Multiple iPhone Duo reviews covered the device's thermal properties, and reviewer opinions varied. Some found that it was just warm, while others thought it was running too hot at times.
Joanna Stern said the back of the device got warm when using FaceTime and taking photos. She had to end a FaceTime call during testing because it got too hot. "Yeah, I'm gonna burn my hand off," she said. "This thing is getting really warm."
Apple told her the warmth was a sign of the iPhone Duo's thermal design moving heat away from the chip to keep performance up. "But to me, it just feels like the phone is really warm," she said.
The iPhone Duo has the same custom vapor chamber setup and A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro, but the vapor chamber is thinner. Apple added a flexible graphite pipe in the hinge to transfer heat between the two halves, giving more surface area for heat dissipation.
The Verge said the iPhone Duo heats up when using the camera for a long time, especially if both displays are on for features like Duo Preview. "You can just feel the phone getting significantly hotter when this happens," reads the review. "The phone gets hot enough to start noticeably lagging after a while." The site also said it gets hot when running third-party apps, particularly video apps and apps from Google.
PetaPixel's review unit got warm when gaming, photo editing, or doing anything that stressed the processor, with the heat felt on the right side of the unfolded device.
Mrwhosetheboss did a 20-minute stress test with the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro Max. He found the iPhone Duo trapped heat inside when it was closed, and iPhone Duo performance was below the iPhone 18 Pro Max. When open, the iPhone Duo has a large high-resolution display that also affects performance. Mrwhosetheboss focused more on performance than heat, and said the difference between the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro Max isn't "massively" noticeable in day-to-day use.
HTX Studio did a 30-minute gaming test with the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro models. The iPhone Duo was 46.5°C, while the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max were at 43.8°C and 43.2°C, respectively. The iPhone Duo had a 20 percent lower frame rate than the iPhone 18 Pro models and it couldn't maintain 300 nits brightness, dropping to 185 nits.
9to5Mac said the iPhone Duo "runs a bit hotter than the iPhone 18 Pro, but not in a way that impacts performance." Tom's Guide did a benchmark heat test and found that the iPhone Duo was able to spread heat evenly across the body of the device, but it was a few degrees hotter than the Galaxy Z Fold8 the site compared it to. The iPhone Duo scored 75.9 percent stability score on the 3DMark stress test, compared to 79 percent for the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 72 percent for the Z Fold8.
Gizmodo didn't find heat to be a problem, saying the vapor chamber "does a solid job cooling it down to prevent lag or slowdown" when apps use "all the CPU and GPU cores."
The iPhone Duo launches this Friday, so we don't have long to wait to see if heat is going to be a problem for the everyday user.
Apple Music has a new black-and-white logo and app icon, with Apple doing away with the red color scheme that it previously used for the streaming music service.
In a YouTube video released earlier today, Apple showed how the new Apple Music visuals were "made by sound." The video showed off the new Apple Music logo with colorful animations, despite the new Apple Music app icon in the iOS 27.2 beta having a more basic black-and-white design. It is unclear if a splash of color will be added later.
Apple Music's new app icon on the iOS 27.2 beta on the left, old icon on the right
Apple Music has also received a distinct font with a modern, impactful aesthetic.
The rebrand will roll out with Apple's next software releases, including iOS 27.2 and macOS 27.2. The updates are expected to be released next week.
Claude Duet connects to your apps and suggests things that need your attention. It completes tasks and can work in the cloud without local access to a computer. As with Muse and Dots, Duet has a virtual machine with its own browser to complete tasks.
Anthropic says it built Duet for professionals and small business owners with too much to track, as those are the people most likely to find it helpful.
Duet is built around Opus 5.5. It sends a short brief each morning on important items from connected apps, then checks apps every few hours and sends an alert when something needs attention. It can complete simple administrative tasks or more complex tasks like building web apps. While the agent works on its own, it will get user approval before it takes actions like sending a message, making a payment, signing a document, or deleting a file.
It incorporates memory, skills, and connected apps from a Claude account, so there isn't much setup involved. Interactions happen in one ongoing thread instead of across different conversations.
Claude Duet does not see passwords or logins when given access to accounts, and it has a dedicated classifier and safety system prompt that checks each message and guards against sensitive information leaks.
