The iPhone Duo is a phone-and-tablet all-in-one, offering an extra screen at a much higher price than the iPhone 18 Pro. It also loses some key Pro features.
Pros
- Excellent design
- Two screens
- Stylus support
Cons
- Very expensive
- Worse cameras
- No Face ID
The iPhone 18 Pro is a much cheaper phone than the iPhone Duo, with better cameras to boot. But its single screen makes it far less versatile.
Pros
- Superb cameras
- Much lower price
- Has Face ID
Cons
- Just one screen
- No stylus support
- Smaller battery
The iPhone Duo has been a long time coming, but is Apple’s first foldable a home run? And even if it is, do you even really need a dual-screen device?
Those are questions you might be asking yourself if you’re in the market for a new iPhone — especially when the iPhone 18 Pro is also available, which only has one display but is a better device in various other ways.
So, to help you decide which of these two models is best for you, we’ve compared the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro across various categories, including price, display, and design. Happy decision-making!
Latest Videos FromTechRadar
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: specs comparison
Before we look in depth at the key elements of the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, the specs table below provides an overview of their similarities and differences.
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
iPhone Duo |
iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
|
Dimensions: |
117.8 x 84.1 x 11.3mm (folded) / 117.8 x 164.6 x 5.2mm (unfolded) |
150 x 71.9 x 8.8mm |
|
Weight: |
254g |
211g |
|
Display: |
7.6-inch Super Retina XDR OLED (foldable) / 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED (cover) |
6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED |
|
Refresh rate: |
1Hz–120Hz |
1Hz–120Hz |
|
Peak brightness: |
3,000 nits |
3,000 nits |
|
Chipset: |
A20 Pro |
A20 Pro |
|
RAM: |
12GB |
12GB |
|
Rear cameras: |
48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide |
48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto |
|
Front camera: |
12MP cover, 4MP under-display |
18MP |
|
Battery: |
4,883mAh |
4,288mAh (eSIM-only) / 4,056mAh (physical SIM) |
|
Charging: |
50% in 20 minutes |
50% in 15 minutes |
|
Storage: |
256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB |
256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB |
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: price and availability
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro were both announced in September 2026. But while the iPhone 18 Pro shipped shortly after its announcement, the iPhone Duo wasn’t available until October 23. Both phones are available now, though, across much of the world.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499, for which you’ll get 256GB of storage. There’s also a 512GB model for $2,199 / £2,199 / AU$3,899, a 1TB version for $2,599 / £2,599 / AU$4,699, and a 2TB model for $3,199 / £3,199 / AU$5,899.
The iPhone 18 Pro is a lot more affordable (relatively speaking), while still being expensive. This device starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099 for 256GB of storage, rising to $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,499 for 512GB, $1,799 / £1,799 / AU$3,299 for 1TB, and $2,399 / £2,399 / AU$4,499 for 2TB.
So, the iPhone Duo’s starting price is some $800 / £800 / AU$1,400 higher than the iPhone 18 Pro’s; that difference is the price of a high-end phone (or indeed the new iPad mini) all on its own. So while you’re essentially getting a phone and tablet all in one with the Duo, you’re also paying handsomely for that privilege.
|
Storage |
US price |
UK price |
AU price |
|---|---|---|---|
|
256GB |
$1,999.99 |
£1,999 |
AU$3,499 |
|
512GB |
$2,199 |
£2,199 |
AU$3,899 |
|
1TB |
$2,599 |
£2,599 |
AU$4,699 |
|
2TB |
$3,199 |
£3,199 |
AU$5,899 |
|
Storage |
US price |
UK price |
AU price |
|---|---|---|---|
|
256GB |
$1,199 |
£1,199 |
AU$2,099 |
|
512GB |
$1,399 |
£1,399 |
AU$2,499 |
|
1TB |
$1,799 |
£1,799 |
AU$3,299 |
|
2TB |
$2,399 |
£2,399 |
AU$4,499 |
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: design
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The iPhone Duo doesn’t really look like any other iPhone, and not just because it folds. When folded shut, you might expect it to look like the iPhone 18 Pro, but you’d be wrong, as it has a much shorter, passport-shaped footprint, coming in at 117.8 x 84.1 x 11.3mm compared to the iPhone 18 Pro’s 150 x 71.9 x 8.8.mm size.
Of course, the iPhone Duo is substantially larger when unfolded, opening out to 117.8 x 164.6 x 5.2mm (we’ll touch on their displays in the next section).
