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iPhone Duo reviews: what the first reviews say

The first iPhone Duo reviews are in. What reviewers agree on about the crease, battery, cameras and the $1,999 price, and where they disagree.

Apple Fitness Plus workout on the iPhone Duo
Apple Fitness Plus on the iPhone Duo | Image: Apple

The first full iPhone Duo reviews went live when Apple's review embargo lifted on October 21, and they broadly agree on the big picture. Reviewers praise the matte inner display, say the crease is hard to see in daily use, and rate the design and hinge highly. The compromises they name most are the cameras, which have no telephoto and sit a step below the iPhone 18 Pro, and the many apps not yet rebuilt for the fold. They split on battery life, heat, the cover screen, and whether to buy now or wait for a second generation. This is a roundup of their reporting: iPhone Duo Hub has not tested the phone, and every finding below belongs to the outlet named.

Key takeaways

  • Scores so far: Engadget 8.8 out of 10, The Verge 7 out of 10, Wired 7 out of 10, Gizmodo 4 out of 5. CNET, Gizmodo, and Tom's Guide awarded Editors' Choice.
  • Reviewers agree the matte inner display largely hides the crease, and several single out the hinge and design.
  • Reviewers agree the cameras trail the iPhone 18 Pro, with no telephoto, and that many apps still need optimizing.
  • Battery and heat results differ between outlets.
  • Wired suggests waiting for the Duo 2; CNET and TechRadar are ready to recommend it now.

The reviews at a glance

Outlet Verdict in brief Score
Engadget (Sam Rutherford) "A first-class foldable" 8.8/10
The Verge (Nilay Patel, Allison Johnson) "A messy, expensive, good time" and "an early adopter special" 7/10
Wired (Julian Chokkattu) "An astonishingly good first foldable," but it may be prudent to wait for the Duo 2 7/10
Gizmodo (Raymond Wong) "Worth the wait, but it's very expensive" 4/5
CNET (Patrick Holland) Editors' Choice; the reviewer has no plans to switch back to a slab phone None published
Tom's Guide (Mark Spoonauer) Editor's Choice; "the best designed foldable phone I've ever tested" None published
TechRadar (Lance Ulanoff) "A fully realized folding smartphone" None published
9to5Mac (Chance Miller) "A glimpse at the future of the iPhone, and that future is foldable" None published
Joanna Stern (New Things) One of the most exciting and most frustrating iPhones she has tested in years None published

What reviewers agree on

The matte display and the crease. The nano-texture matte coating on the 7.6-inch inner display is the most praised feature across the reviews. The Verge lists the "matte inner display is very cool" among the phone's strengths and says the matte finish is there to help hide the crease. CNET says the matte display reduces glare and the appearance of a crease. TechRadar says the nano-texture finish "cannily solved" the crease complaint, adding that the crease is not completely gone. Gizmodo calls it a "barely visible crease" that can still be felt by touch. 9to5Mac's Chance Miller could see it mainly "in brighter lighting, like sunlight, while looking at darker user interfaces." Joanna Stern calls the matte folding screen "impressive, especially outdoors."

Design and hinge. Engadget's Sam Rutherford calls it "one of the nicest hinges I've used on any foldable." TechRadar says the design is "Apple at its best." Wired says Apple "landed on the right shape" and that the wider, shorter passport design "feels better than what's come before in this category." CNET says the Duo opens fully flat, and Tom's Guide calls it "the best designed foldable phone I've ever tested." Stern, who built a robot that folded the phone more than 32,000 times, calls it "a beautiful, surprisingly durable piece of hardware."

Cameras are a step down from the iPhone 18 Pro. Apple's own specs list a 48MP Fusion Main and a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, with no dedicated telephoto. The Verge says the cameras "are just OK" and that the biggest concession is the missing telephoto. 9to5Mac calls the Duo "a very good camera, but it's not on the same level as the iPhone 18 Pro." Gizmodo says the cameras are "good enough, just not the best on an iPhone." Engadget found the Duo "easily kept up with Samsung's image quality" against the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and in some low-light shots did better.

Apps are not ready yet. Engadget says "there are a ton of apps that haven't been optimized yet." The Verge warns you will see "a lot of tiny iPhone apps" in an unoptimized layout. Wired suggests waiting a few months for developers to optimize their apps. Stern says plenty of apps are still buggy and the software "is still playing catch-up with the hardware."

