iPhone Duo Review: Innovative, but Far Too Expensive

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents iPhone Duo Review: Innovative, but Far Too Expensive.

€2,339 for 256 GB is the moment when the iPhone Duo goes from being a fascinating Apple experiment to a genuine purchasing problem. Frandroid tested the device on 4 November 2026 at 7:13 p.m. and reaches a nuanced verdict: The new features have succeeded, as have the compromises inherent to the first generation of a foldable device. The price nevertheless remains utterly disproportionate.

The editorial team was not testing a regular iPhone. It received a unit supplied by Apple that weighs 254 grams and is 11.3 millimeters thicker than a folded Galaxy Z Fold 8 weighing 200 grams. The test therefore shows not only what Apple’s first foldable iPhone can do. It also reveals how many compromises Apple was willing to accept to make this format possible in the first place.

Apple Arrives Seven Years After the First Galaxy Fold

Samsung was already in its eighth generation when Cupertino finally caught up with a foldable iPhone. The first Galaxy Fold appeared seven years ago. In China, manufacturers such as Honor have also continued to advance chassis refinement with the Magic V6. Apple is therefore entering the market not as a pioneer, but with the ambition of combining an already established product category with its own ecosystem.

The Duo is intended to be neither a regular iPhone nor a smaller iPad mini*. It combines a compact folded form with a large workspace. The decisive difference lies in its software model: Two apps should be able to run side by side on the 7.6-inch inner screen. According to Frandroid, this is the first iPhone to allow that. This is precisely how Apple is attempting to redefine the Fold concept not only mechanically, but also in terms of functionality.

€2,339 Must Deliver Genuine Added Value

The test result does not revolve around the technology, but around the relationship between the technology and the price. Frandroid calls the price “utterly disproportionate.” The successful innovations are not written off. However, they are also not enough on their own to justify entry into Apple’s new device format.

At selected retailers, the iPhone Duo costs €2,339; according to Frandroid, other offers start at €2,189. The device can also be rented through Next Mobiles for €89.90 per month, including insurance. Nevertheless, the purchase price remains the decisive benchmark: Anyone who has set aside the full €2,339 budget for a foldable iPhone expects more than two innovative display and software details.

The strongest counterpoint to the high price is Apple’s clear position: There is no entirely new device category, but rather an already familiar format refined with Apple’s manufacturing expertise, OLED technology and iOS. The review verdict does not focus on this counterpoint. Frandroid calls the device successful precisely because its technical implementation is convincing. The price nevertheless remains the central point of criticism.

The Matte Inner Screen Hides the Crease—and Changes the Picture

The most conspicuous new feature is found on the inner OLED display. Apple has equipped it with a nanotextured, matte coating, making it the first foldable smartphone to feature one. Rather than treating light like a mirrored surface, it distributes the reflections. As a result, Frandroid found the crease to be practically invisible when looking directly at the device. The advantage is real: When you look straight at the display, the central fold line disappears.

The measurements confirm how effectively Apple has reduced reflections. 01net records just 2 GU on the matte inner screen. The external display reaches 72 GU, while 01net measures 60 GU on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. On paper, the matte iPhone screen is thus by far the least reflective of the devices compared.

Under direct sunlight, however, a second effect emerges. The matte surface spreads light across the entire area. As a result, there is no single hard reflection, but instead a whitish, milky haze. The OLED’s practically unlimited black levels lose their contrast in the sun and appear gray. Indoors and at night, the problem disappears completely. Outside, the tester therefore switched from the open device to the 5.4-inch outer display because it was easier to read in the sun.

The brightness itself is excellent. The outer display reaches 1,313 nits in SDR and 2,800 nits in HDR. The corresponding figures for the inner display are 1,300 and 2,770 nits. Apple promises a peak figure of 3,000 nits. The matte surface is not a problem in terms of brightness; it is the flip side of an extremely effective reduction in reflections.

Color reproduction is also very good, according to the measurements. Whites on the outer screen appear only marginally cool, sRGB and P3 are almost completely covered, transitions remain smooth and text shows no visible blooming. The matte film is also not designed to be removed by hand. If it wears out prematurely, Apple can replace it in a store for €55. There is no glossy alternative, according to the test; Samsung offers the first replacement for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 free of charge.

254 Grams and 11.3 Millimeters Change Everyday Use

The biggest immediate problem is the weight. At 254 grams, the iPhone Duo weighs even more than the iPhone 18 Pro* Max at 249 grams. It also remains 78 millimeters wide. Together with its asymmetrical shape—straight on one side and curved on the other—it feels compact in a pocket while also seeming massive. With the official folio case, it becomes even thicker.