Other differences include the phones’ respective camera arrangements. The iPhone Duo has a punch-hole camera in the top right corner of its cover display, and an under-screen camera in its foldable display. The iPhone 18 Pro, meanwhile, has a much larger cut-out for its Dynamic Island, but this larger opening also allows for Face ID, which the iPhone Duo lacks.
On the back, the iPhone Duo has a horizontally arranged dual-lens camera, while the iPhone 18 Pro has a larger triple-lens camera block (which Apple describes as the ‘camera plateau’).
The Duo is also unsurprisingly heavier at 254g to the iPhone 18 Pro’s 211g, and their colors differ, with the iPhone Duo being sold in Night Sky and Star White shades, while the iPhone 18 Pro is available in Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy options.
(Image credit: Future)
Their materials differ a bit too, with the iPhone Duo having a titanium frame and a glass back (not unlike the iPhone Air), while the iPhone 18 Pro has an aluminum frame and uses a mix of metal and glass on the back.
However, both phones have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and both use Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back — so they should be similarly durable, aside from the inherent fragility that comes with a second screen and a hinge mechanism (Apple has confirmed to TechRadar that the Duo’s viral screen-cracking issue only affected a “small number of units” at launch, so you shouldn’t worry about experiencing that level of vulnerability).
Ultimately, we praised the designs of both these phones, with our iPhone Duo review describing it as “beautifully designed and engineered,” while our iPhone 18 Pro review highlighted its “fantastic” new shades.
There’s certainly a learning curve to be experienced with the iPhone Duo’s folding form factor — its volume buttons, for instance, are positioned on the top, not the side — while the iPhone 18 Pro feels extremely familiar in the hand. But we’d urge you to try the Duo out for yourself in a store before dismissing its design as a reason not to buy it.
In essence, both of these devices are a treat to use.
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: display
If you’re considering the iPhone Duo, then its screen is probably the most important factor for you, since it has two of them. The Duo’s main display is a 7.6-inch 1878 x 2670 foldable LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel, with a 120Hz refresh rate, 430 pixels per inch, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
The aspect ratio of this inner display is a content-friendly 1.4:1, giving you room to run two full apps side-by-side, play games on a larger canvas, or watch wide-format media (note, though, that most YouTube and Netflix content is still displayed in 16:9).
Crucially, this inner screen also features a nano-texture coating to reduce glare and make the Duo’s crease appear invisible face-on. Sure, you can see this crease when looking at an angle, but nano-texture really does work for making you forget about the crease during general use.
Being a foldable phone, the iPhone Duo also has a 5.4-inch 1398 x 2034 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED cover screen, which likewise has a 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and around 460 pixels per inch.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The iPhone 18 Pro just has one screen, but it’s a good one. It’s a 6.3-inch 1206 x 2622 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and around 460 pixels per inch.
On paper, then, the iPhone Duo’s screen specs are very similar to those of the iPhone 18 Pro — except you get both a bigger and a smaller screen here than the Pro’s mid-size display. But the Duo has an extra trick up its sleeve, as its foldable screen also supports the Apple Pencil, which the iPhone 18 Pro doesn’t.
As far as screen quality goes, though, there’s not much to choose between these two devices, with our iPhone Duo review praising its “bright, sharp, fluid screens” along with a surprisingly well-hidden crease, and our iPhone 18 Pro review calling its display “punchy, sharp, and smooth.”
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: cameras
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
While the iPhone Duo arguably has the edge where screens are concerned, it’s the iPhone 18 Pro that takes the win for photography.
The Duo has two rear cameras: a 48MP f/1.6 wide snapper and a 48MP f/2.2 ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view. It also has a decent 12MP f/2.2 camera on the cover screen, and a paltry 4MP f/1.8 under-display camera on the foldable screen.
The iPhone 18 Pro, on the other hand, has a triple-lens camera setup on the back, with the same ultra-wide snapper as the Duo, but a superior 48MP variable aperture wide camera that can move between f/1.5 and f/4.0. It also has a 48MP f/2.8 telephoto camera capable of 4x optical zoom.
The selfie camera on the iPhone 18 Pro is also slightly higher spec than that of the Duo, being an 18MP f/1.9 one.
So, if you buy the Duo, you’ll be getting a less versatile wide camera and no telephoto camera, along with fewer megapixels for its front-facing cameras.
Of course, the Duo is far from a bad camera phone, with our review praising its “two strong 48MP lenses and an above-average Center Stage selfie camera.” You can absolutely take great shots with either of these phones.
