wider non-folding phone, and that trend is likely to continue going forward. The last several years have seen phone companies tell us that bigger is better, but when it comes to foldables that might not necessarily be the case.

As we discovered with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the passport-like design feels a lot better than the taller, book-ish shape of the Z Fold 8 Ultra. The slightly more compact nature of the phone also makes it more portable, and simpler to pull out and use — which has always been a point of contention with previous foldables. So, if foldable phone makers double down on using a similar design to iPhone Duo, I certainly won't be complaining.

Stylus support

The loss of stylus support on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is something that Samsung foldable fans have been complaining about ever since — and I'm on their side. I'm a big proponent of the fact that tablets work best when you're able to use some sort of stylus alongside the touchscreen. Apple clearly recognized that with the iPhone Duo, and I suspect that Samsung (and others) will figure that out pretty quickly.

So far the only other foldables that offer stylus support are the Motorola Razr Fold and the Oppo Find N series — both of which have their own specialized foldable-friendly stylii. But since iPhone Duo supports the same Apple Pencil (USB-C) as most recent iPads, I wouldn't be surprised if future foldables supported a stylus that also works with other devices.

More under display cameras

Again, this is something that Samsung pulled with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, though in this instance I wasn't really mad about it. Under-display cameras don't have a good reputation for quality, and the fact Apple has emphasized that its own option is strictly for use with FaceTime and video calling apps suggests it hasn't found a way to deal with that yet.

If Apple keeps the camera limited to video calls, where quality is less of an issue compared to taking photos, then it might not be such a bad feature to have. It certainly doesn't take much away from the inner screen after all. And considering other phone companies have dabbled with under-display cameras in the past, this may well prompt them to try again — though there may be some guardrails.

After all, having video calls on a larger screen makes sense, but there's only so many ways you need to be able to take photos with your phone.

New foldable screen designs

There have been no shortage of attempts to eliminate the crease running down the center of a foldable phone's display, and that work will no doubt continue regardless of Apple's thoughts on the topic. However, the way Apple has designed its screens could lead to some changes elsewhere.

Most notably, Apple has utilized a "nano-texture" coating on the Duo's large display, which is designed to minimise glare, and offers a matte surface in contrast to the typical glossy phone screens we're used to. That screen is also built to be more durable and scratch-resistant, which is always a fear I have with foldable screens. It's different to the point that this could be something we see adopted elsewhere, even if non-folding phones retain the same designs they always do.

Better durability

Apple didn't invent the IP68-rated foldable, but there are too many companies like Samsung that still disregard dust resistance. On top of that, Apple seems to have done a lot to bolster the durability of its first foldable, offering materials and design choices that we don't see on ordinary iPhones anymore.

The nano-texture coating on the foldable display is one prominent example, since it's designed to improve scratch resistance and ensure the normally fragile screen is as well-protected as it can be. The frame is likewise made of titanium, a material that phone companies have dabbled with in the past but quickly dropped — likely over cost concerns.

I have a suspicion that we will be seeing an influx of titanium designs and other durability enhancements in the near future. Which I definitely will not complain about.

Vapor chamber cooling

Vapor chambers have been showing up more and more in recent years, especially in high performance phones like Samsung's Galaxy S series and Apple's iPhones. Performance makes heat, and vapor chambers help disperse that heat to keep the phones performing better for longer.

Sadly foldable phones didn't get that memo, so phones like the Z Fold 8 have the same performance capabilities and no way to move the generated heat around. iPhone Duo does not fall into that trap, and Apple even added hardware to help heat traverse the central hinge and radiate away more safely. That means the performance benchmarks could be a lot better than we're used to on other dual-screen devices.

It's not all down to the vapor chamber, and the sheer power of the A20 Pro will be doing a lot of heavy lifting. But since every little helps, it's likely that Apple's rivals will be considering throwing in their own vapor chambers on future models.

Magnetic wireless charging

Apple popularized magnetic wireless charging with MagSafe, but even when a standardized option became available for Android phone makers, very few of them actually bothered to sign on. Instead they pointed customers to special magnetic cases.

