# iPhone Duo review roundup: the best foldable yet, say reviewers, but most say wait > Two dozen reviews praise the hidden crease and class-leading battery of Apple's $1,999 foldable, but flag its 254 g weight, missing Face ID and apps that aren't ready. - Publisher: NextDiff (https://nextdiff.com/) - Section: Hardware - Author: NextDiff Editorial - Published: 2026-10-23T09:45:05.226Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T15:48:11.577Z - Canonical URL: https://nextdiff.com/posts/iphone-duo-review-roundup/ - Topics: apple, iphone, foldables, smartphones ## In short The first iPhone Duo reviews landed on 21 October 2026, two days before Apple's $1,999 foldable went on sale. Most reviewers call it the best-built foldable yet, with a barely visible crease and class-leading battery life. The common complaints are its 254 g weight, Touch ID instead of Face ID, no telephoto camera and apps not yet optimised. ## Key takeaways - Most reviewers rate the iPhone Duo the best-built foldable so far: Engadget gives it 8.8/10, CNET an Editors' Choice, and Tom's Guide calls it the best foldable it has tested. - Battery life is a strength in lab tests: PCMag measured 18 h 15 min of streaming, ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. - The common complaints are weight (254 g), Touch ID instead of Face ID, only two rear cameras and many apps not yet optimised for the inner screen. - The Verge calls it an early adopter special, and Wired suggests waiting for the Duo 2. The first **iPhone Duo review** verdicts are in, and they mostly agree: Apple's first foldable is the best-built folding phone so far, but it's a first-generation product, and many reviewers tell you to wait. Reviews went live on 21 October, two days before the $1,999 phone went on sale today, Friday 23 October. Macworld and iPhone in Canada each rounded up the early coverage, with iPhone in Canada counting 23 outlets. Here's what they found, with the numbers. Our 30-second version: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vDFQq9zwZwo ![Two hands hold iPhone Duo, one folded with the 5.4-inch outer display and one unfolded with the 7.6-inch inner display](/media/f2ff3c536b9a49d8b78f.jpg) *Image: Apple (press release, 9 September 2026)* ## What do the iPhone Duo reviews say? The headline verdicts lean positive: - **Engadget** gives it **8.8 out of 10** and calls it a first-class foldable. Sam Rutherford lists its design, performance, battery life, IP68 rating and nano-texture screen as strengths. - **CNET** gave it an **Editors' Choice** award and wrote that Apple "appears to have stuck the landing", according to [Macworld's roundup](https://www.macworld.com/article/3266294/iphone-duo-review-roundup-a-little-weird-a-lot-of-fun-and-a-breath-of-fresh-air.html). - **Tom's Guide** calls it the best-designed foldable yet, and notes it costs only about $100 more than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8. - **PCMag** says it has the best hardware, performance and battery life of any foldable it has tested. - **The Verge** is the harshest. It calls the Duo expensive, full of compromises and sometimes frustrating, but fun, and an "early adopter special". - **Wired** says it feels mature for a first try, but suggests it may be wise to wait for the Duo 2. PetaPixel, which averages several reviews, [reports a PixelMeter score of 80](https://petapixel.com/reel/2026/10/21/apples-first-folding-phone-opens-with-a-strong-80-on-pixelmeter/). ## Is the crease visible? Barely, in daily use. Nearly every reviewer says the matte nano-texture coating on the 7.6-inch inner screen hides the fold when you look at it head-on, [iPhone in Canada reports](https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/2026/10/21/iphone-duo-reviews-roundup/). Engadget describes a small divot that "basically disappears" from the front. You can still see it at an angle and feel it with a finger, and PCMag says it shows when the screen is off. ### How it works Apple's hinge has more than 100 parts and supports the middle of the screen so it lies flat when open. The inner display uses glass layers that can slide against each other to reduce bending stress. The matte coating then scatters reflections, which is what hides the remaining dip from view. Apple itself only says the design "minimizes crease visibility". Long-term wear is still unknown: these reviews cover days, not years. ## How good is the iPhone Duo battery? In lab tests it leads the foldables. PCMag measured **18 hours 15 minutes** of streamed video. That beats the Motorola Razr Fold (18 h), Galaxy Z Fold 8 (16 h 30 min), Z Fold 8 Ultra (16 h 29 min) and Pixel 11 