Claude Duet is a standalone product that's available in a research preview right now with access granted via waitlist. It's limited to Pro and Max subscribers in the United States, and can be used via the web or a standalone Duet iOS app. Duet uses your existing Claude plan limits, and its background checks will count toward them.
Apple hasn't shared iPhone Duo hinge tests or given a lifetime fold number like Samsung, but Joanna Stern used a custom device to subject her review unit to more than 32,000 folds over four nights.
Over the course of the testing, Stern said she thought it might be feeling looser as the number of folds increased, but her final conclusion was that she couldn't feel much of a change. A calibrated push-pull gauge used to take readings before and after the Duo fold test showed the hinge was actually stiffer than before.
But in everyday use, I really couldn't feel a difference. So, after 32,000 folds, it felt pretty much the same as day one, which is pretty darn impressive.
Stern didn't comment on whether the fold test caused the crease to be more visible, which can happen over time with other foldable devices. Her testing was done with a case on, and while the machine opened the Duo flat, it didn't close it all the way each time.
Samsung's foldable displays undergo official testing, and in 2025, the display used for the Galaxy Z Fold7 passed a 500,000-fold durability test. Samsung Display says that translates to over 10 years for average users folding their device about 100 times a day, or over six years for users who fold it more than 200 times daily.
Until Apple shares information on display and hinge durability, Stern's test is all we have to go on. It's unlikely to be the last unofficial folding stress test that we see over the next few weeks.
The full details on Stern's machine, including how it was built, can be found in her YouTube video, and she has more information in her review writeup.
The iPhone Duo's inner screen has an under-display front camera that's largely hidden from view. It's the first time we've seen an under-display camera on an iPhone, and it turns out there's a reason Apple hasn't used the technology before.
Apple said the camera offers 1080p video recording, but didn't mention photo quality. Gizmodo said it's a 4-megapixel camera and described the photos as "low-res, washed out, and just not sharp at all." It's not good for selfies, and even video calls "look muddy."
Marques Brownlee said the camera is "very first gen" and that the photo quality is "trash." Samsung previously used under-display cameras but dropped them because of poor image quality. Brownlee speculates whether Apple will make the same decision in the future.
Reviewers say the camera is better at video than photos, and it does disappear into the background when you're using the phone, which is a plus.
The iPhone Duo has an alternative 12-megapixel front-facing camera on the outer display, which is much better for selfies, plus with the dual displays, you can use the rear cameras to take selfies. PetaPixel says that if you unfold the Duo and point it at yourself, there's an option to move the camera controls to the outer screen. With that setup, you can use the outer display as a viewfinder for the rear camera to take a selfie.
As noted by Miles Franklin, the iPhone Duo's inner display supports Edge Light, an optional setting that debuted on Apple silicon Macs last year. On video calls in apps like FaceTime, Edge Light illuminates the borders of the screen to evenly illuminate your face in low-light conditions. The feature is essentially a virtual ring light.
Apple today updated its Apple Support app to add support for the iPhone Duo and iOS 27.1 (which the Duo ships with). Apple Support will now display properly on the iPhone Duo's wider screen, and it can be used alongside other apps in Split View.
iPhone Duo reviews went live today, and poorly sized apps are a recurring complaint among reviewers. Apps that aren't updated for iPhone Duo are letterboxed, with thick black bars on each side.
Apple will continue adapting its apps for the device, and we should see plenty of third-party iPhone Duo app updates in the coming weeks. Any major change to screen size results in early hiccups, but a few months from now, iPhone Duo app compatibility will be largely fixed.
Apple Support is Apple's dedicated app for troubleshooting device issues and looking up support documents. It is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Today we're tracking a pair of major discounts on Apple's newest MacBook Pro models, including up to $900 off two 16-inch models of the computer.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The entry-level 18-Core 16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB RAM and a 1TB SSD has hit $2,429.00 on Amazon, down from $2,999.00. This one is only available in Space Black, and it's a new record low price on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, coming in $70 cheaper than the deal we tracked earlier in October during Prime Day.
You can also get the M5 Max model with 36GB RAM and a 2TB SSD for $3,499.00, down from $4,399.00. This is a massive $900 markdown on the 2026 16-inch MacBook Pro, and the best price we've ever seen on this model. On Amazon, it's only available in Space Black, but you can find a matching deal at Best Buy in both color options.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? You can sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Some upright MagSafe charger designs won't work well with the iPhone Duo when it's unfolded. As demonstrated by Mrwhosetheboss, the uneven weight of the iPhone Duo can cause it to tilt on a charger when it's open.