There was speculation as to whether the iPhone Duo would support MagSafe or not, but now we know it does even if the size of the Duo makes certain accessories attach a little awkwardly. Google, obviously, already supports Qi2 magnetic charging, but the other foldables out there? Not so much, and we've never really had a good excuse as to why.

Here's hoping that changes, though I will admit this might be more wishful thinking. After all, magnetic wireless charging has struggled to gain traction in recent years, despite the previous years of Apple support. So phone makers aren't always willing to copy everything.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo: Here’s why an iPhone 18 Pro Max and MacBook Neo combo is the better buy
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable
• iPhone Duo Geekbench scores leak, and Apple's foldable is about to leave Android rivals in the dust

So far, I’ve pitted the iPhone 18 Pro Max against some of its fiercest rivals — like the Galaxy S26 Ultra. But I’ve also put it to the test against its predecessors, like the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max, to see what major improvements the latest model actually delivers.

This time, I’m going further back to pit the iPhone 18 Pro Max against the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Clearly, a four-year gap gives the 18 Pro Max a major advantage, but if my past face-offs are any indication, there are always surprises that make me rethink when it's truly time to upgrade.

I’ll break down side-by-side camera samples, battery life runtimes, and benchmark scores so you can determine if it’s worth the jump. Because honestly, given the current state of flagship phone prices, I could easily see someone holding onto their phone for five full years.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Cameras

To see the biggest impact of that four-year gap, look no further than camera performance. On paper, the iPhone 18 Pro Max clearly packs the superior setup: a 48MP triple-camera system headlined by a mechanical variable aperture on the main lens and a 48MP telephoto shooter with 4x optical zoom. Other notable hardware upgrades include a brighter f/1.48 maximum aperture on the primary sensor and a wider field of view from the upgraded 18MP Center Stage selfie camera.

The upgrades aren't just limited to hardware. The shooting experience on the iPhone 18 Pro Max is significantly elevated by new Pro Controls, offering granular manual control over settings like shutter speed, focus, and white balance. On the video front, the iPhone 18 Pro Max pulls well ahead with native 4K 120fps recording, Log capture, ProRes, Cinematic mode, Audio Mix, and smart focus tracking.

Look closely at the side-by-side low-light samples above, and a clear pattern emerges. Considering its four-year-old hardware, the iPhone 14 Pro Max still holds up reasonably well.

However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s wider aperture and updated optics clearly give it the edge — delivering sharper detail, better-exposed shadows, and noticeably cleaner results with far less noise.

Zoom is another area where the iPhone 18 Pro Max holds an inherent hardware advantage: it packs a 48MP telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom versus the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s older 12MP sensor with 3x optical zoom. For the comparison above, I captured test shots at 4x, 8x, and 15x to highlight the differences across the range.

At 4x zoom, it’s tough to spot a clear winner from the overall frame, but cropping in reveals sharper edge definition around the statue with the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Pushing to 8x zoom, the textures on the surrounding stone blocks are noticeably crisper on the 18 Pro Max as well. And finally, at 15x zoom, that advantage becomes unmistakable. While the iPhone 18 Pro Max takes the win across the focal range, the zoom gap isn't quite as dramatic as the disparity in low-light performance.

What about other shooting conditions? The differences are mostly minor, proving that the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s main camera is still a solid performer that consistently delivers excellent results. You can see in several of the side-by-side shots above how closely it matches the iPhone 18 Pro Max in dynamic range and color reproduction.

That said, here are a few other takeaways worth noting:

• Ultrawide detail: The iPhone 18 Pro Max captures slightly finer detail and crisper edges with its ultrawide shooter.
• Macro mode: While close-up shots look sharp on both, the iPhone 14 Pro Max suffers from more visible noise and grain.
• Selfies: The iPhone 18 Pro Max’s updated 18MP Center Stage camera offers a noticeably wider field of view, making it far better suited for group shots.

