THE GETLOW TAKE LAUNCH REVIEW
Apple iPhone Duo
A bigger iPhone experience.
A much bigger buying decision.
FIRST VERDICT
Buy the fold.
Not the hype.
iPhone Duo is Apple’s first folding iPhone. The attraction is space: a small outer screen for quick tasks, and a larger inner screen when one app at a time feels cramped. Apple's overview
Our take: it is worth considering if you will use that extra space every day. If your current phone already does everything you need, this is a purchase to justify, not an automatic upgrade.
Reasons to shortlist
Reasons to shortlist- More room for reading and two-app workflows.
- A foldable option for people who want to stay with iPhone.
- An outer preview when using the rear cameras.
Reasons to wait
Reasons to wait- A premium price that deserves a clear use case.
- No GetLow hands-on durability or camera results yet.
- Check app support and repair cover before committing.
THE COST OF GOING FOLDABLE
iPhone Duo UK price & release date
Apple’s announced outright prices. These are handset prices, not mobile phone contracts.
- 256GB
- £1,999
- 512GB
- £2,199
- 1TB
- £2,599
- 2TB
- £3,199
Pre-orders16 October 2026 · 1pm UK
Available from23 October 2026
Source: Apple UK pricing. Outright prices rechecked 16 October 2026; announced ordering dates checked against Apple’s current UK information. A release date is not a guaranteed delivery date for every order.
Before buying, compare the handset plus an eSIM plan against any network provider’s full contract cost. Include upfront payments, both device and airtime terms, and disclosed price rises. This launch guide does not list verified iPhone Duo contract deals.
ONE HINGE. TWO WAYS TO USE IT.
A 7.6-inch screen when you need it
Closed, Duo uses a 5.4-inch outer display. Open it for a 7.6-inch inner OLED, with refresh rates up to 120Hz and a nano-texture finish. Display specifications
For us, the useful question is not how many extra pixels fit. It is whether you want a message, document or second app alongside what you are doing. Apple’s Split View is the key feature to try in person.
Touch IDFingerprint authentication in the side button, not Face ID.
254gApple’s stated weight. Try the folded shape in your pocket.
Pencil, laterApple Pencil (USB-C) support is announced for later this year, not promised at launch.
Apple feature and availability notes · Dimensions and weight
THE RIGHT CAMERA FOR THE SHOT
Two 48MP rear cameras.
A different way to frame yourself.
What Apple confirms
What Apple confirmsThere is a 48MP main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide, a 12MP outer front camera and a separate under-display FaceTime camera. The main camera offers 2x optical-quality framing; that is not a separate telephoto lens.
Duo Preview lets the person being photographed see the shot on the outer screen. That is a genuinely interesting reason for the folding design, beyond simply making the viewfinder bigger.
Megapixels alone do not establish better photos. We would want to compare skin tones, moving subjects and indoor video before recommending Duo specifically for its cameras.
Apple camera specifications · Duo Preview explained by Apple
PERFORMANCE, WITH CONTEXT
A20 Pro: promising on paper
Apple pairs A20 Pro with a vapour chamber and claims up to 20% faster CPU performance than A19 Pro. This is Apple’s comparison, not our benchmark. Launch performance claims
What matters more is whether games stay smooth and the phone remains comfortable after a long session. A short launch demonstration cannot answer that. Nor does a faster chip guarantee that every app makes good use of a folding screen.
BATTERY WITHOUT THE GUESSWORK
Which screen you use matters
Apple’s video playback figures
Apple’s video playback figuresManufacturer video tests, not mixed everyday use. Battery test conditions
A dual-battery design does not mean twice the endurance. Brightness, signal, gaming and time on the larger screen all affect how long a charge lasts.
Apple quotes up to 50% in around 20 minutes using a 60W-capable adapter or higher and a USB-C cable. The adapter is sold separately. That adapter rating does not mean the phone constantly draws 60W.
We would wait for real mixed-use testing before treating these figures as a reason to upgrade.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
iPhone Duo specifications
Apple’s published UK hardware specifications, checked 16 October 2026. Official specifications and footnotes
Design and storage
- Finishes
- Night Sky and Star White.
- Build
- Titanium folding design; Ceramic Shield 2 front and Ceramic Shield back.
- Storage
- 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB. Available formatted capacity is lower.
- Open size
- 164.6mm wide x 117.8mm high x 5.2mm deep.
- Closed size
- 84.1mm wide x 117.8mm high x 11.3mm deep.
- Weight
- 254g. Size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process.
- Resistance
- IP68 under IEC 60529: laboratory-tested to 6 metres for up to 30 minutes. Resistance is not permanent; liquid damage is not covered under warranty. Do not charge a wet phone.
