NORMALLY if your phone was bending, it’d mean a trip to the repair shop and an eye-watering bill.
But Apple’s new iPhone Duo – which I’ve already had a play with out in California – is meant to bend.
The new iPhone Duo comes in two very slick colours Credit: Sean Keach
The Jattvibe’s tech editor Sean Keach went hands-on with Apple’s bendy mobile in Cupertino, California Credit: Sean Keach
You’ll still get a big bill, though: Apple’s first-ever foldable phone starts at a paycheque-gobbling £1,999, or much higher, as I’ll explain shortly.
This is like a souped-up version of a classic noughties flip phone – pocketable and practical.
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So what do you get for your money? Well, after seeing it in action, here are the five big selling points.
And boy, do I want one of these things.
FRESH APPLE
Apple unveils first foldable iPhone Duo that opens like a BOOK & iPhone 18 Pro
FLEX APPEAL
iPhone 18 and iPhone Duo: Release date, price, dimensions, and new features
SCREEN SAVIOUR!
First off, you have got screens galore here.
On the outside is a 5.5-inch cover display that looks like a regular iPhone, but squashed a bit. Think: passport.
But you whip it open like a book to reveal a glorious 7.6-inch interior display, which is basically a tablet playing hide-and-seek.
It’s also got this fabulous Nano-Texture matte display that helps to conceal any crease. You’d never know this thing folded in half at a glance.
If you’re watching telly or gaming on this thing, you’re in for a treat.
It’s genuinely a stunning screen. I didn’t want to put it down – but sadly Apple wouldn’t let me run off with it, and I was fending off a horde of influencers at the company’s Cupertino HQ, so I had to leave it behind.
The iPhone Duo lets you use two apps Credit: Apple
The gadget has a pair of cameras on the back – one wide-angle snapper and another ultra-wide shooter Credit: Sean Keach
APP-SOLUTE POWER
Of course, with all of this bonus screen real estate comes another big bonus: more apps on your screen.
You can now have two apps side-by-side on the giant interior display, which works a bit like Apple’s iPad.
That means you could do the very modern thing of having Netflix open on one side, and Messages on the other so you can text pals and totally ignore what’s happening in the movie.
And speaking of Netflix, the TV giant has remade its app especially for the new iPhone Duo.
When I partially folded the phone to proper it up on the table, the Netflix show kept playing on the top half, and the bottom bit popped up with loads of playback controls.
And snapping from the interior display to the cover screen worked in an instant. It’s genuinely very impressive.
SNAP HAPPY
The other big benefit of having a bendy mobile is selfies.
Normally when you snap a pic of your mug, you’re relegated to the selfie camera so you can see your face.
The iPhone Duo is the first Apple mobile to support the Apple Pencil Credit: Apple
The gadget flips closed to fit in your pocket Credit: Sean Keach
And that selfie camera is usually much worse than the main shooter on the back.
That problem does not exist on foldable phones.
Open the iPhone Duo up and spin it around, and you can snap photos of your head with the posh main camera while viewing your face live on the mobile’s outer display.
It’s going to revolutionise your selfie game.
And it also meant that when I was taking a picture of someone else, they could see themselves – to pose properly.
So your mates will absolutely love you having this phone. It’ll put an end to grumpy pals blaming you for taking a rubbish snap of them.
And a bonus tip for parents: there’s a new Kid View mode that plays a fun animation on the cover screen to make your youngster look at the camera.
APPLE JUICE
Now you’re probably thinking: my gosh, this all sounds very intense – is the battery life rubbish?
Opening the iPhone Duo reveals a large 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display Credit: Sean Keach
You can flip the iPhone Duo partially open and sit it on a desk to enter an improved StandBy Mode Credit: Apple
Well I can’t say for sure until I’ve tested it, but Apple’s claims sound generous enough.
Apparently you’ll get 24 hours of charge during regular normal usage.
But if you’re just watching videos, you get a respectable 31 hours on the large interior display.
And then if you switch to the cover screen, battery life rises to a frankly enormous 44 hours.
Charging gets a boost too – you can smash it up to 50% power in just 20 minutes. Not bad at all.
TAPPING IN
And here’s a nice treat for long-time Apple fans: the return of a long lost feature.
Apple has revived Touch ID, the fingerprint scanner that was largely abandoned with 2017’s iPhone X.
Most modern iPhones use the Face ID recognition system to unlock and authenticate payments.
The Home Screen layout has been adjusted to move the button bar to the side of the display Credit: Sean Keach
You can lay the iPhone Duo flat on a table and flip part of the screen up to enter a special Netflix video viewing mode Credit: Apple
But because the iPhone Duo bends, it wouldn’t meant having two Face ID modules, which is a bit faffy.
So Apple has stuffed a fingerprint scanner into the Lock Button, that you can just tap to enter the device.
THE NITTY GRITTY
Right, so it’s all very impressive – but how do you actually bag one of these bendy blowers?
Well Apple’s poshest mobile to date is out on Friday, October 23 – and it’s up for pre-order a week earlier.
And you know that £1,999 price tag I mentioned earlier? That’s just for the base version with 256 gigabytes of storage.
If you want the absolute maxed-out model with a whopping 2 terabytes of storage, you are looking at an eye-watering £3,199 bill. Yes, really.
And then if you chuck an Apple Pencil (which the iPhone Duo is the first Apple mobile to support) on top, and throw in AppleCare to boot, you’re looking at hundreds more again.
But you’ll be the envy of gadget geeks, selfie aficionados, and Netflix-obsessed commuters alike.
The iPhone Duo can also be used in vertical orientation if you prefer Credit: Sean Keach
The Cover Display means you can still see yourself when you use the main camera for selfies Credit: Apple
And I’m absolutely sure Apple is going to sell these by the truckload. I might already be sold. Hey Siri, how much can I get for a kidney…