Just like in my previous face-offs against older flagships, the iPhone 14 Pro Max proves it's still a capable everyday shooter. However, there are simply too many compelling reasons to justify jumping to the iPhone 18 Pro Max. I’m not just talking about its massive leap in low-light photography—it’s the mechanical variable aperture, granular Pro Controls, and versatile video suite that ultimately seal the deal.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Specifications

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Battery and charging

Due to its larger footprint, the iPhone 18 Pro Max packs a larger 5,391 mAh battery — a massive increase over the 4,323 mAh cell inside the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

In our battery drain test, the iPhone 18 Pro Max turned in an average endurance time of 18 hours and 27 minutes. By comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro Max fell short at 13 hours and 39 minutes. That’s a difference of 4 hours and 48 minutes, or roughly a 35% improvement in battery life. Don’t get me wrong: the iPhone 14 Pro Max can still easily clear a normal workday, but the 18 Pro Max’s extra endurance means plenty of gas left in the tank for the commute home and late into the night.

Another compelling reason to make the jump is the significantly faster charging. Thanks to upgraded 60W wired charging support, the iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches an impressive 53% in just 15 minutes and hits 80% after 30 minutes. Over the exact same intervals, the iPhone 14 Pro Max crawled to just 21% and 42%.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Performance

I almost forgot about Apple’s "Bionic" branding until I pulled up the benchmark results for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the numbers offer concrete proof of the massive generational leap you get with the 18 Pro Max. Four years is an eternity in the phone arena, and it definitely shows in this face-off.

Apple’s bleeding-edge A20 Pro chip powering the iPhone 18 Pro Max makes daily navigation feel buttery smooth, but our synthetic benchmark tests truly drive home the divide. On Geekbench, the iPhone 18 Pro Max pulled in single-core and multi-core scores of 4,741 and 12,789, respectively — easily eclipsing the 1,887 and 5,374 turned in by the 14 Pro Max. If you thought single-core gains from recent generations were impressive, the massive 151% increase here puts the gap in perspective.

If that’s not enough to convince iPhone 14 Pro Max owners, the graphics testing shows an even wider chasm. Running 3DMark Wild Life Original Unlimited, the iPhone 18 Pro Max averaged an astonishing 230.37 fps with an overall score of 38,474. Those results leave the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 74.1 fps and 12,380 score looking closer to today's budget handsets.

To be fair, the iPhone 14 Pro Max still handles everyday tasks effortlessly — like browsing the web, scrolling social feeds, and streaming video. But for demanding workflows like rendering 4K video or running graphically intense 3D games, the iPhone 18 Pro Max simply leaves its predecessor in the dust.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Software and AI

Even though both phones run iOS 27, the iPhone 18 Pro Max exclusively delivers Apple's newest and most powerful intelligence features — and alone, they make a compelling case for an upgrade.

It all boils down to Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. Because the iPhone 14 Pro Max is limited to the older A16 Bionic chip and 6GB of RAM, it doesn’t make the cut for Apple’s AI-powered suite. That means missing out on everyday features I rely on with the iPhone 18 Pro Max: Writing Tools to refine drafts, the Clean Up tool in Photos to erase photobombers, prioritized notification summaries, Visual Intelligence, and newer ones like Reframe.

Siri AI represents another massive generational leap. The assistant is far more context-aware and capable of executing complex cross-app actions. In CarPlay, for instance, I regularly use Siri AI to dictate new notes on the road and add updates to existing lists all while being hands-free. On the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you’re stuck with legacy Siri, and even a brief conversation highlights just how much more natural and conversational Siri AI has become.

On top of that, the iPhone 18 Pro Max takes full advantage of iOS 27’s redesigned, slimmer Dynamic Island, supporting up to three simultaneous Live Activities compared to just two on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Displays

There’s only a modest increase in physical footprint between these two flagships, but Apple elevates the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro Max with meaningful upgrades. Not only does it pack a more expansive 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display — up from the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 6.7-inch panel — but the bezels around the glass are noticeably slimmer, framing an unobtrusive, smaller Dynamic Island.