Displays
- Inner screen
- 7.6-inch folding Super Retina XDR OLED; 1878 x 2670 pixels at 430ppi; nano-texture finish and wide-angle OLEDs.
- Outer screen
- 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 1398 x 2034 pixels at 460ppi.
- Refresh rate
- Both: ProMotion adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz; Always-On display and Dynamic Island.
- Brightness
- Both: 1,000 nits typical maximum, 1,600 nits peak HDR, 3,000 nits peak outdoors and 1 nit minimum.
- Colour and HDR
- Both: HDR, True Tone, wide colour (P3), Haptic Touch and typical 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio; anti-reflective and fingerprint-resistant coatings.
- Viewable area
- The standard rectangular diagonals are 7.58 and 5.36 inches. Rounded corners reduce actual viewable area.
- Pencil support
- Apple Pencil (USB-C) support is announced for later in 2026, not confirmed as available at launch.
Processor and software
- Chip
- A20 Pro: 6-core CPU with 2 super cores and 4 efficiency cores; 7-core GPU with Neural Accelerators; Dual 16-core Neural Engine; hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
- Cooling
- Vapour-chamber thermal management, as described by Apple.
- Operating system
- iOS 27, with Split View and layouts that adapt to the folding displays.
- AI availability
- Apple Intelligence feature availability varies by region and language. Siri AI starts in English beta with iOS 27 and is not initially available in the EU on iOS. Server-based features can have daily usage limits; Apple says expanded access will carry a fee in future.
Rear cameras and video
- Main camera
- 48MP Fusion Main: 26mm equivalent, f/1.6, sensor-shift optical image stabilisation and Hybrid Focus Pixels; 24MP and 48MP photos.
- Ultra-wide
- 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide: 13mm equivalent, f/2.2, 120-degree field of view and Hybrid Focus Pixels; 24MP and 48MP photos, including 48MP macro.
- Zoom
- Main-sensor 12MP optical-quality 2x view at 52mm equivalent; not a separate telephoto lens. 2x optical zoom out; 4x optical-quality range. Digital zoom up to 10x for photos and 6x for video.
- Photo features
- Smart Take, Duo Preview, Photographic Styles 3, smart focus tracking, Night mode, next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control, Smart HDR 5 and panoramas up to 63MP; HEIF and JPEG capture.
- 4K video
- Dolby Vision at 24, 25, 30 or 60fps; 100 and 120fps on Fusion Main. Cinematic mode up to 4K Dolby Vision at 60fps.
- Other video
- 1080p Dolby Vision at 25, 30 or 60fps, plus 120fps on Fusion Main; 720p at 30fps. Action mode up to 2.8K Dolby Vision at 60fps; Dual Capture up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30fps.
- Slow motion
- 1080p up to 240fps; 4K Dolby Vision up to 120fps on Fusion Main. Stabilised time-lapse up to 4K Dolby Vision, plus Night mode time-lapse.
- Video and audio
- HEVC and H.264 recording; Spatial Audio and stereo recording, wind-noise reduction, Audio Mix and audio zoom.
Front and inner cameras
- Outer camera
- 12MP Center Stage camera, f/2.2; Retina Flash, Centre Stage for photos and video calls, Smart Take, Kid Cue, Photographic Styles 3 and Dual Capture.
- Outer video
- 4K Dolby Vision at 24, 25, 30 or 60fps; 1080p Dolby Vision at 25, 30 or 60fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30fps; 1080p slow motion at 120fps.
- Inner camera
- Under-display FaceTime camera, f/1.8; Centre Stage for video calls; 1080p video at 30 or 60fps. Apple does not state its megapixel count on the checked UK specification page.
- Calling
- Duo FaceTime, SharePlay, screen sharing, Spatial Audio, Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes. FaceTime HD at 1080p over 5G or Wi-Fi; device, network and regional availability apply.
Battery and charging
- Battery system
- Dual built-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Apple does not state capacity in mAh on the checked UK specification page.
- Typical use
- Apple claims up to 24 hours, based on pre-production testing with equal use of the inner and outer displays. Not a GetLow measurement.
- Video playback
- Apple claims up to 44 hours on the outer display or 31 hours on the inner display.
- Streamed video
- Apple claims up to 37 hours on the outer display or 26 hours on the inner display.
- Wired charging
- Apple claims up to 50% in around 20 minutes with a 60W-capable or higher USB-PD adapter and 60W-capable or higher USB-C cable. Adapter sold separately; its rating is not a constant phone power draw.
- Wireless charging
- MagSafe and Qi2 up to 25W. Apple claims up to 50% in around 30 minutes with MagSafe Charger and a 35W or higher adapter, both sold separately.
- Test conditions
- Apple used pre-production hardware and software. Fast-charge tests used drained units in the open configuration. Playback tests used repeated HDR movies, with Auto-Brightness and True Tone off. Actual endurance and charge time vary with use, signal, settings, adapters and environment.