The MagSafe ring on the back of the iPhone Duo is only on one half, and some chargers don't have strong enough magnets to hold up the Duo with the extra weight on one side. iPhones do have an extra anti-rotation magnet at the bottom of the magnetic charging ring, but some chargers aren't designed to use it.
does this count as auto rotate https://t.co/cNCz73ud1P
— Arun Maini (@Mrwhosetheboss) October 21, 2026
On Reddit, some users pointed out that The Verge's Nilay Patel demonstrated the iPhone Duo charging horizontally on a MagSafe charger with no issue, so it may not be a universal problem.
Charging with the iPhone Duo open and in portrait orientation likely works, but it looks like the safest way to use upright MagSafe stands is with the iPhone Duo closed. A flat charger won't have the same rotation issue.
Companies will likely make wider stands with some kind of ledge to hold the Duo upright when unfolded, but if you plan to use the Duo on a desk, be aware that there will be positioning limitations with some MagSafe chargers.
In a YouTube video shared today, Apple said the new Apple Music visuals were "made by sound." More specifically, Apple said it played a sound through a container of water, resulting in the liquid moving at the frequency of the notes. Apple Music brand elements were placed behind the vibrating water, resulting in a new liquid-inspired look.
Apple Music's new brand identity pairs well with the Liquid Glass interface introduced last year across updates like iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe.
Apple Music visuals now have a black-and-white color scheme instead of red. The rebrand will fully roll out with Apple's next software releases, including iOS 27.2, macOS 27.2, and so forth. The updates are expected to be released next week.
Apple partnered with British record producer Fred Again and NEST Acoustics on this project.
As noted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, the iPhone Duo is gaining Apple Pencil support with iOS 27.2, which is expected to be released to the public next week. You can use the USB-C version of the Apple Pencil to draw, annotate, and scroll within supported apps on the iPhone Duo's inner and outer displays.
In a post on X, Weinbach confirmed that Apple Pencil support was enabled on his iPhone Duo once he installed the iOS 27.2 Release Candidate version.
iPhone Duo will start arriving to pre-order customers this Friday, and in anticipation of the launch we've gathered all of the best cases and screen protectors you can get for your new iPhone Duo. This includes accessories from popular brands like OtterBox, Speck, ZAGG/Mophie, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Most of these retailers aren't offering discounts on iPhone Duo cases yet, but at ZAGG you can get 20 percent off your order when you purchase any two items, including iPhone Duo accessories. This is a perfect opportunity to get a case and screen protector for the smartphone at a discounted rate.
Amazon has some notable TechWoven dupe cases on sale, available for $29.69, which is $50 cheaper than any of Apple's official iPhone Duo cases. Otherwise, you'll find the full list of retailers offering accessories for the iPhone Duo below.
Shoppers should note that some of these devices are up for pre-order right now and will launch in November or later, but many are shipping cases for the Duo right now.
Amazon - iPhone Duo cases from Spigen, Speck, ZAGG, and more
AT&T - Discounts on iPhone Duo cases and screen protectors from Speck, Spigen, and more
Best Buy - iPhone Duo cases from Dbrand, OtterBox, Spigen, Kate Spade, and more
Burton Goods - Save on leather cases for iPhone Duo
ESR - iPhone Duo Silicone Leather case with Flex Stand
Target - iPhone Duo cases from ZAGG, Case-Mate, and Kate Spade
ZAGG - Save 20% when you buy 2 items from ZAGG, including iPhone Duo cases and screen protectors
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? You can sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
In a statement shared with MacRumors today, an Apple spokesperson said there will be "limited" availability of the iPhone Duo for walk-in customers at Apple Stores in select countries when the device launches this Friday, October 23.
Apple's full statement:
On Friday morning, our teams look forward to welcoming customers at Apple Stores to experience iPhone Duo and the incredible iPhone line-up for themselves. Apple Stores will have limited iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers, and we're working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers' hands as quickly as possible.
Apple said there will be limited iPhone Duo availability for walk-in customers on Friday in the U.S., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, and the U.K. Apple said there will also be walk-in supply at certain Apple Stores in Italy, but it did not say which ones.
In Macao, Apple said the iPhone Duo will be available for walk-in customers only on launch day, and there will be limited inventory.
