The iPhone Duo is actually two phones in one, but not even that might be enough

Apple did a big no-no the other day when it unveiled its first-ever foldable iPhone, called the iPhone Duo. That moniker is still grinding my gears.

Like I said immediately after it premiered, the "Duo" part got me thinking of boring household items like… canned air fresheners. I even made a Dua Lipa joke about it (because the Duolingo jokes are already overblown).

If it was up to me, I'd bless Apple's foldable phone with something a bit more practical. Like the iFold. This way, Apple would automatically have a name for its upcoming clamshell and it would be iFlip (move away, Shakespeare). Not that Apple is planning to release a clamshell soon, but it's better to be prepared.

But I see why Apple chose to go with Duo. As I'm sure you vividly remember from your Latin classes, Duo literally means "two".

And the iPhone Duo is really (marketed as) two phones in one. But even that might not be enough to secure its position as a smash hit in at least one major market. As they say in China, Ni Hao!

The US vs China (in phone terms, relax!)

In the US, the new iPhone Duo has a license to roam uninterrupted. Sure, there's the Galaxy Z Fold 8—Samsung really did strike gold with this one and since its July inception, it's been selling like $1 water at a rave party. In fact, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is outselling Samsung's record-breaking Fold 7 by a wide margin.

But back in the good ol' US of A, people love their iOS devices and Samsung will always be number two in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans. And now, there is an actual iOS foldable. Game, set, match.

One ocean away, things start to look very different. China is not only the world's largest phone market, but it's also an incredibly important one for Apple specifically. Because reasons, people in the People's Republic of China love Apple and the iPhone.

But Apple's foldable is seven years late to the party: the world has been enjoying bending handsets since 2019. Cupertino has endless budgets and some heavyweight-class engineers and thinkers; but rarely a first-generation device comes without hiccups.

We're all hyped about the iPhone Duo based on what we saw the other day at the "Surprise and Shine" September 9 event, but let's wait for our in-depth PhoneArena reviews. Let's wait for those Reddit complaints, sounding like a long insane wail from a wounded mammal; if some group of unlucky users discover a nasty bug with the phone, we'll hear about it in late October or mid-November at the latest.

I guess there'll be plenty of pre-orders in China (it's the biggest market, what do you expect?), but I'm sure that buyers won't be willing to make too many compromises.

They've got some A (as in "amazing") foldables over there

When it comes to bending handsets, Huawei is king in China. The company dominates its home country with a 79% market share for foldables. Then, there are brands like Oppo, Vivo, Honor and Xiaomi: only Xiaomi has officially launched a wider-than-taller foldable (that's the aspect ratio of both the iPhone Duo and the Galaxy Z Fold 8).

I'm sure the rest of the gang will catch up in no time. Huawei has its Pura X Max, which not only was unveiled before Samsung and Apple presented their wide foldables, but it manages to pack a 50 MP telephoto camera on its back, too.

Less than four days ago, we also got the Xiaomi 18 Fold. Yes, you guessed it: the same wider-than-taller form factor, but it's got a huge 6,000 mAh battery cell, a 200 MP main camera and a 50 MP periscope telephoto one. Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo has a 48 MP main snapper and a 48 MP ultra-wide one. No dedicated telephoto.

To put it simply, people in China have been spoiled by Huawei, Xiaomi and the rest of the gang with excellent foldable hardware for years. I know that Apple is a cult over there too, but the price will be a factor.

The iPhone Duo is ~46% more expensive than both the Huawei Pura X Max and the Xiaomi 18 Fold, which makes the domestic competitors look good.

The two-in-one mantra

The following applies to all current-day foldables: when you buy one, you actually get to use two phones. One when it's folded (you get to use the outer screen just like with any other slab phone) and one more when you unfold it (that inner screen is a game-changer).

This, however, isn't fully reflected and suggested by the accurate and simple "Fold" moniker, like on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold or the Galaxy Z Fold 8. A "Fold" means that your phone (singular) folds and gets more compact. A "Duo" implies that you're getting your phone in the plural, as in: two phones.

Again: what the iPhone Duo can do, your numerous other Android foldables can, too: it's a matter of wording and marketing and I'm sure Apple will (once again) milk the cow to the last drop with this one.

You can have your Instagram open on the right side and your internet browser on the right. You can type an email message on one panel and have your AI agent (for research purposes) on the other. And so on.

Not that I recommend doing it, we're already bombarded with too much information and content (thank you, content creators) as it is.

iPad and iPhone in one?

When unfolded, the iPhone Duo reveals its large, almost iPad mini-like display. Perfect for showing off your cool summer photos to your friends, instead of relying on your small non-folding smartphone. The difference is striking since the new iPhone Duo has over 80% bigger screen area than the iPhone 18 Pro.

So, yeah, calling it a Duo might not make me too happy, but it makes sense from Apple's perspective.

On the bright side… hey, at least it's not called the iPhone Ultra. That would be hilarious.

The iPhone Duo lacks a dedicated telephoto camera and no phone that lacks such a snapper deserves the Ultra title. Moreover, calling your first-gen device Ultra is a bit too much even for a flamboyant, attention-dependent and self-obsessed company like Apple.

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