Apple has just unveiled one of the most interesting iPhone lineups of recent years: the iPhone 18 Pro and the company’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, are here. They are very different phones, and yet similar in some ways, so we’re going to compare the two models, as far as possible.
Two ways of understanding the iPhone
The iPhone Duo comes in a foldable form factor with a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.6-inch inner one. The iPhone 18 Pro, meanwhile, sticks with the familiar 6.3-inch display. Thus, when folded, the iPhone Duo has 90% of the iPhone 18 Pro’s screen size, but thanks to the aspect ratio, the amount of information we can see is very similar.
On the Duo the Dock, the menus and even the connectivity and battery indicators shift to the right edge of the device. This leaves the full main screen area for content, whether in vertical format or horizontal.
Once we open the Duo the difference is simply astonishing. Because of its proportions and dimensions, it’s basically like using an iPad mini screen, which has a 7.9-inch screen. Multitasking, use in landscape, and the flexibility of using it half-folded, half-open, right side up and upside down make the iPhone fit around us instead of the other way around.
Cameras, battery and features
In photography, the iPhone 18 Pro is clearly the more complete option thanks to its 48 MP main camera with variable aperture and the presence of the telephoto lens. The Duo, for its part, offers Split View when taking photos and special landscape and portrait views depending on how we fold the screen.
Support for the Apple Pencil USB-C is another big difference. With its iPad-like focus we can use Apple’s stylus on both the inner screen and the outer one.
Battery life goes up to 44 hours of continuous video playback with the Duo’s outer screen, 31 hours with the inner one and 36 hours on the Pro.
Price and availability
The iPhone Duo starts at €2,339 or $1,999, compared with €1,469 or $1,199 for the iPhone 18 Pro. Pre-orders for the former will open October 16, while those for the latter will open this Saturday the 12th.
All in all, Apple positions each model differently and targets a different audience: the Pro prioritizes photography and performance, while the Duo stands out for its versatility and its new way to use the iPhone.
