iPhone Duo pre-orders kick off October 16th, so it’s only a matter of days before you can buy Apple’s first foldable phone. But if you’re on the fence about whether this device is worth $2,000, there are some pretty strong reasons to be an early adopter.
I’ve already covered — and ranked — all of the biggest iPhone Duo trade-offs, and it’s generated a pretty big response on YouTube in particular. But for the moment let’s look past things like the lack of a telephoto camera and Face ID, or the heavier weight versus the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Here are the biggest reasons to get the iPhone Duo.
1. Two devices in one (9/10)
The iPhone Duo is essentially like having a compact phone and tablet in one device. The 5.4-inch cover display is small enough to use with one hand but wide enough to type comfortably with two hands.
But the biggest reason to get the iPhone Duo is that 7.6-inch main display, which enables a much more immersive experience, whether you’re watching movies or shows, playing games or running two apps side by side.
The wide aspect ratio is great for binge watching or reviewing spreadsheets, but when you flip the device around to portrait mode, you get a taller ratio for doing things like surfing the web or reading ebooks.
2. Truly optimized apps (8.5/10)
During the Apple September event, Apple made a point of showing off apps that are truly optimized for a foldable experience. This includes Slack with a dual-pane layout, as well as Zoom for video calls. Slack on Android phones still looks like a blown up phone app.
The Netflix app also looks slick on both the cover display and the main display of the iPhone Duo with an immersive viewing experience, and a laptop-like mode for when you want to watch shows while doing other things.
Based on all of the work that Apple has been doing with developers behind the scenes, I’m fairly confident that there will be a lot of great third-party iPhone Duo apps on day one.
3. Ultra durable (8/10)
The iPhone Duo has a durability rating of IP68, which means that it’s water resistant but also dust resistant. Samsung’s latest foldables are only water resistant. So you definitely wouldn’t want to bring the Fold 8 or Fold 8 Ultra to the beach.
In addition, the iPhone Duo has a Grade 5 titanium frame and hinge cover, which is more durable than aluminum. Plus there’s a scratch-resistant coating on the inner display and Ceramic Shield on the front and back.
4. Side-by-side multitasking — finally! (7.5/10)
It’s overdue, but the iPhone Duo is the first iPhone that lets you run apps side by side with Split View. And it’s super simple to launch a second app. You just swipe the app icon up and then place the app on the left or right side of the screen. Switching apps is just as intuitive; you simply swipe up on the bottom bar to bring up the home screen.
As you might expect, you can easily drag and drop content from one window to another, such as adding a photo to a text message. You can even run two instances of the same app, such as Safari. Just keep in mind that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 can run three apps at once, plus floating windows on top.
5. Multiple Modes (7/10)
Apple has really thought through the versatility of the iPhone Duo with use cases and offering multiple modes. For instance, if you set the iPhone Duo down with the inner display open you’ll see a Standby mode with a clock on the left and digital photo frame on the left. Put the Duo in tent mode and it instantly turns into an alarm clock.
Basically, Apple made the software smart enough to adapt based on the position of the device and the angle of the display. The iPhone Duo also has a laptop-like mode, which lets you more easily take video calls. And certain apps will display controls on the bottom and the content up top, such as Netflix.
It's worth noting that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has similar flexibility with its Flex mode, but it doesn't go as far as what Apple is doing here. And the regular Fold 8 doesn't have a Flex mode at all.
6. Nano-texture display with less visible crease (6.5/10)
This feature is dividing people even before the iPhone Duo is released but on balance I think it’s a good thing. The nano-texture layer on the main display is made from a custom polymer that’s rated to be 40% stiffer than other materials used on other foldables. But it also significantly cuts down on glare. In fact, during my hands-on time, I noticed that the crease on the iPhone Duo was barely visible.
To be clear, you can very much still see the crease at certain angles, but when viewing content it almost disappeared. The trade-off is that some are saying that the nano-texture coating makes the display less glossy and therefore less vibrant. We’ll see what happens when I test the Duo.
7. Reimagined iOS for foldables (6/10)
Apple didn’t just slap iOS 27 on the iPhone Duo and call it a day. It redesigned the OS so that it better fits with the foldable design. For example, everything from the Lock Screen controls and the Dock on the Home Screen to app navigation now appears on the right side to make more room for content.
Apple also redesigned the status bar, which shows Wi-Fi and cellular strength along with battery status in a more compact area. And with the multiple modes I mentioned earlier, iOS 27 adapts to the the way the device folds or if it’s turned on its side or flipped over.
8. A20 Pro performance with vapor chamber (5/10)
The A20 Pro chip is not really a reason to buy the iPhone Duo, but it is the fastest chip we’ve ever tested in a phone based on our benchmark testing. So the iPhone Duo should be the fasted foldable phone on the market when it launches, at least until we see devices shipping with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.
Plus, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, the iPhone Duo has a vapor chamber for cooling. So Apple’s foldable should offer better sustained performance than other Android foldables sold in the U.S.
9. New ways to take photos (4.5/10)
For me, it doesn’t make up for the lack of a telephoto zoom, but it’s nice that the iPhone Duo gives you new ways to capture images versus the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. With Smart Take, for example, you can prop up the iPhone Duo and it will automatically take photos as subjects are posing in the frame.
With Duo Preview, you can show the live preview of what you’re shooting on the outer display so others can help make sure they’re looking your best before you press the shutter. Plus, just like other foldables, you can take a selfie with the higher-resolution 48MP rear camera.
Bottom line
The iPhone Duo is definitely not for everyone at $2,000. But at least now you have a better sense of why you might want to consider one. I get a feeling that a lot of people are simply going to pre-order because this is Apple’s first foldable, but it’s clear that they’ve really thought through everything from the design and software to the durability and app experiences. Stay tuned for my full rated iPhone Duo review to get all of the pros and cons.
