iPhone Duo Wins CNET Editors’ Choice as $1,999 Foldable Impresses Despite First-Gen Trade-Offs
Updated
Updated · CNET · Oct 21
iPhone Duo Wins CNET Editors’ Choice as $1,999 Foldable Impresses Despite First-Gen Trade-Offs
3 articles · Updated · CNET · Oct 21
Summary
CNET gave Apple’s iPhone Duo an Editors’ Choice Award after a week of testing, citing a foldable design that feels unusually intuitive and cohesive across its 5.4-inch outer and 7.6-inch inner displays.
The review says iOS 27 is the key differentiator, with smooth app transitions between screens, thoughtful split-screen behavior and software touches that make the passport-style form factor feel practical rather than gimmicky.
At $1,999 for 256GB, the Duo is priced in line with premium foldables and reportedly sold out in preorders, though CNET says the cost, lack of Face ID and limited multitasking keep it from being a mass-market device.
Hardware strengths include an IP68 rating, matte inner display, 48-megapixel wide and ultrawide cameras, strong battery life and benchmark-leading A20 Pro performance; missing telephoto, ProRAW and ProRes support limit its camera appeal.
The award suggests Apple’s first foldable has validated the category for iOS users, even as app optimization gaps and premium pricing leave broader foldable adoption still some distance away.