Pro Fold (14 h 21 min). Engadget's local video test ran **28 hours 48 minutes**, about 30 minutes longer than the Z Fold 8, and Tom's Guide measured 13 hours 20 minutes of web browsing. Real-world use is more mixed. Gizmodo's Raymond Wong saw 5.5 to 7.5 hours of screen-on time. The Verge says the phone gets hot and doesn't seem ready for a full day of heavy use. Apple quotes up to 24 hours of mixed use from its two batteries, one in each half. ![Chart of iPhone Duo battery life in PCMag's streaming test versus four other foldables, with verdicts from Engadget, CNET, Tom's Guide, The Verge and Wired](/media/cd77c9e17a724fc6b958.jpg) *Graphic: NextDiff, from PCMag, Engadget and review roundups by Macworld and iPhone in Canada.* ## What are the downsides? Four complaints come up again and again: - **Weight.** At **254 g**, it's 5 g heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and over 25% heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, per Engadget. Gizmodo noted it makes a front trouser pocket sag. - **No Face ID.** It unlocks with Touch ID in the side button. Engadget found it accurate but slightly slower. - **Two rear cameras.** You get dual 48 MP sensors with 2x optical zoom and no telephoto. CNET adds there's no ProRAW or ProRes. Photos are still rated sharp, and Engadget found low light better than the Z Fold 8's. - **Apps.** Many third-party apps aren't optimised for the inner screen yet. Tom's Guide saw large black bars, and The Verge saw awkward letterboxed layouts. ![iPhone Duo unfolded with Safari and the Siri app side by side in Split View](/media/5b505eae81df4205b43d.jpg) *Image: Apple (press release, 9 September 2026)* ## Should you buy the iPhone Duo? If you want a foldable and live in Apple's world, reviewers say this is the one to get, and it's priced close to Samsung's. If you're happy with a normal iPhone, most say there's no rush. The software will improve with app updates, but the weight, cameras and Touch ID are hardware choices that only a Duo 2 can change. It's also hard to buy right now. Pre-orders sold out through January within hours, as we covered in our [iPhone Duo release date story](/posts/iphone-duo-release-date-price-sold-out/). That gives you time to try one in a store before deciding. ## Questions readers ask ### Is the iPhone Duo worth it? Most reviewers say it is the best-built foldable so far and worth it if you want a foldable on iOS. Many, including The Verge and Wired, suggest most people wait for the second generation because of its weight, cameras and app support. ### Is the iPhone Duo crease visible? Barely, when looking at the screen head-on. Reviewers say the matte nano-texture coating hides it in daily use, but you can see it at an angle and feel it with a finger. ### How long does the iPhone Duo battery last? PCMag measured 18 hours 15 minutes of streaming video, the best of any foldable it tested. Engadget recorded 28 hours 48 minutes of local video playback, while Gizmodo saw 5.5 to 7.5 hours of screen-on time in real use. ### How heavy is the iPhone Duo? It weighs 254 grams, 5 g more than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and over 25% more than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, according to Engadget's review. ### Does the iPhone Duo have Face ID? No. The iPhone Duo uses Touch ID built into the side button instead of Face ID. Engadget found it accurate but slightly slower to unlock. ## Sources - [Engadget — Apple iPhone Duo review: A first-class foldable](https://www.engadget.com/2292333/apple-iphone-duo-review/) - [Macworld — iPhone Duo review roundup: a little weird, a lot of fun](https://www.macworld.com/article/3266294/iphone-duo-review-roundup-a-little-weird-a-lot-of-fun-and-a-breath-of-fresh-air.html) - [iPhone in Canada — First iPhone Duo reviews praise the hidden crease, knock the weight](https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/2026/10/21/iphone-duo-reviews-roundup/) - [Tom's Guide — Apple iPhone Duo review](https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/iphones/apple-iphone-duo-review) - [TechRadar — Apple iPhone Duo review](https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/apple-iphone-duo-review) - [CNN Underscored — Is the iPhone Duo worth $1,999?](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/iphone-duo) - [PetaPixel — Apple's first folding phone opens with an 80 on PixelMeter](https://petapixel.com/reel/2026/10/21/apples-first-folding-phone-opens-with-a-strong-80-on-pixelmeter/) - [Apple Newsroom — Apple unveils iPhone Duo (9 Sep 2026)](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/09/apple-unveils-iphone-duo/)