Apple unveils the iPhone Duo, its first foldable, with iOS 27 split-screen features

Apple finally ships a foldable

At its "Surprise and Shine" event in Cupertino on September 9, Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, the company's first folding phone. According to TechCrunch, it is also the first flagship hardware launch since John Ternus took over as CEO. The Verge notes that the device arrives more than seven years after Samsung's original Galaxy Fold reached buyers.

When closed, the Duo is about the size of a passport and exposes a 5.4-inch cover screen. Opened, it offers a 7.6-inch display, the biggest screen Apple has put in an iPhone. The Verge reports that the inner panel is 50 percent larger than the display on the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 80 percent bigger than the iPhone Pro's. The phone uses a primarily titanium frame, Ceramic Shield glass on the back and Ceramic Shield 2 on the front, carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and comes in two colors: star white and a dark blue called night sky.

Two design decisions stand out. TechCrunch reports that the Duo ships with Touch ID but no Face ID, though an Apple Watch can be used to unlock it. And rather than the tall, narrow shape of early foldables, Apple went with a wider book-style format, which TechCrunch suggests could provide a better aspect ratio for watching video with the device unfolded. Apple pitched the phone as "inspired by the versatility of iPad" and also showed it being used open in a vertical orientation.

iOS 27 bends to match

Software is where the Duo's arrival will be felt most broadly. TechCrunch reports that iOS 27 has been adapted for the new hardware: essential settings such as Wi-Fi move to the side of the interface, and the home-screen dock is oriented vertically. Apps can run side by side in split screen and be paired with one another, and a video can be pinned to the top half of the display while other apps occupy the bottom. The phone can also be used half-folded or propped on a table.

A niche market Apple may widen

Foldables have never broken out of a small niche. The Verge cites figures putting the category at 1.6 percent of all smartphone sales in 2025, while Counterpoint data cited by TechCrunch puts foldables at under 2 percent of shipments. Counterpoint nonetheless expects the Duo to make an immediate dent, projecting that it could capture up to 25 percent market share by the end of the year.

Rivals got there first: Samsung, Google, Huawei, Oppo and Honor have all shipped folding phones, and The Verge notes that Huawei, Samsung and Xiaomi each released devices in a similar passport-sized shape this year, which it reads as evidence of how strongly the industry still orbits Apple's expected moves.

Why it matters

The Duo is more than another gadget announcement. For iOS developers, a 7.6-inch canvas combined with split-screen modes, app pairing and half-folded tabletop usage means interfaces designed around a single tall screen will need rethinking, and the relocated controls and vertical dock in iOS 27 show that even system-level interface conventions are in flux. For the broader market, Apple's entry could turn a form factor that has hovered near 2 percent of sales into a mainstream segment, with Counterpoint suggesting demand could concentrate around a single device within months. And as the first marquee launch of the Ternus era, the Duo offers an early signal of where Apple's hardware priorities now point.