Personally, I find the iPhone 14 Pro Max plenty capable for everyday use, but it simply can't match the superior outdoor visibility of the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Thanks to a measured peak brightness of 2,326 nits, the newer panel delivers a massive 49% boost over the 1,565-nit peak we recorded on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Coupled with its anti-reflective coating, looking at the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s screen leaves no doubt that it’s a genuine generational leap forward.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Verdict

I wasn’t thrilled to see a $100 price hike on this year’s flagship, pushing the iPhone 18 Pro Max to $1,299 for its 256GB base configuration. That means it costs $200 more than what iPhone 14 Pro Max owners shelled out four years ago. Interestingly enough, that older model started with just 128GB of base storage.

If you’ve held onto the iPhone 14 Pro Max for the past four years, you’ve gotten incredible mileage out of your investment. But there’s a huge incentive to take the leap, even with that steeper barrier to entry. Simply put, the iPhone 18 Pro Max doesn't just edge past the 14 Pro Max — it decisively dominates across every category.

Is it finally time to upgrade? Absolutely.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested the iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max side-by-side: Should you upgrade?
• 9 new movies and shows to stream this weekend on Netflix, HBO Max and more (Oct. 2-4)
• 4 ways Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 beats Apple iPhone Duo

It's safe to say that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is proving quite popular. At the time of writing, delivery estimates for the cheapest model are two to three weeks away — compared to one to two weeks for the iPhone 18 Pro. However the popularity seems to pale in comparison to iPhone Duo, whose delivery estimates were pushed into next year after only an hour of pre-orders being open.

My iPhone 18 Pro Max arrived yesterday, after almost a month of waiting for Apple to actually dispatch the thing. The problem was that as soon as it was set up, my mind was immediately stumped on what I should be doing with it. More so after I'd played with the variable aperture, and watched the blades move over the camera lens.

In contrast the iPhone Duo is something that a lot of people are eagerly anticipating, even if you're accepting some compromises in the process. Why? Because it's something brand new that Apple has never done before, even if the first foldable phones are now old enough to be in second grade.

What does the iPhone 18 Pro Max actually have to offer?

I know that on a technical level the iPhone 18 Pro Max is a better phone than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Our testing shows that the A20 Pro chip makes it significantly more powerful, and the battery life is half an hour longer than you'd get on last year's flagship. Charging time is noticeably faster too, aided by the speedier 60W wired charging capabilities.

But those aren't the kind of upgrades you can consciously feel. They make the overall experience of using the iPhone 18 Pro Max better, even if you don't actually notice what's going on, but they aren't the kind of things that make you physically excited to hold and enjoy the phone for yourself.

Those gears didn't actually shift into place until I held the iPhone 18 Pro Max in my hand, and I felt like the aquarium fish at the very end of Finding Nemo. I have an iPhone 17 Pro Max already, and aside from some obvious difference in the weight of the two phones (8.78 ounces versus 8.22 ounces) I couldn't really differentiate the two phones.

I tinkered with the variable aperture camera system, and it was rather fun to watch the blades move across the lens the way that they do. But that is an activity that gets old very quickly, and once you've exhausted what little enjoyment that brings, the reality sets in that upgrading your phone every year is rather a pointless endeavour.

Apple may have made some significant improvements to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and added the fancy new camera features, but it doesn't change the fact that this feels more like an iPhone 17S than an iPhone 18 Pro. It makes the 18 Pro Max feel like another iteration of the same old things, and the honest truth is that it's an extremely boring upgrade. To the point that it barely feels like an upgrade at all.

I'll admit that the software changes do play a big impact in what the 18 Pro Max can do. But when you remember that iOS 27 is not exclusive to the newest iPhones, and has been available on older models for a good few weeks (or months if you downloaded the beta), it isn't really a selling point.

The iPhone Duo, on the other hand, is a totally new kind of device that Apple has never made before. Sure, it's not going to impress foldable phone enthusiasts for the same reason the iPhone 18 Pro Max isn't impressing me now. But for those people that have never left the Apple ecosystem before, it's a totally novel kind of device.

iPhone Duo has change that you can feel and experience in your hands

You only need to look at the iPhone Duo to know that it's going to offer a very different user experience than the iPhone 18 Pro Max. It's a foldable phone that opens up to reveal a large tablet-sized display that is noticeably larger than that on a traditional phone.

