From Engadget · Filipe Espósito · · 3m
Five things to know before buying iPhone Duo
Apple's first foldable iPhone launches Friday at $1,999, but it comes with real trade-offs you should understand first.
In brief
Apple's first foldable iPhone launches Friday at $1,999, but it comes with real trade-offs you should understand first. Apple's iPhone Duo foldable launches October twenty-third at one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars, but lacks telephoto cameras, Face ID and full third-party app support. Originally reported…
iPhone Duo launches this week
Pre-orders for Apple's first foldable iPhone begin Friday, with first units shipping October twenty-third. The device starts at one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars.
Camera quality is a major compromise
The iPhone Duo has two rear cameras with no telephoto lens, unlike the iPhone eighteen Pro. Its front camera is twelve megapixels instead of eighteen, and lacks variable aperture.
Touch ID replaces Face ID
The iPhone Duo uses Touch ID on the side button instead of Face ID. The Action Button is also gone, limiting phone controls to the Control Center.
App compatibility is incomplete
Apple optimized iOS twenty-seven for the foldable form factor, but most third-party apps still need updates. Netflix, Zoom and Slack will have updates on launch day, but expect stretched or black-barred apps initially.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 is cheaper and lighter
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold eight starts at one thousand eight hundred ninety-nine dollars, one hundred dollars less than the Duo. It weighs two hundred one grams and measures nine point seven millimetres closed.
Google's Pixel Fold has better cameras
Google's Pixel eleven Pro Fold also costs one thousand eight hundred ninety-nine dollars and includes a telephoto lens with five times optical zoom, making it one of the best camera systems on a foldable phone.
Apple offers substantial trade-in credit
Apple's trade-in program offers up to eight hundred eighty-five dollars off the iPhone Duo. Alternatively, buyers can pay eighty-three dollars twenty-nine cents monthly for twenty-four months interest-free with Apple Card.
Carriers are offering aggressive deals
AT&T offers up to one thousand two hundred dollars in trade-in credit for eligible devices. T-Mobile offers up to one thousand dollars for Xfinity Mobile Plus customers, or four hundred dollars off without trading in.
Apple's cases cost seventy-nine to one hundred twenty-nine dollars
The iPhone Duo Case costs seventy-nine dollars and covers all sides in Navy Blue or Sand. The Duo Folio case costs one hundred twenty-nine dollars, features a kickstand and comes in Navy Blue or Taupe.
Apple Pencil support arrives later
The iPhone Duo is the first iPhone compatible with Apple Pencil for drawing and note-taking, but support arrives later this year via software update. Only the USB-C Apple Pencil for iPad works with it.
Fast charging requires new adapter
The iPhone Duo does not come with a power adapter. Apple's forty watt Dynamic Power Adapter with sixty watt max enables fast charging, reaching fifty percent charge in twenty minutes.
Reviews won't arrive until next week
iPhone Duo reviews are not yet available and probably won't be until next week. Only hands-on impressions exist so far, leaving questions about real-world performance and battery life unanswered.
Fourteen-day return policy provides safety net
Apple has not disclosed the front camera resolution or whether the hinge and crease will hold up over time. However, Apple's fourteen-day return policy gives buyers leeway if they dislike the iPhone Duo.
The short version
Apple's iPhone Duo foldable launches October twenty-third at one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars, but lacks telephoto cameras, Face ID and full third-party app support.