Apple said the iPhone Duo will not be available for walk-in purchase on launch day in France, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. In these countries, customers will need to place a reservation for Apple Store pickup at a specific time slot via Apple's online store.
Apple restricts walk-in availability in some countries at launch due in part to manage crowd sizes and as an anti-scalping measure.
Apple's online store currently advises customers to check back on Saturday, October 24 in regards to Apple Store pickup reservations, so it is unclear if it will be possible to place a reservation on Friday, October 23 launch day.
The first reviews of the iPhone Duo were published today, providing us with a closer look at the foldable device in action ahead of its launch on Friday.
It is expensive, it's full of compromises, and it can be incredibly frustrating to use. Switching from the Duo back to one of our standard slab phones to get something done often felt like a relief. Sometimes you just need your iPhone to do what you need it to do — that's why Apple has been so risk-averse in changing it.
But all of the risk and weirdness of the Duo is also fun, in the way the best early adopter devices are fun. It's incomplete as a product, but complete enough as an idea that you can see where things are going. It's reminiscent of the very first MacBook Air, which took exactly no one by storm — it took a full redesign for Apple to get it right, and then it took over the entire industry.
Coming from the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max that I reviewed last month, I experienced no material slowdown in overall performance on the iPhone Duo. The foldable shares the same A20 Pro chip with the same 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engine. This is not an iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 Pros situation where the Air has one less GPU core and throttles under sustained performance because it's too thin, overheats, and doesn't have a vapor chamber to cool it. While not as large as the one in the iPhone 18 Pros, the iPhone Duo's vapor chamber, which Apple says helps provide up to 35% higher sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro, does a solid job cooling it down to prevent lag or slowdown when apps really activate all the CPU and GPU cores.
This responsiveness is backed by the single-core and multi-core scores on Geekbench 7, the standard benchmarking app for measuring a device's CPU and GPU's power. The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro scored nearly identical scores (averaged out over three tests): 4,002 on single-core and 10,728 on multi-core. Similarly, the GPU test also returned nearly the same score: 60,608. I ran the same CPU and GPU tests on the iPhone Duo's closest Android competitor, the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The CPU in its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip only mustered 3,112 on single-core. It fared nearly equal on multi-core with a 10,438 score. For the GPU, the Z Fold 8 scored a measly 17,331 on the GPU test. That puts the Z Fold 8 at 22% less powerful on single-core and a whopping 71% less performant for the GPU.
WIRED's Julian Chokkattu said many third-party apps in the App Store still need to be updated to support the full width of the iPhone Duo's inner display:
Much of my time this past week has been thinking about wasted space. Sometimes I questioned Apple's decision to move all the navigation elements of iOS to the right rail—there's so much wasted space in some apps! Then I use an app that uses all that space, and I'm content. That's probably my takeaway. If you want to try Apple's first folding phone, wait a few months for developers to optimize their apps.
In the meantime, apps that are not optimized for the device are letterboxed, meaning they have large black bars on the left and right sides of the app.
Of course, some customers might have to wait a few months for the iPhone Duo regardless, with pre-order delivery dates into November to January but getting bumped up for some. By then, more apps will have been recompiled with the iOS 27.1 SDK.
Despite the Duo's compact 5.4-inch cover screen, it doesn't feel cramped. I can comfortably do just about anything I would on a bar-style phone, just on a smaller scale. The keyboard is roomy, taking up around half the cover screen, so typing feels seamless and easy. I haven't grappled with any more typos than usual. I tend to stick to the cover display for less-involved tasks such as checking an email, texting, ordering an Uber or snapping a photo.
When I'm doing something that requires more time or effort, I open the Duo to use its 7.6-inch inner display. That includes working in Google Docs, watching a YouTube video, streaming, scrolling through the Photos app or multitasking. Reading is a delight with the Duo's matte display, which feels easier on the eyes, including while outdoors. The under-display FaceTime camera, which virtually disappears when not in use for a call or photo, also makes content look more immersive without a gaping black hole.
I think switching from Face ID to Touch ID has been the hardest thing to get used to on iPhone Duo. I've become so accustomed to just looking at my iPhone to unlock it. Having to deliberately reach for the side button feels like a step backward, even though Touch ID works quickly and reliably.
