The iPhone Duo, the first iPhone that folds: how much it costs and what it's missing

Apple has just launched its first iPhone that folds, and the most expensive one costs almost 3,200 dollars.

It went on sale on Friday, October 23, and in Mexico the first batch sold out in the online store. In the United States, some orders are already shipping as late as January.

What it's like

It's called the iPhone Duo. Closed, it's a 5.4-inch phone. Open it… and it becomes a 7.6-inch tablet.

Open, it measures 5.2 millimeters: it's the thinnest iPhone Apple has ever made. And its hinge has more than a hundred parts.

In the United States, prices range from 1,999 to 3,199 dollars, depending on the version.

Open, it measures 5.2 mm: the thinnest iPhone in history.

What they don't tell you

There's a catch: Samsung has been selling foldable phones since 2019, so Apple arrives seven years later.

And CNN, in its review, found a problem: many apps still don't adapt to the large screen.

What it costs, seen from Cuba

To put it in perspective: on Cuba's average state wage, of about 9 dollars a month, it would take almost thirty years of work to pay for the most expensive model.

How it's used

The idea of the iPhone Duo is to have two devices in one. Closed, it's used like a normal phone, with an outer screen for calls, messages and photos. Open, the 7.6-inch inner screen is for watching videos, reading or working with two apps at once, like a small tablet.

To fit all that into a device that folds, the key part is the hinge: it has more than a hundred components and it's what lets you open and close it thousands of times.

The first problems

A few days after the launch came the first complaints. Several buyers said on social media that the inner screen cracked next to the fold or showed bright lines and defective pixels.

Apple acknowledged it: it said it was aware of an issue affecting "a small number of units" and asked those affected to contact AppleCare to request a replacement. Out of warranty, according to Apple's page cited by Infobae, replacing the inner screen costs 999 dollars.

Out of warranty, replacing the iPhone Duo's inner screen costs 999 dollars.

We cover it in detail here: [Apple acknowledges iPhone Duo screen defects](../noticias/iphone-duo-fallas.html).

Is it worth it?

It depends on what you're looking for. It's the thinnest iPhone and the first one that folds, and it arrives amid huge expectations. But it's very expensive, many apps don't yet take advantage of its large screen and, as often happens with the first version of a new product, it has already had its first problems.

For many, the sensible thing will be to wait for the second generation.