DUBAI, United Arab Emirates / RankWire.AI / – Apple’s iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable smartphone, pairs a wide “passport” design with notable trade-offs, from the loss of Face ID to the absence of a telephoto camera. The device went on sale on October 23 in more than 70 countries, starting at $1,999 for 256GB. In the UAE, the entry model costs Dh8,499. Demand has outpaced early supply, pushing resale prices well above retail in markets such as Dubai.
The Duo uses a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display, and both screens share the same aspect ratio. Its wider, shorter shape mirrors a closed passport rather than the tall, narrow outer screens common on rival book-style foldables. That makes the outer display practical for everyday tasks such as messaging and Apple Pay. The phone measures 5.2 mm unfolded and 11.3 mm folded, and at 254 grams it is the heaviest iPhone yet.
Apple has tackled the crease, a long-standing weak point of foldable phones, with a nano-texture cover layer on the inner display. The finish reduces glare and makes the fold less visible, while both screens reach 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. The titanium hinge uses more than 100 components, with carbon fiber support plates beneath it. The frame is made of grade 5 titanium, and the hinge cover is 3D-printed.
Touch ID returns in place of Face ID
The biggest change for iPhone users is biometrics. The Duo drops Face ID and the TrueDepth camera system, using a Touch ID sensor in the side button instead. The inner display hides a 1080p FaceTime camera beneath the screen, giving an uninterrupted canvas for video and documents. The outer display keeps a 12-megapixel hole-punch camera with Center Stage. Apple outlined these design choices when it unveiled the Duo on September 9.
Inside is the A20 Pro chip, built on a 2-nanometer process with a 6-core CPU, a 7-core GPU and dual 16-core Neural Engines. A custom vapor chamber manages heat, and Apple says the phone delivers up to 35% better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro. The same chip family also powers the iPhone 18 Pro. On the software side, iOS 27 lets users run two apps side by side in Split View on the inner screen.
Strong demand meets tight supply
Battery life reaches up to 24 hours of typical use when switching between displays, and up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner screen. A 60W adapter charges the phone to 50% in about 20 minutes. The Duo is eSIM-only and carries two 48-megapixel rear cameras, a main lens and an ultra wide, but no telephoto. Support for the USB-C Apple Pencil is due before the end of 2026.
Apple’s delivery estimates stretched into January 2027 soon after preorders opened on October 16. In Dubai, some resellers have asked as much as Dh25,000 for scarce units, according to Khaleej Times. Some early owners have also reported cracks on the inner display, and Apple has responded to the reports. The Duo’s practical shape and less visible crease remain its main strengths, while the missing Face ID and telephoto lens are its biggest compromises.