This year’s iPhone launch was very different from previous years. That’s not only because Apple introduced its first folding model, but also because it didn’t announce a standard model alongside the iPhone Duo and the new iPhone 18 Pro models. The poor little iPhone 18, successor to the superb iPhone 17, was nowhere to be seen.
If you had been following the rumours, that wouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. But if you were patiently waiting for September to upgrade your regular iPhone, you’d be forgiven for being a little disappointed that your current options are the iPhone 18 Pro, starting at $1,199/£1,199, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, starting at $1,299/£1,299, or, if you’re happy to wait until October and spend $2,000/£2,000, the iPhone Duo.
Now, you’re not really supposed to have favourites, but having seen all three of those new iPhones and their colours, there is a clear winner for me. That’s not to say it’s the one you should buy, though.
The iPhone Duo is more exciting
The iPhone 18 Pro models were always going to take a backseat to the first folding iPhone. That’s especially true when you consider they haven’t made any major changes on the surface compared with the iPhone 17 Pro models. They look very similar, with new camera tricks like variable aperture, battery enhancements and thermal improvements doing the legwork to justify their existence.
Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo offers something completely different for iOS users. We’ve had folding Android phones for years, but we haven’t had a folding iPhone. If you overlook its high price, it introduces an exciting new format: a passport-sized design with a 5.4-inch front display that unfolds to reveal a 7.6-inch display inside. That inner display has a matte finish like the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, which cuts reflections, reduces visible fingerprints and helps ensure the fold line is barely noticeable – something that can’t be said for some previous Android foldables.
The build quality is exceptional (and IP68 rated unlike most foldables), and the matte glass finish on the rear makes it lovely to hold too – similar to the iPhone Air. It’s pocketable, very slim when open at 5.2mm, and snaps shut with reassuring confidence ( I can’t wait to hang up on someone using it). It also squishes in the Camera Control button if that’s something you enjoy using, has a Dynamic Island on both the external and internal displays, and has four cameras – two on the back, one on the front, and one hidden beneath the display on the inside.
The software experience is what makes the iPhone Duo special, though. It has brilliant fluidity when switching between the external and internal displays (and back again), and there are some clever software tricks, from the keyboard adapting to various folded states to playback controls and software-induced reflections when watching content on Netflix. Then there’s the Kids Cue feature that puts Snoopy on the front screen to try to get your child to smile when you’re taking a picture of them. If everything else wasn’t enough to win you over, Snoopy might well convince you to spend $2,000/£2,000.
But the iPhone 18 Pro is probably the one you should buy
The iPhone Duo isn’t without its compromises, though. While it is the model I’m most excited about this year, it’s probably not the one you should buy unless you really want a folding phone. You miss out on Face ID, there is no action button (something I will very much miss), and you only get two rear cameras instead of the iPhone Pro’s three-sensor setup.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro models will likely offer the best battery life and camera experience in Apple’s latest portfolio, with various improvements over the iPhone 17 Pro models. The smaller iPhone 18 Pro is almost half the price of the iPhone Duo, too, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max is still considerably cheaper despite costing over $1,000/£1,000.
The two-tone design has been toned (excuse the pun) down a bit this year too, with the back panel better colour-matched to the aluminium frame than last year. The colours are a little more muted, with none of them the Cosmic Orange of the iPhone 17 Pro, but Burgundy and Glacier are both lovely in the flesh.
They run on the same A20 Pro processor as the iPhone Duo, so you’ll still get the speed and performance expected on the folding phone, but in a format that’s tried and tested and one you probably won’t get bored of in a few months. I love the iPhone Duo – I think the passport design is great, the software is a delight and the build quality is lovely, but if you’re looking for this year’s best iPhone, I suspect it will be the iPhone 18 Pro models that will still come out on top, even if they are a little less exciting compared to the foldable.
Read more: I’m not a folding phone fan, but after using Apple iPhone Duo I think it might change my mind
Read the full article here
