Hands-on with the Apple iPhone Duo: Sexy work-in-progress (VIDEO)

The iPhone Duo is Apple’s most exciting redesign but comes with the quirks you expect from a first-gen device. — Picture by Erna Mahyuni

By Erna Mahyuni

First Published: Friday, 23 Oct 2026 9:15 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 — As you’re reading this, a crowd of Malaysians are triumphantly taking home iPhone Duos much like hunters after a successful foray into the woods.

If you’re perplexed at the reception of this new device from Apple, you are part of a very large non-exclusive club.

So that you don’t have to spend thousands of ringgit without knowing more than “this is Apple’s latest shiny object” I’ll give you a quick lowdown.

What do you mean another iPhone?

Yes, it is a bit confusing that Apple instead of announcing its iPhone line-up in one shot and having them available on the same date, they’ve flipped the script.

This year only the iPhone 18 Pro line and the iPhone Duo, a foldable, were announced in September while being launched on different dates.

The iPhone Duo becomes officially available worldwide in many countries (including Malaysia) today.

Is it really just two iPhones glued together?

No, Apple announced a proper foldable phone though, yes, the duct-taped iPhones meme is very funny.

There is a proper hinge that folds a single display that folds down the centre, with a very nice matte screen — a custom nano-texture finish that apparently minimises the look of the crease, making it nearly invisible in some contexts.

Interestingly the matte finish is replaceable — once the crease gets too worn, you could actually get it replaced but the finish is not the same as the glass beneath, that’s another component that you should try not to damage.

How’s it feel in the hand?

It’s a new form factor for Apple that has its quirks and could be an acquired taste. — Picture by Erna Mahyuni

I wasn’t prepared for it to feel so small when folded. Some have compared it to a passport but it feels more like a pocket notebook.

Opened up and laid flat it becomes tablet-like, flat and with a near-indiscernible crease, which is fairly remarkable.

You can also prop it up laptop-style to send emails or watch YouTube videos in a more pleasing manner than even the larger iPhone 18 Pro Max’s display manages.

Yet it is slightly heavier than that phone, which you may or may not consider an acceptable trade-off for productivity’s sake.

Do apps really look funny?

Yes, many apps aren’t as yet optimised for the iPhone Duo. Some work better on the front display instead of on the inner, larger display.

The hinge is fairly solid and the crease not distracting, interestingly enough. — Picture by Erna Mahyuni

Contrary to what many other reviewers are saying, this isn’t actually surprising.

I remember when the iPhone X first launched it still took time for developers and the app ecosystem to catch up to the new touch interface.

Yes, I’m that old.

Old enough to remember some apps looking off dimension-wise or being buggy.

It’s growing pains or first-gen device tax, which is why the advice is usually not to buy them as they’re usually the “devices which Apple use to have us figure out what needs to be fixed.”

Would I like my TNG app to display better on the iPhone Duo? Yes.

Does it bother me that it hasn’t been optimised yet? Not really as the device’s burgeoning popularity is going to be incentive enough for many developers to get with the program.

Something I wasn’t expecting was the sound quality of the iPhone Duo speakers. That doesn’t mean I won’t judge you for playing videos on it in public, though.

Should I go get one as soon as they’re easier to get?

It’s only been a day and trying to figure out how to take pictures, browse the Web, carry it around and do things with and on it has been a bit of a learning curve.

This has to be the first iPhone where I was slightly confused about how to turn it on and getting used to TouchID again after years of FaceID is jarring.

The real test is going to be if I can stick with the phone or run back to the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Camera-wise, there’s no denying the Pro models have the better camera and if you use the telephoto function a lot (I sure do) you might find the max 2x telephoto limiting.

There is an undeniable charm to the display and if you also love the functionality of the iPad mini, this might be a nice combo of phone and tablet, though realistically more expensive than buying both devices separately.

Check back in a week or two to see if I still like this phone. In the meantime, you can visit the nearest Apple retailer to open and close the iPhone Duo to your heart’s content (or till the retail crew call the cops).

The iPhone Duo is officially available on sale from October 23, but stocks are currently very limited, starting from RM9,499 for the 256GB version, with your colour options being Star White and Night Sky (basically white and deep blue/almost black).