iPhone Duo reviews: the best foldable, with trade-offs

The review embargo for Apple's first foldable has lifted, a day before the iPhone Duo reaches stores on 23 October. 9to5Mac rounded up the verdicts from Joanna Stern, The Verge, Wired, CNET, Tom's Guide, Daring Fireball and HTX Studio, and the surprise is how much they agree. We haven't tested the phone ourselves; below is what the published reviews say, plus the first reports about a second-generation model.

If you need the basics first, see our iPhone Duo pre-order guide with prices and shipping dates and how its 4,883 mAh battery compares with other iPhones.

The best foldable so far

Every review in the roundup puts the Duo at or near the top of the foldable category. Tom's Guide calls it the best-designed foldable it has tested, praising the sturdy build and the polish of the software. CNET says Apple "stuck the landing" despite minor shortcomings. The Verge argues that Apple's app and developer story makes the Duo a more coherent idea than most Android foldables.

It's only worth it if you'll unfold it often

The caveat repeated almost everywhere: the Duo makes sense only if you plan to use the big inner screen many times a day. Daring Fireball found the outer display cramped and called it the weakest iPhone experience Apple has shipped, while The Verge said the cover screen is too small to use all the time. HTX Studio summed up the trade-off as benefits you get occasionally and costs you pay constantly, in weight, battery, cooling and price.

The crease is visible, but barely

Apple never claimed the crease would disappear, and reviewers say you can still see and feel it at some angles. Most still call it the least intrusive crease they have seen. HTX Studio measured a depth of about 48 microns when new, growing to 167 microns after 3,000 machine folds, which it says brings the Duo closer to rival foldables over time. Joanna Stern's fold tests found the hinge became slightly stiffer, not looser, after tens of thousands of folds, though she couldn't feel the change in daily use.

Touch ID, cameras and weight are the big compromises

Going back to a Touch ID button after years of Face ID is the complaint most reviewers mention, and few got used to it within a week. Tom's Guide and Wired also regret the lack of a telephoto lens on a phone that costs about $2,000 in the US. Several reviewers found it heavy for one-handed use, and Wired suggests waiting for the second generation if weight matters to you.

Apps need time to catch up

Many third-party apps haven't been updated yet, so some show a regular iPhone layout floating in the middle of the inner screen. Reviewers expect developers to move quickly given demand; Tom's Guide notes that many buyers face backorders into December or January anyway. GSMArena reports that Apple Pencil (USB-C) support is included in the iOS 27.2 release candidate, so stylus input may arrive within days.

What Gurman says about iPhone Duo 2

On his Power On podcast, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that iPhone Duo 2 prototypes being tested inside Apple include Face ID, with the sensor placed under the outer display, according to 9to5Mac. He also said Apple has explored adding the Action button. Prototype features don't always ship, so treat this as a report rather than a confirmed plan.