{"id":6774,"date":"2026-09-10T06:42:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T06:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=6774"},"modified":"2026-09-10T06:42:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T06:42:44","slug":"apple-iphone-duo-foldable-verge-staffers-react","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=6774","title":{"rendered":"Verge staffers react to the iPhone Duo: What we love and don\u2019t love"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Apple has just announced its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo. The new phone has a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.6-inch inner screen, two back cameras, Touch ID for authentication, an IP68 rating, and all sorts of slick software tricks to make iOS feel more at home on the new device. Preorders start on October 16th ahead of availability on October 23rd, and it starts at $1,999 for 256GB of storage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s a huge announcement for Apple, and we have many feelings about it. Here\u2019s our gut reactions to the phone. And let us know in the comments what you think!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I think iPhone Duo is the perfect name for Apple\u2019s foldable. Two screens, Duo. Two back cameras, Duo. (I imagine a future version will get three, but right now we have two.) Duo is a concise three letters, putting it in line with other memorable Apple monikers like Air, Pro, Max, and Neo. Though somewhere at Microsoft, I am sure someone is fuming<\/a>. \u2014Jay Peters, senior reporter<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I\u2019ve never wanted a new iPhone more. As an iPad Mini stan, it is the ideal device for me. The size, the form factor, the multitasking possibilities. But I won\u2019t be buying it. It\u2019s just too expensive. [Ed. note: The phone starts at $1,999.] \u2014Jennifer Tuohy, senior reviewer<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Apple Pencil support makes the Duo an iPad Mini killer and the perfect on-the-go sketchbook for digital artists. \u2014Kevin McShane, editorial director, audio & video<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s the opposite of what I need and I\u2019m mad that I want it<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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A folding phone sounds great, and I dig the form factor of the iPhone Duo. As my eyes get worse, I want a bigger phone, but I don\u2019t want to carry<\/em> a bigger phone. But if I\u2019m real with myself, I don\u2019t need to spend more time looking at my screen, and I don\u2019t want to downgrade my camera system either. I am a bad photographer who has fast-moving kids and puppies, and I\u2019m not willing to give up the telephoto lens on my 17 Pro. Maybe I\u2019ll get some reading glasses. \u2014Nathan Edwards, senior reviews editor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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If Apple takes foldables beyond niche, the new 1.4:1 aspect ratio (a far superior ratio!) might change how content creators operate. Seriously, that is a far more reasonable aspect ratio, especially for portraits, and, strangely, it might be the thing that I\u2019m most excited about with the Duo. \u2014Marina Galperina, senior tech editor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Apple is selling me on the passport shape<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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I wasn\u2019t a big fan of the short and stout foldable look when I saw Samsung\u2019s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but it\u2019s starting to grow on me. The iPhone Duo looks like it\u2019s comfortable to hold in one hand (which could mean no more dropping my phone on my face while lying down), and its thin profile makes it look pleasant to carry around in a purse. \u2014Emma Roth, news writer<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Love the bigger size, but can\u2019t stop thinking about a crease<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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I find myself using my iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPad more and more for watching TV shows and movies, so having a portable screen that unfolds to something larger is so enticing to me. But I can\u2019t stop worrying about a visible, distracting crease as I fold and unfold it over months of use. I know my eyes (and brain) will attempt to focus on it no matter how slight it is. Maybe the crease will be completely indistinguishable even after over a year, but a minimum of $2,000 is too much for me to take a chance. \u2014John Higgins, senior reviewer, TVs and audio<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Apple and Samsung had the same idea<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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The Duo is similar to Samsung\u2019s Galaxy Z Fold 8 in more ways than just its passport-ish size and shape. Both phones have prioritized solid core performance but use more basic rear camera setups that distinguish them firmly from the companies\u2019 Pro and Ultra models. They\u2019re a close match in price, too, with the Duo only $100 more. That leaves space in the market for Android manufacturers like Xiaomi to come in with higher-specced foldables that place more of an emphasis on photography, battery life, and pro features, leaving Apple and Samsung to make the mainstream play. \u2014Dominic Preston, news editor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What will it look like in Europe?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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I live under EU regulations so I\u2019m going to wait and see how the AI standoff<\/a> unfolds and what features won\u2019t be available outside the US (or won\u2019t actually ship until later) and how many of my third-party apps are optimized for that folding display. I like the idea of the Duo, but I\u2019m not spending over $2,000 on a half-baked idea that needs more time in the oven. \u2014Thomas Ricker, deputy editor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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