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# iPhone Duo reviews are in: Apple's first foldable is bold, heavy and hard to get Friday
- URL: https://www.skimwire.com/iphone-duo-reviews-foldable-launch/
- Published: 2026-10-21T19:39:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T22:59:59.000Z
- Description: Reviewers love the iPhone Duo's matte inner screen but flag its weight, small cover screen and unready apps. It launches October 23 from $1,999.
- Author: Jeremy Moon
- Tags: Gadgets

## The skim

- The first reviews of Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, landed on October 21\. The verdict: a beautiful, ambitious phone that's heavy, expensive and still waiting on apps.
- It goes on sale Friday, October 23, starting at $1,999 in the US. Online pre-orders sold out quickly, and Apple says stores will have only "limited" units for walk-in customers.
- Reviewers praise the 7.6-inch matte inner screen and its nearly invisible crease, but say the 5.4-inch cover screen is too small, the cameras trail the iPhone 18 Pro, and the phone can get hot.

## What reviewers found

The Duo opens like a passport. Both of its screens share the same wide 1.4:1 shape, a 5.4-inch glossy cover display and a 7.6-inch inner display with Apple's nano-texture matte coating. [The Verge's](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1015028/iphone-duo-review?ref=skimwire.com) Nilay Patel and Allison Johnson called it "the riskiest Apple product in years" and "one of Apple's messiest first-generation products in a long time." They loved the inner screen, where you "mostly can't see the display crease," but found the cover screen cramped. Typing a text, you're "lucky to be able to see two or three texts at once."

[Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2292333/apple-iphone-duo-review/?ref=skimwire.com) was warmer. It scored the Duo 8.8 out of 10 and called it "a first-class foldable." Sam Rutherford's unit lasted 28 hours and 48 minutes in Engadget's video rundown test, about half an hour longer than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8\. The catch is weight: at 254 grams, he says, it's more than 25% heavier than the Fold 8.

Both reviews flag the same compromises. There's no telephoto camera, and The Verge says the main sensor is a notch below the iPhone 18 Pro's. Unlocking is by Touch ID in the side button, since there's no Face ID. Most third-party apps aren't optimized for the new shape yet. The Verge also found the A20 Pro phone "definitely gets warm, and sometimes hot," especially in video apps and long camera sessions. On the plus side, it's rated IP68 for dust and water, a higher rating than the Fold 8's, and it supports MagSafe.

## Getting one

The Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB and goes up to $3,199 for 2TB on [Apple's US store](https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-duo?ref=skimwire.com) (prices as of October 21), in Star White or Night Sky. Pre-orders opened October 16, and some online delivery estimates now stretch into next year. Apple told Reuters that "Apple Stores will have limited iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers," [The Verge reports](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1015372/apple-says-it-only-has-limited-iphone-duo-units-for-in-store-sales?ref=skimwire.com), in the US, Canada, Australia, Mexico and most of the UK and Europe. In some markets, including mainland China, France, India and Japan, stores will only handle pickups of online orders.

## Why it matters

Samsung, Google and others have sold foldables for years, but Apple's entry gives the category its biggest mainstream push yet, and developers now have a big reason to build for wide, folding screens. For buyers, the reviews point to a clear split. If you love new gadgets and can live with a heavy phone and apps that are still catching up, the Duo is the most interesting iPhone in years. If you want the best iPhone camera and a phone that just works, the iPhone 18 Pro is still the safer pick. Either way, waiting a few months for app updates and stock to catch up won't cost you much.

*Sources:* [*The Verge review*](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1015028/iphone-duo-review?ref=skimwire.com)*,* [*Engadget review*](https://www.engadget.com/2292333/apple-iphone-duo-review/?ref=skimwire.com)*,* [*The Verge/Reuters on stock*](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1015372/apple-says-it-only-has-limited-iphone-duo-units-for-in-store-sales?ref=skimwire.com)*,* [*Apple Newsroom*](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/09/apple-unveils-iphone-duo/?ref=skimwire.com)*,* [*Apple Store*](https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-duo?ref=skimwire.com)*,* [*MacRumors*](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/15/iphone-duo-pre-orders-and-release-date/?ref=skimwire.com)*.*

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