THE CRUNCH

Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, matches its Android rivals on hardware but is let down by iOS, according to a reviewer who has tested almost every foldable released this year, from Samsung and Google to Honor and Oppo. The verdict: Android is currently slicker for folding phones, though the reviewer notes they don't know how long that will last.

The hardware largely earns its $2,000 price. The curved frame, Ceramic Shield back and a hinge that closes with a satisfying magnetic click make it feel better built than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or Xiaomi 18 Fold, though that polish comes with a cost: the Duo weighs more than all of its rivals, even ones with larger screens, and one-handed use makes that obvious quickly.

The squat shape is shorter and wider than the Z Fold 8, though almost identical in dimensions to Xiaomi's 18 Fold. The bigger problem is the cover screen. Apps that feel comfortable on Samsung's and Xiaomi's short foldables are often cramped on the Duo, squeezed by a right-hand rail that most apps don't use anyway. The reviewer, who initially thought The Verge's own review had got this complaint wrong, concluded after a week and a half that the criticism was fair.

The inner screen is the Duo's smartest trick. Its matte "nano-texture" finish, which no rival offers, helps hide a crease that sits mid-pack: subtler than Google's and Honor's, more obvious than Samsung's, with Oppo's near-invisible crease still the best. The under-display camera is more of an annoyance, sitting in a pixelated patch that lacks the matte coating. The Duo's IP68 water resistance is matched only by Google and Honor among this year's foldables.

One caution: the reviewer has seen non-impact screen failures on the Duo that are almost unheard of in modern Android foldables, though it isn't clear how widespread they are. It's a reminder that the Duo is a first-generation product, launched in September 2026 as the first marquee device under new Apple CEO John Ternus, while some Android rivals are into their eighth iteration. Stylus support via USB-C Apple Pencil is a plus, though not unique, as Honor and Oppo's latest foldables also work with styli.