iPhone Duo Costs $1,999 With Touch ID

Apple sold its first folding smartphone today.

The device is named the iPhone Duo and costs $1,999. This marks the company's entry into a market Samsung started seven years ago with the Galaxy Fold. Wired described the hardware as a "pretty dang good foldable" after testing the device.

The phone features a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.6-inner display. This new shape creates software challenges. Many third-party apps appear as a narrow strip in the center of the screen with thick black bars on the sides. Slack, Instagram, DoorDash, and WhatsApp have received updates for iOS 27.1. However, some of these apps still show broken interface elements. Apple moved navigation buttons to the right rail instead of the bottom center. The device is currently back-ordered for several weeks.

The Duo drops Face ID for the first time on a flagship iPhone. A Touch ID sensor sits on the right side of the device. Wired suggests the phone's thinness necessitated this change. The Dynamic Island remains, now located at the top-right edge around the outer selfie camera. It appears in the same corner on the inner display during live activities.

Accessories require adjustment. The phone supports MagSafe, but it tips to one side when unfolded on a car dock or tripod due to uneven weight. Third-party makers may need to add anti-rotation magnets. Magnetic wallets extend past the bottom edge of the shorter device, and Apple offers no official fix for this issue.

The camera system offers new options. Users can take selfies using the superior rear cameras while previewing the image on the outer screen. A "Slide to show camera" control moves the full camera app to the outer display. This feature disables the inner screen to prevent accidental touches. Other tools include "Duo Preview" for the subject to see the viewfinder and "Kids Cue," which plays Snoopy animations to attract a child's attention.

Multitasking allows users to drag an app to either side of the inner screen to run two apps side by side. Tapping the middle bar locks the pair, making them accessible from the Recent apps menu. The pair cannot be saved as a single icon. The inner display uses a matte nano-texture finish that Apple calls an "integral" component. The company warns users not to remove it, as doing so could void the warranty. A damaged finish costs $19 to replace in warranty or $49 out of warranty. A cracked inner display costs $999 without AppleCare+.

Future updates will add more features. A software update later this year will introduce Reachability, which shifts apps to the side rather than down. Another update will add support for the USB-C Apple Pencil. This stylus is not stored on the phone. The current keyboard can be split to aid typing on the wide inner display.