A whole new form factor and method of operation means that the iPhone Duo is something that you're going to have to get to grips with. Even if you have extensively used foldable phones in the past, the fact that this is a foldable iPhone means it's going to offer a slightly different experience to that of an Android model. Both in terms of the software side of things and how Apple actually makes the foldable experience work compared to the likes of Samsung or Google.

Heck, the fact that Apple has tweaked the UI to put a taskbar on the side of the iPhone Duo means that every user will need to spend some amount of time acclimatizing to the new way of doing things.

The iPhone Duo goes beyond just being a foldable iPhone too. Apple seems to have put a lot of effort into making it something different and unique compared to its usual yearly releases. The use of titanium means it's more durable than the the last two Pro Max iPhones, and under-display camera is a feature that we don't really see on phones anymore.

Even if Apple doesn't solve the myriad of problems hidden cameras have, it's something different that users can experience. Plus it means you have an uninterrupted display, which is not something you see very much of anymore.

Apple has made something different with the iPhone Duo, and expensive as it may be, it's offering something that most iPhone owners haven't been able to experience before now. In a world where new phones have been feeling increasingly boring and barely different from what came before, that's a very desirable trait to have.

Whether Apple can maintain that excitement with future foldable iPhones is unclear, though I suspect that people will lose that sense of excitement very quickly. After all, all other foldables have just become part of the annual release cycle, and there will be a point where the iPhone Duo falls in line with them.

Bottom line

Phone launches have been dull and stale for a long time now. As much as the companies behind them try to drum up excitement and act as though what they're offering is revolutionary, the truth is that 90% of the time they're not. Even new kinds of phone can get old very quickly, especially when you have a release as spectacularly bad as that of the original Samsung Galaxy Fold.

I've never picked up a new phone and struggled to know what to do with it, though. It's not a fun experience to hold a $1,200 phone and wonder what the point of it all is — which makes a very strong argument against upgrading your old handsets too quickly. Though at the same time, I have to wonder whether the impending iPhone Duo release is affecting things. Both in terms of user attitudes, and the resources Apple put into developing its new phone lines.

You can feel the anticipation for the iPhone Duo right now, and the fact that the delivery estimates were pushed back to 2027 suggests that demand is likely much higher than Apple actually anticipated. That's not something you see every year, and it's nice that people can actually be genuinely excited for a brand new phone. It's just a shame that the iPhone 18 Pro Max feels like such a nothingburger.

More from Tom's Guide

• I track deals for a living and here's the best iPhone Duo preorder I've seen
• iPhone Duo Geekbench scores leak, and Apple's foldable is about to leave Android rivals in the dust
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable

Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, has officially landed in Australia, and if you're keen to get your hands on one, I've got your back.

The handset is available at major retailers and through payment plans from the Big Three telcos. The iPhone Duo starts at AU$3,499 for the 256GB model and caps out at AU$5,899 for the 2TB model. The foldable can be purchased outright at the Apple Store or via its financing program with Afterpay. It's worth noting that the ship date as of October 23, 2026, if ordering from the Apple Store is mid-January 2027, due to limited stock.

In addition to the Apple Store, retailers and telcos such as Amazon, JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys, Vodafone, Optus and Telstra have stocked the new handset.

Select retailers will accept trade-ins for your old phone and offer up to AU$1,684 credit towards the iPhone Duo. Apple is also offering trade-in credit between AU$70 and AU$1,595, with the higher credit reserved for a newer phone — i.e., an iPhone 17 Pro Max. If you're opting for a trade-in, you can calculate your phone's credit value at Optus, Vodafone or JB Hi-Fi.

But enough with the fuss — here are the best iPhone Duo deals available right now.

iPhone Duo promo offers

iPhone Duo handset deals

If you've only ever used iPhones, then the iPhone Duo is set to be a very different experience for you. Normally, phones only have one screen, and there are only two possible ways of using them: in a portrait/vertical orientation or landscape/horizontal. Foldables make things a little more complicated .

