Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, in the biggest redesign of its flagship product for almost a decade as new chief executive John Ternus took charge of the company’s main launch event.
Designed to resemble a passport when closed, the device opens horizontally to reveal a 7.6in display – the largest screen ever fitted to an iPhone. A 5.4in outer display allows it to be used normally while folded.
Apple said the Duo was its thinnest iPhone when open and had been designed to combine the portability of a phone with an iPad-style experience. Both screens use the same aspect ratio, allowing content to transition between them without being significantly resized or reformatted.
The company is positioning the device as a productivity tool, with support for several apps or windows at once. Demonstrations showed the larger screen being used for Zoom calls, Slack and other work-related tasks.
“iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original,” Mr Ternus said. “With the largest display ever on iPhone that still fits easily in your pocket, combined with the power of A20 Pro, iPhone Duo helps you stay more immersed and productive wherever you go.”
The handset has a titanium body and a precision hinge designed to keep the inner display flat when open. Apple said a nano-texture finish would reduce glare and make the central crease less noticeable.
The iPhone Duo is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip, which is also used in the iPhone 18 Pro models. The company said the chip had been designed to support demanding multitasking, gaming and artificial intelligence features, while a custom vapour chamber would help manage heat.
Apple has also added a dual-battery system, with one battery on each side of the foldable phone. The device will support Apple Pencil with USB-C later this year, allowing users to take notes, sketch and annotate documents on either screen.
The launch marked the first major Apple product presentation led by Mr Ternus, who became chief executive on 1 September after Tim Cook moved to the role of executive chairman. Mr Cook appeared in an opening video before handing over to his successor.
Apple’s move into foldable phones comes after Samsung and Huawei established the category from 2019, although such devices have remained a relatively small part of the wider smartphone market.
The iPhone Duo starts at US$1,999, making it the most expensive iPhone yet. Pre-orders will open on 16 October, with sales beginning on 23 October in the UK, US and more than 70 other countries and regions.
Alongside the foldable model, Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which feature the A20 Pro chip and improved cameras. The company also unveiled Apple Reference Image, a system intended to help users establish whether a photograph was captured by the phone or subsequently manipulated.
Apple said the feature would work with the emerging SynthID standard for identifying images generated or edited with artificial intelligence. Apple Reference Image will not be available at launch in China, while capture of reference images will be unavailable in the European Union.
The company also used the event to present updated AirPods and new Apple Watch models, but the iPhone Duo was clearly the centrepiece of the first product launch under Mr Ternus.