Connections, SIM and location
- Mobile networks
- UK model A3720; Apple C2 modem; sub-6GHz 5G and Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO. Service depends on the network, plan and coverage.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Apple N1 wireless chip; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO where supported; Bluetooth 6 and Thread networking.
- Nearby connections
- Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip; NFC reader mode and Express Cards with power reserve. Ultra Wideband availability varies by region.
- SIM support
- Dual eSIM: two active eSIMs; storage for eight or more. No physical SIM support. Requires an eSIM-compatible network and plan.
- USB-C
- Charging, DisplayPort output and USB 3 data transfer up to 10Gb/s. USB 3 requires a suitable 10Gb/s cable.
- Location
- Precision dual-frequency GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou and NavIC; digital compass and iBeacon micro-location.
- 5G bands
- FDD: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n26, n28, n30, n66, n70, n75. TDD: n38, n40, n41, n48, n53, n77, n78, n79.
- LTE bands
- FDD: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 66, 106. TDD: 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53.
- 3G and 2G bands
- UMTS/HSPA+: 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900 and 2100MHz. GSM/EDGE: 850, 900, 1800 and 1900MHz. Listed hardware support does not guarantee local service availability.
Controls, sensors and safety
- Authentication
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the side button; Apple Pay with Touch ID.
- Physical controls
- Side button, volume up/down and Camera Control; built-in stereo speakers and microphones.
- Sensors
- Touch ID, barometer, high-dynamic-range gyro, high-g accelerometer, proximity sensor and four ambient light sensors.
- Safety features
- Crash Detection; Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance and Find My via satellite. Regional and service conditions apply; connection and response times vary. Apple includes satellite service free for two years from activation.
Media, accessibility and requirements
- Audio playback
- AAC, APAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos; Spatial Audio and configurable maximum volume.
- Video playback
- HEVC, H.264 and AV1; Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. Up to 4K HDR AirPlay and DisplayPort video output with compatible equipment.
- Accessibility
- VoiceOver, Zoom, Magnifier, Voice Control, Switch Control, AssistiveTouch, Eye Tracking, Assistive Access, RTT/Textphone, Closed Captions, Live Captions, Live Speech, Type to Siri, Vocal Shortcuts and Spoken Content. Hearing Aid Compatible.
- Account and internet
- Apple Account required for some features; internet access required. Some features and services are unavailable in some languages or regions.
- Computer syncing
- Finder on macOS Catalina 10.15 or later; iTunes 12.8 or later on macOS High Sierra 10.13 to Mojave 10.14.6; iTunes 12.12.10 or later on Windows 10 or later.
- Operating conditions
- Ambient temperature 0 to 35 degrees C; non-operating temperature -20 to 45 degrees C; 5% to 95% relative humidity, non-condensing. Tested operating altitude up to 3,000 metres.
- In the box
- iPhone Duo with iOS 27 and a 1m USB-C Charge Cable. Power adapter sold separately.
Battery, charging and resistance figures are manufacturer test results, not guarantees or GetLow measurements. RAM capacity, battery capacity in mAh and inner-camera megapixels are not specified on the checked Apple UK page; no values are assumed here. Apple UK technical specifications and conditions
BEFORE YOU BUY
Your iPhone Duo questions
Is this the rumoured iPhone Fold?
iPhone Duo is Apple’s official name for its first folding iPhone. Earlier coverage used names such as iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra before the announcement. This page uses the confirmed product name and launch information.
Can I put my existing SIM card in it?
No. Duo is eSIM-only. Ask your network provider about transferring your number to an eSIM, and check the exact plan before paying.
Is it worth replacing an iPhone 17 Pro?
Not for the model number alone. The meaningful reason would be wanting the folding screen and two-app workspace. If those do not solve a real frustration, keep your current phone and compare the cost of a SIM-only plan instead.
Should I pre-order or wait for reviews?
Waiting is the more cautious choice if crease visibility, repair cost, camera quality or all-day battery life will decide the purchase. None of those gets settled by a product announcement, including this launch review.
HOW WE BUILT THIS REVIEW
Confirmed facts. Clearly labelled judgement.
Originally checked on 9 September 2026; images and technical specifications rechecked against Apple’s UK pages on 16 October 2026. Images are official Apple editorial material, not AI concepts. Our buying advice is an assessment of the published information; this is not a laboratory test or a claim that we have used the phone.
- Apple UK: iPhone Duo overview
- Apple UK: technical specifications
- Apple UK: storage prices and ordering dates
- Apple Newsroom: 9 September announcement
Read how GetLow compares mobile phone contracts and SIM-only deals, including our commercial relationships. The provisional rating is a launch assessment; it does not certify retailer stock or unverified offers.