Where reviewers disagree

Battery life. Apple rates the Duo at up to 24 hours of typical use, and up to 44 hours of video on the outer display and 31 hours on the inner display. Reviewers' real-world results vary:

  • Tom's Guide's battery test, which surfs the web over 5G at 150 nits on the inner screen, recorded 13 hours 20 minutes for the Duo, against 17 hours 31 minutes for the iPhone 18 Pro Max tested alongside it.
  • Engadget measured 28 hours 48 minutes in its video rundown test.
  • CNET's Patrick Holland ended one heavy day with 29 percent at 11 p.m.
  • 9to5Mac's Chance Miller ends his days with around 20 percent.
  • At The Verge, the two reviewers split: Nilay Patel needed to charge the Duo at least once to get through a workday, while Allison Johnson had about 30 percent left after about 6.5 hours of screen-on time.
  • Gizmodo reported 5.5 to 7.5 hours of screen-on time.

Heat. The Verge says the Duo "definitely gets warm, and sometimes hot," naming video apps, Google's apps, and long camera sessions, especially features that use the camera and both displays at once, like Duo Preview and Kid Cue. 9to5Mac says it "runs a bit hotter than the iPhone 18 Pro, but not in a way that impacts performance."

The cover screen. The Verge lists "the cover display is too small" among the phone's weaknesses. Wired says the 5.4-inch outer screen "is still big enough to be useful," and Gizmodo praises its brightness and 120Hz ProMotion. 9to5Mac's Chance Miller uses the outer screen for errands and opens the Duo when he is stationary. Stern says even Duo-ready apps "feel cramped on that narrow outer screen."

Buy now or wait for Duo 2. Wired says "it may be prudent to wait for the Duo 2," and The Verge says the Duo will "delight gadget nerds and early adopters and likely frustrate everyone else." On the other side, CNET's reviewer has "no plans of switching back to a slab phone anytime soon," and TechRadar says that for Apple fans waiting for an Apple foldable, "there is no other or better choice." Price is the common caveat: Engadget calls the Duo "extremely expensive," and Gizmodo says it is "very expensive."

The camera verdict in brief

Reviewers agree the Duo's two 48MP cameras are good but not the best Apple makes, and that the missing telephoto is the main gap. Our iPhone Duo camera guide covers what the hardware includes. A separate piece on camera test footage will follow once qualifying tests are published.

What the reviews mean if you are still deciding

The Duo goes on sale Friday, October 23, with first deliveries the same day for early pre-orders. New orders are a longer wait: MacRumors reported that by 8:30 a.m. ET on pre-order day, every configuration on Apple's US store showed January 25, 2027. Our pre-order week recap covers how that happened, and our guide on how to get an iPhone Duo sooner covers the realistic options. Prices start at $1,999 for 256GB and run to $3,199 for 2TB; the full specs page has every configuration.

Frequently asked questions

What scores did the first iPhone Duo reviews give?

Engadget gave it 8.8 out of 10, The Verge and Wired each gave it 7 out of 10, and Gizmodo gave it 4 out of 5. CNET, Gizmodo, and Tom's Guide gave it Editors' Choice awards. 9to5Mac and Joanna Stern did not publish scores.

Do reviewers say the iPhone Duo crease is visible?

Mostly not. The Verge, CNET, Gizmodo, and TechRadar all credit the matte inner display with hiding the crease. 9to5Mac's Chance Miller said he could see it mainly in bright light over dark interfaces, and Gizmodo said it can still be felt by touch.

How is the iPhone Duo battery life in reviews?

Results vary. Tom's Guide measured 13 hours 20 minutes in its web test against 17 hours 31 minutes for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. CNET ended one heavy day with 29 percent, 9to5Mac around 20 percent, and one of The Verge's two reviewers needed to charge at least once a day.

Should I buy the iPhone Duo now or wait?

Reviewers split. Wired said it may be prudent to wait for the Duo 2, and The Verge called it an early adopter special. CNET's reviewer has no plans to switch back to a slab phone, and TechRadar said that for waiting Apple fans there is no other or better choice.

Sources