Operating the outer display also required some initial adjustment. The settings field opens from the black bar on the right edge. This works for right-handed users, but not for left-handed users. Édouard Le Ricque, who wrote the test with the editorial team, describes the menu and step-by-step elements anchored on the right side as a problem. With the left thumb, one-handed operation is barely possible. In its open form, the device works much better when operated with two hands.

Apple’s engineering is nevertheless impressive. The casing uses Grade 5 titanium. According to the test, both halves meet with millimetric precision and no mechanical play. The hinge consists of more than 100 mechanical components and magnets. It closes gently and with a distinct click, but is difficult to open with one hand. Once opened, it remains stable and holds different angles, allowing the iPhone Duo to stand upright or in a laptop-like position.

Buttons, Touch ID and the Return of the Left Thumb

Apple has made several button-related decisions that cost extra time in everyday use. The volume buttons are located on the top edge. Depending on the orientation of the screen, they are swapped: The top and bottom do not automatically exchange their functions. This is not merely unfamiliar; it happened repeatedly during the test.

The Action button is completely absent. Le Ricque had placed direct access to Perplexity there on his daily iPhone. He now has to unlock the device and manually launch the app. The Camera Control button has been retained, but its capacitive functions are disabled by default. Remapping it would be a possible alternative, according to the test, but is not the built-in solution.

The loss of Face ID is even more significant. Apple has returned to Touch ID, thereby connecting the device to an earlier iPhone generation roughly ten years after the iPhone 8* of 2017. The procedure requires two separate contacts: one to wake the device and another to unlock it. Holding the button starts Siri. Recognition was perceived as very slow during the test. Left-handed users were also able to trigger the sensor only around half the time. In its open form, the problem is mitigated because the device is then operated with both hands.

The Camera Has No Telephoto Lens

Apple has installed two 48-megapixel sensors and records video in 4K. There is no telephoto lens. The camera module sits in a prominently protruding block surrounded by a wave of glass. Unlike the iPhone 18 Pro*, there is no unibody rear panel; the titanium-and-glass design is more reminiscent of the iPhone 16 Pro*. The arrangement looks tidy, and the back hardly shows visible fingerprints.

The displays are the opposite: According to Frandroid, grease stains remain visible there—including on the matte inner screen. No cleaning cloth is included. At €2,339, the tester considers this omission stingy.

IP68 Does Not Withstand the Beach Sand Test

Apple rates the iPhone Duo as IP68, providing protection against water and dust. However, this is not without complications: After the launch, Apple confirmed that the inner screen had been damaged on a “small number of units”. According to iFixit, an element of the hinge could exert pressure on the display and destroy individual rows of pixels.

The sand test also produces a negative result. Testers such as Zack Nelson of Jerry Rig Everything introduced fine particles into the device. During the subsequent teardown, they found particles all the way to the hinge, according to Frandroid; the inner screen had broken there. This makes the IP68 certification questionable for everyday sandy environments. For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is certified only as IP48 and is therefore also not intended for a visit to the beach.

The official protective cases have their own disadvantages. The folio provides a fold-out stand, but makes the device considerably thicker and leaves part of the camera area exposed when taking photos. The second official version attaches directly to the phone. Apple’s MagSafe system also works only while the device remains folded: When opened, it tips onto the side that is not held magnetically. It would therefore be useless in a car.

A Powerful Device Overshadowed by Its Price

In areas where Apple was not previously represented, the iPhone Duo makes it difficult to deny that it comes from the same team. The titanium-colored finish is precise, the hinge appears sturdy, both OLED displays are very bright, the matte inner screen reduces reflections to 2 GU, and two apps fit side by side on the 7.6-inch surface.

The trade-offs and compromises are just as clear: 254 grams, 11.3 millimeters in the folded state, an interface unsuitable for left-handed users, swapped volume buttons, no Action button, slow Touch ID, no Face ID, no telephoto lens, fragile inner screens on some devices and a questionable sand test despite the IP68 rating.

Frandroid’s verdict is therefore precise: Innovative, but far too expensive. The device is of particular interest to you if Apple’s new Fold format, with its large OLED screen, matte surface and Apple’s multiwindow software, provides a genuine everyday advantage. Otherwise, you are not only paying for a larger display, but also for the first generation of a format that Apple entered seven years after the first Galaxy Fold launched.