But when it comes to photography, Apple’s first foldable is simply no match for the iPhone 18 Pro, which we summed up as offering “better detail” than its predecessor, along with “strong low-light performance, and excellent 4x and 8x zoom.”
The iPhone 18 Pro is one of the best camera phones you can buy; the Duo is good, but not great.
iPhone Duo camera samples
iPhone 18 Pro camera samples
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: performance and software
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro should offer comparable performance, as both phones have an A20 Pro chipset, 12GB of RAM, and a vapor chamber.
That’s a capable combination, with our iPhone Duo review mentioning “smooth performance across the board,” while our iPhone 18 Pro review highlighted that it’s “fast, efficient, and ready for whatever comes next.”
Obviously, the iPhone Duo may be a more enjoyable phone to play mobile games on (given its larger inner screen), but it’s not an inherently better or more powerful gaming phone than the iPhone 18 Pro.
The same applies to productivity, since you can split the Duo’s display in two by swiping up from the bottom and slowly dragging an app left or right. For obvious reasons, you can’t do any such multitasking magic on the iPhone 18 Pro.
The software on both phones is similar, with the iPhone Duo running iOS 27.1 out of the box and the iPhone 18 Pro running iOS 27. At the time of writing, both phones can be updated to iOS 27.2, and it’s likely they’ll be supported for the same amount of time.
There are, however, some software differences to be aware of, with Apple taking advantage of the Duo’s dual-screen nature to add and change some features.
While using its cover screen, for instance, you’ll notice a status bar and side-positioned dock that’s easier to reach with your thumb, but sometimes cuts into the Duo’s screen real estate.
Several apps, too, are not yet optimized for the Duo’s unusual screen sizes — first-party apps like Mail and Safari look great, but others (like LinkedIn and Instagram) are a little clunky at the time of writing.
These optimization issues will almost certainly be resolved quickly as app developers release Duo-specific updates, but they’re worth bearing in mind nonetheless.
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: battery
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The iPhone Duo has a 4,883mAh battery, while the iPhone 18 Pro has either a 4,288mAh cell (if you’re getting an eSIM-only model like those sold in the US) or a 4,056mAh cell.
So in either case, the iPhone Duo has a higher-capacity battery, but it won’t necessarily last longer, with Apple claiming it can manage an impressive 44 hours of video playback if you’re only using the outer display, but just 31 hours if you’re mostly using the larger foldable screen.
The iPhone 18 Pro, meanwhile, splits the difference at 34 hours. For ‘typical use,’ they’re similar, with the iPhone Duo listed at 24 hours and the iPhone 18 Pro at 23.
In our own tests, we found that the iPhone Duo had “solid all-day battery life,” while the iPhone 18 Pro offered “outstanding endurance.” So neither phone should run low on battery too fast.
When they do need charging, the iPhone Duo can be juiced to 50% in around 20 minutes with a 60W or higher charger, or it can reach 50% in 30 minutes with a 35W or higher MagSafe charger.
The iPhone 18 Pro is slightly faster here, with Apple claiming it can reach 50% in just 15 minutes with a 60W wired charger, and the same 50% in 30 minutes with a 35W MagSafe charger. Those speeds proved accurate in our testing.
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: verdict
The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro are refreshingly different product offerings from Apple. They’re similar in some ways, but very distinct in others.
The Duo gives you both phone- and tablet-sized screens, along with a higher-capacity battery and stylus support, at a much, much higher price than the iPhone 18 Pro — which itself has better cameras, Face ID, and a slightly faster-charging battery.
In other areas, they’re largely similar devices, offering comparable power and software (despite some early teething issues for the Duo), plus similar-quality outer screens.
The Duo gets a beautiful nano-texture inner display, though by virtue of it being a foldable phone, it’s also heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro, and when folded shut, it’s also thicker.
So you’ve really got to think about what factors are most important to you and whether the benefits of the iPhone Duo outweigh its enormous price. Indeed, at such a high cost, you might want to consider buying both the iPhone 18 Pro and an iPad mini instead.
Still, the Duo is more pocketable than an iPad (crucially, you’re getting two device experiences in one), and it’s an undeniably great phone, scoring 4.5 stars in our review. So if it suits your needs, you’re unlikely to regret buying it. Just be aware of the learning curve.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7jQBYWh2hVn9mHiyy4Bqza-2560-80.jpg
Source link
axel.metz@futurenet.com (Axel Metz)
