It's almost iPhone Duo day, folks. Announced in September after years of rumors, Apple's first-ever foldable phone is now available for preorder ahead of its Oct. 23 release (though you probably won't get it that soon).
The iPhone Duo features a passport-style design with a nano-texture inner display, a hidden selfie camera, a blazing-fast A20 Pro chip, and a hinge with a flexible graphite pipe inside — its secret to effective cooling. Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder got to spend a little time with the Duo at Apple Park last month and said it "works amazingly well."
If you have any questions before preordering the iPhone Duo, we're got all the answers.
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How much does the iPhone Duo cost?
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage. A 512GB model goes for $2,199 and a 1TB model costs $2,599.
A maxed-out iPhone Duo with 2TB of storage comes in at an eye-watering $3,199, making it the most expensive iPhone ever made. For comparison's sake, you can get a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip and 2TB of storage for the exact same price.
When do iPhone Duo preorders start?
iPhone Duo preorders began at 8 a.m. ET (that's 5 a.m. PT) on Friday, Oct. 16.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that buyers who purchase a Duo in-person at an Apple Store location will be able to personalize its startup screen with their name.
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Is the iPhone Duo sold out?
The iPhone Duo is already proving difficult to buy. The Apple Store's initial batch of preorders sold out instantly, and the device is now on backorder there until January. Major mobile carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon were showing Duo delivery dates in November to December at the time of writing.
Apple reportedly increased its Duo production by 30 percent in response to anticipated demand, according to China’s Securities Times (via 9to5Mac), but apparently that wasn't enough.
When will the iPhone Duo be released?
The iPhone Duo comes out on Friday, Oct. 23. But if you weren't able to lock in a preorder right away, it could be months until yours arrives. There's always a chance the devices ship faster than the delivery dates displayed on the Apple Store, but there's no guarantee.
What are the best iPhone Duo preorder deals?
As of this writing, the best iPhone Duo preorder deals from carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Xfinity can save you up to $1,200 via monthly bill credits. (Taking full advantage of those savings means you'll only pay $799 for the base Duo when all's said and done. The base iPhone 17 costs $100 more.) Some fine print: All carriers' preorder offers require trading in an older device and/or signing up for a premium wireless plan.
Apple itself will give you up to $885 in trade-in credits toward your new Duo. You can also lease a Duo through Apple's new Klarna-backed Upgrade program.
Apple Store: Get $175 to $885 in instant credits when you trade in an iPhone 13 or newer.
Apple Upgrade program: Lease an iPhone Duo for as low as $57.99 per month for 24 months.
AT&T: Save up to $1,200 with a trade-in worth $230 or more and an AT&T Elite 2.0 or Premium 2.0 plan. Switch to AT&T for a bonus Visa Reward card worth up to $800 to pay off your old contract. Get an extra $200 off by signing up for your new line online.
T-Mobile: Save up to $1,000 with a trade-in and an Experience Beyond plan. Or, if you don't have an older device to trade in, save up to $1,000 with a new line and port on an Experience Beyond plan. Get a Virtual Prepaid Mastercard worth up to $800 when you switch to T-Mobile, trade in a phone, and activate a new line.
Xfinity Mobile: Save up to $1,000 with a qualifying trade-in and new Mobile Plus line.
Verizon (via Apple Store): Save up to $840 with an eligible trade-in in any condition.
What colors does the iPhone Duo come in?
The Duo is available in two colors: star white and night sky (black-ish blue). The best iPhone Duo cases add a little more personality to it.
How much will the iPhone Duo cost to repair?
Apple's estimated iPhone Duo repair costs are steep if you don't have an AppleCare+ protection plan. (They cost $19.99 per month or $199.99 a year.) For instance, fixing the Duo's inner screen without coverage costs $999, but with AppleCare+, it's only $99.
Service costs without AppleCare+
Battery service — $229
Cover layer damage — $49
Back glass damage — $199
Outer display damage — $379
Outer display and back glass damage — $509
Inner display damage — $999
Rear camera damage — $229
Other damage — $1,499
Service costs with AppleCare+
Battery service — $0
Cover layer damage — $19
Back glass damage — $29
Outer display damage — $29
Inner display damage — $99
Other accidental damage — $99
Theft or loss — $149
Does the iPhone Duo have Face ID?
The iPhone Duo does not have Face ID, Apple's facial recognition feature, but it does have a Touch ID sensor built into its side button.
Does the iPhone Duo have MagSafe?
Yes, the Duo supports MagSafe wireless charging.
What are early reviewers saying about the iPhone Duo?
iPhone Duo reviews aren't live just yet — stay tuned — but my colleagues at Mashable and other Ziff Davis sites have some thoughts after briefly trying it.
Mashable's Stan Schroeder wrote that "everything on the iPhone Duo looks and feels as if Apple has been doing foldables for years." He called its opening transition "mesmerizing" and its inner matte display "glorious ... it immediately makes your old iPhone feel very cramped in comparison." He thought it was a little difficult to hold because its polished edges are slippery and advised prospective buyers to get a case for it.
CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti also really liked the "satisfying feel" of the Duo's inner screen, which "really makes the crease virtually disappear when the screen is on," and said its unfolding mechanism had "a silky, premium feel." She said some users might need some time to get used to the placement of the Duo's volume buttons, which sit on top of it when it's in landscape mode. Finally, Al-Heeti deemed its missing Face ID "a bit of a letdown, especially at such a high price."
PCMag's Eric Zeman called the iPhone Duo "the best first-gen foldable I've used" — everything about its hardware, from its hinge to its buttons and keys, feels elite, he said. Zeman didn't speak as highly of its inner display's matte finish, writing that it "saps some of the brilliance from the experience," but decided "the trade-off for usability is well worth it." Performance-wise, "Multitasking feels as simple and as uncomplicated as it could possible be," he said. While he was also disappointed that the Duo doesn't have Face ID, he noted that "Apple's implementation of Touch ID (fingerprint scanner) is the best in the business."
ZDNet's Kerry Wan noticed that the Duo had a "shorter, stubbier" design than similar Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which "makes it both portable and well-suited for watching long-form content." Like Schroeder, he thought its edges were a bit too slippery. He appreciated the position of its camera plateau, which leaves plenty of room for MagSafe accessories, but thought its shooters' picture quality looked "inferior" based on some cursory shots. He was most enthusiastic about the Duo's software "and all the creative use cases iOS 27 enables."