One benefit I have enjoyed: Touch ID is a lot easier to use when your iPhone is lying flat on a table. Instead of picking up your iPhone to unlock it with Face ID, you can rest your finger on the Touch ID sensor and to glance at your locked notifications.
iPhone Duo also supports Apple Watch unlock. If you enable this feature, you can swipe up on your iPhone Duo's lock screen, and it will automatically unlock if you're wearing your Apple Watch (so long as your Apple Watch has a passcode on it and is unlocked).
I used my iPhone Duo without Apple Watch unlock enabled for the first few days to get a feel for what it's like to use an iPhone with Touch ID for the first time in nearly a decade. Ultimately, I turned on Apple Watch unlock, and it does make the experience significantly better.
Tom's Guide's Mark Spoonauer conducted a battery life test that involves browsing the web at 150 nits of display brightness over 5G until the battery dies, and he said the iPhone Duo lasted for 13 hours and 20 minutes.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 lasted 10 hours and 6 minutes, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max clocked in at 17 hours and 31 minutes:
iPhone 18 Pro Max: 17 hours and 31 minutes
iPhone Duo: 13 hours and 20 minutes
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8: 10 hours and 6 minutes
iPhone Duo has two rear 48-megapixel Fusion Main and Fusion Ultra Wide cameras, but no Telephoto camera. PetaPixel's Jaron Schneider has published more of a photography-focused review, and photographer Tyler Stalman has a video review.
Apple plans to add Reachability support to the iPhone Duo in a software update coming later this year, according to WIRED's Julian Chokkattu. The feature will presumably be available on both the inner and outer displays, but the article did not say.
Available on other iPhone models, Reachability is an accessibility setting that allows you to swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen to lower the top half of the interface so that controls are easier to reach with one hand.
Loop Capital has lowered its rating on Apple from "Buy" to "Hold," saying the company is unlikely to make up an estimated 13 million iPhone shipments cut from its plans for the second half of 2026, according to Investing.com.
The firm reduced its Apple stock price target from $370 to $330. Loop previously believed shortages of memory and processors had delayed shipments that Apple would recover in 2027. Its latest supply chain checks have led it to drop that assumption.
The firm now forecasts 79 million iPhone shipments in the December quarter, below initial estimates of 85 million. It also expects a lower average selling price, reducing its forecast from $1,239 to $1,123.
For 2027, Loop actually expects Apple to ship more iPhones than it previously forecast, with its estimate now at 260 million units. However, it expects those phones to sell for less on average, leading it to cut its iPhone revenue forecast from $315 billion to $285 billion. Rising memory costs could also squeeze Apple's profits.
Apple's widely reported split launch schedule makes the financial outlook harder to assess. The iPhone 18 Pro models arrived in September and the iPhone Duo launches October 23, but the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are not expected until the spring of 2027.
Counterpoint Research attributed much of Apple's third-quarter shipment decline to the missing standard model. Apple still secured a record third-quarter market share of 22%, despite the fact that global smartphone shipments fell 20% year over year.
Apple retail stores in Bordeaux and Lille were looted earlier this week amid unrest accompanying demonstrations against the high cost of living in France, Boursorama reports. Both locations were among numerous businesses targeted across the country. The same Bordeaux location, Apple Sainte-Catherine, was previously looted in December 2018 during unrest surrounding France's "yellow vest" demonstrations.
Note: This discussion thread is located in our Political News forum with special rules.
Apple Music subscribers can now stream directly to compatible Bluesound speakers and hi-fi equipment, allowing playback without sending audio via AirPlay 2.
Bluesound offers a range of high-end home audio products ranging from wireless speakers and soundbars to streaming components that connect to existing hi-fi systems. Its products use BluOS, a platform that lets users control music and link audio equipment across multiple rooms.
The new integration makes Apple Music accessible within the BluOS Controller app. Once a subscriber signs in, the player retrieves the music itself, freeing their iPhone or iPad from handling the audio stream. AirPlay 2 remains available.
For households with several BluOS products, the addition also brings Apple Music into the same system used to manage playback around the home. Users can play music across grouped devices or choose different music for individual rooms.
The update extends beyond Bluesound's own products to compatible BluOS equipment from NAD Electronics, PSB Speakers, DALI Loudspeakers, Cyrus, and Monitor Audio. Bluesound has not specified the streaming quality offered by the integration. The feature launched on October 20 via a free BluOS software update.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.