Apple unfolded its new <a href="https://myappsplus.com/iphone-18-pro-vs-pixel-11-pro-how-apple-and-googles-flagships-stack-up/” title=”iPhone 18 Pro vs Pixel 11 Pro: How Apple and Google's flagships stack up”>iPhone this week, and we’re still trying to wrap our heads around it. The folding iPhone Duo, revealed at the tech company’s Surprise and Shine event Wednesday, was far from a surprise — and, in a sense, not all that new, since other phone makers have been folding their phones for years.
Still, the rumors were one thing. Seeing the real deal — which is available for preorder Oct. 16 and in stores Oct. 23 — is something entirely different. And once new CEO John Ternus gave us the first look at the $2,000 passport-style gadget, the tech experts at CNET had plenty to say. Here’s a glimpse at what we’re thinking. Like the apps on a folding phone, we aren’t always on the same page.
Will Apple, and its developers, make foldables less boring?
What makes a folding phone interesting? It has to be more than a phone that folds. That’s what CNET Editor-at-Large Andrew Lanxon wants to see from Apple — and the people who make apps for this new thing.
Apple arrives precisely when it means to
Sure, Apple is several years behind other phone-makers in crafting a foldable. But that just means it has waited out the growing pains, says CNET Principal Writer Katie Collins.
Maybe buy the iPhone Duo, but not this iPhone Duo
Having doubts about the crease? Maybe wait to see how the first batches of folding iPhones hold up before spending $2,000 on an experiment, CNET Reporter Katelyn Chedraoui says.
Is this an iPad Mini killer?
Sometimes you want a phone for phone tasks and something a little bigger for slightly-larger-than-phone tasks. CNET Senior Consumer Insights Editor Dashia Milden wonders if the iPhone Duo can do the job of both — and if that spells doom for the company’s smallest tablet.
A familiar touch… ID
For some reason, having my phone scan my face creeps me out more than having it scan my fingerprint. The iPhone Duo’s inclusion of Touch ID, which hasn’t been on an iPhone for four years, was one of CNET Senior Editor Lori Grunin’s favorite things about the event.
Sure, you can stand it up, but this isn’t a smart display
We saw a lot of examples from Apple of people propping the iPhone Duo up like a tent and using it as a home display. But that’s no replacement for an actual smart home display, says CNET Senior Editor Tyler Lacoma.
Is the crease still a thing?
The dreaded crease. It’s the most annoying thing about folding phones. But did Apple engineer it into nonexistence? CNET Director of Content Patrick Holland could see it… barely.
Finally, an iPhone with a stylus
Apple has its own branded stylus, the Apple Pencil, but the company has long resisted letting you use that on the iPhone. The iPhone Duo puts an end to that, writes CNET Senior Editor Matt Elliott. Is the rest of the lineup next?
How does it compare?
What about those other folding phones? We’ve drawn up the key comparisons between the iPhone Duo and rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold, although it’ll take some hands-on time with all these devices to see what really stands out.