Not only does the iPhone Duo have two separate displays, it's also capable of detecting the position of the hinge — recognizing if the foldable screen is fully or partially open. That means there are a bunch of different ways you could use the phone, depending on the specific hinge state. While that may sound intimidating to newcomers, it's actually set to be one of the Duo's main advantages.

Here's what you need to know about the iPhone Duo's different modes, and how the Hinge State plays its part.

What is Hinge State?

The key thing that the iPhone Duo's different modes rely on is the Hinge State, or more specifically the angle at which the phone's hinge is positioned. By detecting what angle the hinge is positioned in, the phone can alter the look of what's on screen to offer an optimal experience for the user.

Hinge is at zero degrees? That means the phone is closed, and content should only be displayed on the exterior cover display. 180 degrees? That means the exact opposite, and content should be displayed on the interior screen instead. The intermediary angles then determine just how the on-screen content is displayed.

Other foldables are capable of doing this, dynamically adjusting the on-screen interface in order to take advantage of the nuances of the phone's position. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra offers this as a feature called "Flex Mode," though it was sadly removed from the passport-shaped Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Because of the Hinge State, the iPhone Duo offers six distinct modes for you to use.

All the different iPhone Duo modes

1. Closed

The most basic mode the iPhone Duo has to offer is closed. That means the hinge is shut, and the only accessible screen is the exterior cover display. That means you have the 5.4-inch display to work with, complete with all the Dynamic Island and a hole-punch selfie camera. Though it's worth noting that both of those have been moved to a new vertical position on the right-side of the screen.

This mode is how you'll use the iPhone Duo for quick tasks that don't require the use of a larger screen. That includes checking notifications, sending quick messages, taking phone calls, or using Apple Wallet.

2. Open (Horizontal/Landscape)

Fully opening the iPhone Duo switches things over to the larger 7.6-inch display, which defaults to a horizontal/landscape viewing mode. This screen is closer in size to a tablet, and is designed for those times where you need as much screen space as possible. Examples include watching movies or TV shows, gaming, drawing or running two apps side by side.

Essentially this is the default mode for entertainment and productivity. The under-display camera on the top-right side of the screen means this mode is ideal for FaceTiming and other video calls, with the large screen giving you a good view of everyone on the call.

3. Open (Vertical/Portrait)

This mode doesn't rely on the Hinge State, but if you flip the iPhone Duo into a vertical/portrait orientation, you can get a better experience for certain tasks and apps. Not only does this flip the navigation bar to the bottom of the phone, the taller aspect ratio means you can better display reading material, whether that's ebooks or articles you've found online.

Other potential benefits gained from this mode include easier note-taking, less scrolling while browsing the web, and the ability to stack two apps on top of each other. In some circumstances, that could prove beneficial for your multitasking needs. TikTok and other vertical videos will also be able to fill up more of the screen and enhance the viewing experience.

4. Book Mode (Partially Folded)

This mode features an iPhone Duo that is almost fully open, but not quite. The hinge is positioned beyond a 90-degree angle, and visually the phone looks a lot like an open book. In this mode, the iPhone Duo adapts to the fact that there's a crease running down the middle of the screen, and moves on-screen elements away from it.

Essentially the iPhone Duo has anticipated the distortion that occurs around the display crease, and has taken steps to ensure you can actually see (and touch) everything you need to.

This mode is good for reading in a more natural book-like way, with one page open on either side of the screen. It may also be useful for multitasking when using an Apple Pencil, since it gives you a nook to hold onto the middle of the iPhone Duo and not try to stretch your hand around the entirety of the unfolded device. This mode also lets you prop the Duo on a flat surface without a stand, which allows you to switch on StandBy Mode.

5. Tabletop mode (90-degree angle fold)

Tabletop mode involves positioning the iPhone Duo like a laptop, with the hinge folded around 90-degrees. In this instance, the phone will split the screen down the crease, and separate different sections of an app for your perusal. Alternatively, it's beneficial for those times you need stable support beneath your phone without relying on some kind of stand.

