Apple’s first foldable iPhone comes with a few surprises.
Apple’s iPhone Duo is priced from Rs. 2,99,900 in India
Photo Credit: Apple
Apple has finally announced its first foldable, and it's called the iPhone Duo. The device will be up for pre-order in India starting October 16 and will go on sale on October 23. It starts at Rs. 2,99,900 for the base 256GB variant and will be available in two colours: Star White and Night Sky. The iPhone Duo is packed to the brim, bringing new features to Apple's iPhone segment. If you are looking to buy one, here's a short list of features to consider before you take the leap.
IP68-Rated Design With Apple Pencil Support - Apple's iPhone Duo uses Grade-5 titanium for its frame, Ceramic Shield 2 glass for its display and Ceramic Shield glass for its rear panel. Apple claims the hinge is engineered with more than 100 components to deliver a smooth opening and closing experience. To make the foldable more durable to the elements, Apple has also managed an IP68 rating. This rating makes the iPhone Duo resistant to water splashes, immersion, and dust. Apple claims that it has tested the phone in laboratory conditions to a maximum depth of 6 metres for up to 30 minutes. Apple Pencil (with USB-C) support will also be available for the iPhone Duo, but will be coming later this year.
Only offers Touch ID - Apple's first foldable will not offer Face ID, but will only offer Touch ID. This also makes it Apple's first premium device without a LiDAR or Structured Light 3D sensor for authentication or imaging. Apple is using a traditional Touch ID system instead, which is currently used on some of its standard iPad, iPad Mini, and iPad Air models. The Touch ID system is integrated into the side button, which also doubles up as the power button.
Supports eSIMs and iPhone Handoff - Apple claims it chose an eSIM design to save internal space and make room for a higher battery capacity. The iPhone Duo can support up to 8 eSIMs but offers dual standby for 2 eSIM cards, which is similar to Apple's iPhone Air smartphone. Apple promises support for over 500 carriers globally, including networks like Airtel, Jio, and Vi in India. It also supports a recently revealed iOS 27 feature called iPhone Handoff. It will let users use two iPhones with the same number, depending on which iPhone is unlocked.
iOS 27 With a Twist - Apple's iPhone Duo also has a slightly different iOS 27 user experience. You can run two apps side by side in split screen mode just like on an iPad, but there is no support for windowed apps available on Android foldables. While apps will appear and function like regular iPhone apps, developers will move the bottom menu bar to the side to make more room for content on the wide, book-style display.
A Hidden Selfie/FaceTime Camera - Unlike the regular Pro models, the iPhone Duo only has two rear-facing cameras, lacking a telephoto sensor. The cover display has a 12-megapixel camera for selfies when the device is folded. When opened, a hidden selfie camera is normally invisible and sits in the second half of the main folding display. It appears as a black Dynamic Island when needed and quickly disappears when the camera isn't in use.
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