Apple has introduced its first foldable smartphone, marking its entry into a segment already occupied by Samsung, Google, Honor, Huawei, and other Android device makers.
The iPhone Duo was announced alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, with all three devices running on Apple’s new A20 Pro processor and iOS 27.
The Duo uses a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display and a 5.4-inch outer screen. Apple said applications and content can transition between the two displays, while a Split View feature allows two apps — or two windows of the same app — to run side by side.
“iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original. With an entirely new design and intuitive experiences, it shows what’s possible when hardware and software are engineered together and redefines what it means to use a foldable phone,” Apple’s new chief executive officer John Ternus said.
The foldable phone is built with a Grade 5 titanium frame and a hinge containing more than 100 components. It also carries an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, an uncommon specification among foldable devices.
Touch ID is integrated into the side button, while support for the USB-C Apple Pencil is scheduled to arrive later this year.
Its rear camera system consists of a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera and a 48-megapixel Fusion Ultra Wide camera. The main sensor provides a 2x optical-quality telephoto option, while the folding design allows the outer display to serve as a preview screen when taking photos.
The Duo is powered by the A20 Pro chip, which uses a 2-nanometer manufacturing process and includes a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engine. Apple has also installed a vapor chamber and dual-battery system to manage sustained performance and power consumption.
Apple rates the device for up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display and 44 hours using the outer screen. Wired charging can replenish the battery to 50% in around 20 minutes, according to the company.
The iPhone Duo starts at P159,990 in the Philippines, with storage options ranging from 256GB to 2TB. Apple’s Philippine website, however, has yet to provide a firm local preorder and availability date. Global preorders will begin Oct. 16, followed by availability in initial markets on Oct. 23.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max retain Apple’s conventional slab design but introduce a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with a variable aperture. The hardware allows users to adjust depth of field and gives the camera more flexibility under changing lighting conditions.
The Pro models also include 48-megapixel Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras, with up to 8x optical-quality zoom. Manual controls and Apple’s Reference Image feature are intended for photographers and video-production users.
The iPhone 18 Pro offers up to 36 hours of video playback, while the larger Pro Max is rated for as much as 45 hours. Both support wired charging to 50% in about 15 minutes.
iOS 27 adds redesigned parental and child-safety controls, faster AirDrop transfers, and iPhone Handoff, which allows subscribers of supported carriers to use the same phone number across two iPhones.
Apple’s Philippine online store lists the iPhone 18 Pro starting at P99,990. The company has also added a 2TB configuration to the lineup. Availability may vary by model and local reseller.
