iPhone Duo Review Roundup: Impressive Hardware, Mixed Verdicts [Video]

The first iPhone Duo reviews are out ahead of Friday's launch, and Apple's folding hardware has made a strong impression. CNET found the larger screen useful enough to leave a conventional phone behind, while The Verge was much less convinced by the software and everyday usability.

Apple's first foldable iPhone starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage and arrives October 23. It combines a 5.4-inch outer display with a 7.6-inch inner screen, but the reviews offer different answers to whether that extra space is worth the cost and compromises.

CNET

CNET wrote the entire script for its accompanying review video on the Duo, taking advantage of the larger screen to work without carrying a laptop. The reviewer also found the outer screen comfortable for typing, checking messages, and ordering an Uber.

Not every app made good use of the extra space, and the review flags the missing telephoto camera and Face ID. Even so, the Duo earned an Editors' Choice award. "I have no plans of switching back to a slab phone anytime soon," the reviewer writes.

The Verge

The Verge was less persuaded that the Duo is ready to replace a conventional iPhone for most people, calling it an "early adopter special." Its reviewers liked the low-glare display and could see the appeal of a folding iPhone, but found the short outer screen cramped once the keyboard appeared.

Apps were a bigger frustration. Some ran in awkward, letterboxed layouts, while even partially updated apps behaved inconsistently. The review also found multitasking difficult to discover, with different gestures and restrictions depending on the orientation and apps involved. Fully updated apps showed promise, including a useful video-editing timeline in Edits.

Tom's Guide

Mark Spoonauer calls the Duo "the best designed foldable phone I've ever tested," praising its construction and the way the nano-texture display minimizes glare and the visible crease. The matte finish has a tradeoff, though: he found blacks less deep and colors less saturated than on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

In the publication's battery test, which browses the web over 5G at 150 nits of brightness, the Duo lasted 13 hours and 20 minutes using its larger inner screen. The iPhone 18 Pro Max reached 17 hours and 31 minutes under the same conditions.

9to5Mac

Chance Miller found himself using the outer screen while running errands and opening the Duo at a desk or coffee shop. Mail's two-pane layout made sorting through an inbox easier, and running Notes beside Safari let him prepare podcast show notes without reaching for a Mac or iPad.

"I'm not going out of my way to find reasons to use the larger display. Those reasons have come naturally," he writes. He found the Duo more comfortable to hold than an iPhone 18 Pro Max, although prolonged one-handed use still tired his wrist and the smaller screen could feel crowded.

TechRadar

Lance Ulanoff describes the Duo as a "fully realized folding smartphone," with particular praise for the hinge and the nearly invisible crease when viewing the display head-on. He also enjoyed software built specifically for the folding design, including a game that turns closing the phone into part of making a grilled cheese sandwich.

Other software was less convincing. The dock along the right edge could squeeze the outer screen's usable space, and tilt-to-steer controls in Asphalt Legends failed on the inner display while working on the outer one. The review remains enthusiastic about the hardware despite those early app problems.

Engadget

Engadget's "first-class foldable" verdict highlights the inner screen's uninterrupted view, made possible by a camera hidden beneath the display. It also found plenty of battery life: the Duo lasted 28 hours and 48 minutes in a local video playback test, and regularly finished a day of review testing with at least 40 percent charge remaining.

The main reservation was app support. Telegram, for example, left unused space around its portrait layout rather than taking advantage of the wider screen. The review also notes that the Duo's weight and $1,999 price are substantial, even for an otherwise capable foldable.

Popular Mechanics

Stefan Vazharov singles out the hinge, describing it as having "the smoothest action and tactility of any folding phone to date." He liked how it holds the screen at different angles and opens flat with a satisfying click. The cameras also produced sharp photos, although there is no dedicated telephoto lens. In everyday use, the Duo lasted a full day, but had less charge left at the end than his iPhone 18 Pro Max.

PCMag

PCMag gives the Duo an Editors' Choice award and calls it "easily the best folding phone you can buy today." Battery endurance was a highlight: streaming YouTube over Wi-Fi on the inner display at maximum brightness, it lasted 18 hours and 15 minutes. That put it ahead of the other book-style foldables in the publication's test.

Touch ID was less successful. The review describes occasional failed fingerprint reads and awkward button placement for left-handed use. It also found the Camera Control button easy to press accidentally, even while praising the overall build and performance.

Pre-orders are already open, with the first deliveries due Friday. For more on the differences from Apple's conventional flagship, see our iPhone Duo versus iPhone 18 Pro Max comparison.

Video Reviews

Watch the video reviews below for a closer look at the displays, folding design, cameras, and apps.

Marques Brownlee

Mrwhosetheboss

PetaPixel

The Verge

Tom's Guide

Brian Tong