Instances where tabletop mode would be useful include hands-free video calling, taking long-exposure or timed photos, or streaming content while keeping things like the description and comments sections accessible.

6. Tent/Standing mode

This mode involves folding the iPhone Duo into a "V" shape, and resting it on a flat surface with the exterior display facing outwards. Effectively positioning the phone like a stereotypical tent. In this instance the interior screen switches off, and the outer display takes over all the hard work.

This mode is useful for a number of reasons, particularly since it lets you hold up the phone without the aid of a stand. Possible uses include streaming content on the outer display, which will use less power than the larger inner screen, or propping it up for StandBy mode to show the time and other compatible widgets at a glance.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo Geekbench scores leak, and Apple's foldable is about to leave Android rivals in the dust
• iPhone Duo: Here’s why an iPhone 18 Pro Max and MacBook Neo combo is the better buy
• Apple increases iPhone Duo production by 30% — here's what that means for you

While hype levels seem off the charts for the new iPhone 18 Pro and especially the iPhone Duo, the sales figures for smartphones overall are looking pretty ugly.

According to new IDC market research, smartphone sales dropped by a staggering 22% YoY in the third quarter of 2026. That's the largest drop it has ever recorded. This is due to the ongoing RAM crisis and rising prices from all the major vendors.

"However, the worst is yet to come,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director for Worldwide Devices, IDC.

Smartphones shipments: What the numbers show

IDC blames an AI-led memory crisis that continues to disrupt the market with escalating component costs and strained supply. "Current indicators suggest that the market has not yet reached the bottom. Memory costs have surged approximately 350% since last year and are still rising, creating substantial pressure on vendor margins and shipments," continued Popal.

IDC says we won't see any recovery from the strained market until at the earliest in 2028.

"Unfortunately, it's consumers who will start to feel the pinch going forward. The third quarter shows the full impact and damage of the memory crisis,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for Worldwide Devices, IDC. “The pressure is now moving from vendors to consumers.

As a result, smartphone owners are deciding not to upgrade as often, and the situation isn't helped by the fact that most the upgrades being offered right now are iterative. "As higher prices reach the shelf, many buyers are keeping their current devices longer," said Jeronimo in IDC's analysis.

It's a nightmare scenario for consumers who are forced to pay top dollar for smartphones, and it's not much better from a vendor perspective, as falling sales are never something they want to see.

But there doesn't seem to be an obvious solution, either. "Despite the sluggish sales, some vendors raised production plans ahead of an expected tightening in component supply next year. If demand remains weak, this could lead to inventory build-up heading into 2027, adding a further downside risk to our 2027 forecast," noted Jeronimo.

What this means for you

At the end of the day, prices are rising for anything that uses memory. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max just got a $100 price hike, and Samsung also just raised prices on the Galaxy S26 lineup.

If you see a good deal on a smartphone and yours isn't holding up, jump on it. That's the best advice we can offer during these unprecedented times. Based on this IDC analysis, we could be looking at 2028 before things stabilize.

More from Tom's Guide

• The fastest way to sign documents on Mac is a secret feature hidden in plain sight
• iPhone Duo has a secret cooling system hiding inside its hinge — and that's another way it beats Galaxy Z Fold 8
• 4 new iOS 27 features that turn Apple Notes into a productivity powerhouse

The iPhone Duo's full release is coming next week, on October 23, but early benchmark testing has already been posted online. Tom's Guide will bring you a full review in due course, but this early indicator is that the Duo will leave other foldables in the dust.

The tested iPhone Duo (listed as iPhone19,4 on Geekbench) was running iOS 27.1 and posted a single-core score of 3,986 and a multi-core score of 11,067. As you'd expect, that's on par with the scores from the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which also carry the A20 Pro.

Our own testing of those two devices returned a Geekbench score of 4,022 / 11,543 for the 18 Pro and 4,025 / 11,525 for the Pro Max.

So, while this particular iPhone Duo falls short of Apple's non-folding phones, it's not a definitive result. Wait for our full lab-tested Duo benchmarking results to be sure.