Reviewers Split on Apple's First Foldable: The iPhone Duo Scores 7/10 at The Verge
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Reviewers are divided over Apple’s first foldable phone after The Verge scored the iPhone Duo 7/10 and its hosts argued over the rating on the Vergecast podcast. “We gave the iPhone Duo a 7/10 … It might not be the right score forever,” the podcast’s description said, as The Verge weighed whether the review score for Apple’s late entry into foldables was fair. Tech writer John Gruber’s suggestion that the device “should have started as an iPad” featured in the discussion, according to The Verge.
The iPhone Duo, Apple’s first folding phone, starts at $1,999, CNET reported. It pairs a 5.4-inch cover screen with a 7.6-inch inner display, carries a 48-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel cover camera, and uses a matte inner display that makes the crease less visible, CNET said. The outlet called the fold “genuinely practical and intuitive” and highlighted Duo Preview, which lets a second person preview shots, and Smart Take, an AI feature that captures about 20 group photos over two minutes and suggests the best frames. CNET also described the scramble among early buyers to get one of the limited launch units.
Gizmodo compared the iPhone Duo’s dimensions and screens with 2026’s Android foldables — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold — as well as the iPad mini and older folding devices including the original Pixel Fold and Microsoft Surface Duo, finding Apple’s device in the middle of the current field on size. WIRED published a guide to “8 things to know about the Apple iPhone Duo” for prospective buyers, covering its design, cameras and software.
TechRadar reported on which virtual private networks work with the iPhone Duo at launch, noting that some VPN apps have not yet been updated for the device’s new form factor and operating-system features.
The launch follows a limited in-store rollout reported earlier this week, with buyers describing shortages at Apple retail locations. CNET said some would-be buyers may not receive phones until January. The Verge said its score debate reflected disagreement over whether the Duo’s software optimisation for the large inner screen justifies its price, while CNET concluded the Duo is “the most polished foldable” Apple could have delivered on its first attempt.