While watching a Netflix movie on a folded iPhone Duo, the screen was opened out. The display grew from 13.6 centimeters diagonally to 19.3 centimeters, yet the video kept the same aspect ratio. This was one of the features Apple worked hardest on in developing its first foldable iPhone. The idea goes beyond simply offering a bigger screen — it is about preserving the distinctive iPhone experience on a folding display.
The iPhone Duo, tried out on the 21st at the Apple Korea office in Samseong-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, differed from existing foldable phones starting with its screen design. The device, which goes on sale on the 23rd, sets both the inner and outer displays at a ratio of roughly 1 to 1.4. On Samsung Electronics' (005930) Galaxy Z Fold8, the outer screen is 10 to 16 and the inner screen is 4 to 3, leaving the two ratios different. Apple instead unified the two, so content flows naturally whether the device is folded or opened.
The texture of the unfolded screen also drew attention. Apple applied a "nano-texture" finish to the inner display to cut light reflection. Unlike a typical glossy screen, the technology suppresses reflections of surrounding lights and objects. The crease along the fold has also been minimized. The aim is to reduce distractions when watching movies or reading webtoons on the larger screen.
The operating system has been reworked as well. Apple redesigned the screen layout of iOS 27 for the iPhone Duo. Key control buttons and menus that sat along the bottom of the screen on existing iPhones have been moved to the side, widening the space available for content. In KakaoTalk, the bottom menu shifted to the right, and opening the device displayed the chat list and the conversation window side by side. Familiar iPhone controls remain, with the layout rearranged for the wider screen.
Photography gains features unique to the Duo. One example displays cartoon animation on the outer screen to draw a young child's gaze toward the camera. A "Duo Preview" also lets the person being photographed check how they look on the outer display. "Smart Capture," in which artificial intelligence analyzes a subject's movement and automatically takes the photo at the right moment, has been applied as well.
Prices start at 3.29 million won, a considerable outlay. Some apps will also need further optimization after launch. Still, the ability to keep the familiar iPhone environment while taking advantage of a foldable's wider screen is seen as a strength.
An industry official said the iPhone Duo is not simply an iPhone and a tablet combined but a new kind of device in which the way apps are operated changes depending on whether the screen is folded or opened, adding that app developers are optimizing screen layouts and button placement in line with the dedicated app development guidelines Apple has laid out.
