iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: Comparing Apple’s flagships

Specs Comparison Table

Price and Availability

Although it has been unveiled, the iPhone Duo is not currently available to buy or pre-order. Apple’s first foldable will instead be available for pre-order from October 16 ahead of its official launch from October 23. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s the most expensive iPhone in Apple’s range, with a starting price of an eye-watering £1999/$1999 for the 256GB handset. This can rise up to a massive £3199/$3199 for its 2TB iteration. 

Alongside the Pro Max, the iPhone 18 Pro is available to buy now and has a starting price of £1199/$1199 for the 256GB handset. Much like the iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro also comes as a 2TB handset which will set you back £2399/$2399.

iPhone Duo is a foldable phone with two screens

The biggest and most obvious difference between the two iPhones is with their respective form factors. While the iPhone 18 Pro is a traditional candybar phone, the iPhone Duo is a book-style foldable that has two displays – one outer panel that opens to reveal a much larger internal display.

The iPhone Duo’s outer display is a compact 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR panel, that’s equipped with ProMotion, has always-on technology and sports Apple’s redesigned Dynamic Island too. In addition, although it’s considerably smaller than the iPhone 18 Pro’s 6.3-inch screen, Apple states that the iPhone Duo’s outer display covers more than 90% of the screen area of the iPhone 18 Pro too. 

Even so, the iPhone 18 Pro is still equipped with plenty of the same premium screen technologies seen within the iPhone Duo, including ProMotion, always-on and a Dynamic Island too. What it doesn’t have, however, is an additional internal screen.

The iPhone Duo’s internal screen measures 7.6-inches and is designed to make streaming video content, gaming and productivity tasks easier. It also shares the same aspect ratio as the outer panel, which Apple promises will enable a smoother experience when switching between the two screens. 

Plus, with iOS 27, the software is tailored to best suit the foldable’s design, with controls automatically moving to the side for a more intuitive experience too. If you’ve ever used even one of the best foldable phones, you’ll know the experience isn’t always fluid. 

Finally, Apple states that the Apple Pencil with USB-C will also work on both panels too.

Both run on Apple’s A20 Pro chip

Naturally as Apple’s flagship smartphones, both the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro are fitted with Apple’s flagship A20 Pro chips. Hailed as Apple’s fastest ever iPhone chip, A20 Pro promises to run Apple intelligence using “the most advanced” on-device AI model that the brand has ever designed.

The chip is built on 2nm technology and sports a 6-core CPU that Apple claims is the fastest found in any smartphone – although Qualcomm has since made the same claim with its Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 mobile processor. 

In addition, A20 Pro has a 7-core GPU that sees 40% faster graphics performance since last year’s A19 Pro. Both the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro are also equipped with a next-gen vapour chamber for efficient cooling too.

iPhone 18 Pro has three rear lenses, including a telephoto

Other than their designs, the next biggest difference with the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro is with their respective cameras. Although we haven’t reviewed either yet, by their specs alone we’d recommend opting for the iPhone 18 Pro if photography is the most important aspect of a handset for you. 

While the iPhone Duo is fitted with a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system that’s made up of a main and ultrawide, the iPhone 18 Pro boasts three rear lenses that includes a dedicated telephoto lens too. Not only that, but Apple states the iPhone 18 Pro’s main lens is the most advanced camera it has ever made, thanks to its variable aperture that automatically lets in more or less light according to the shooting environment. 

Both have an IP68 rating

If you’re concerned about the durability of the iPhone Duo, then fortunately Apple has equipped its first foldable with plenty of protection. Alongside a titanium frame and hinge cover, the iPhone Duo has an IP68 rating, which means it’s dust-tight and can survive submersion in water too. That’s pretty rare for a foldable, with many offering much lower ratings. 

Although it’s rare for a foldable, an IP68 rating is standard for most of the best smartphones and even the best mid-range phones too. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that the iPhone 18 Pro also sports an IP68 rating.

iPhone Duo has an under-display front camera

Although both phones have Center Stage front cameras, which means you will always stay in shot even when walking around, they differ with their exact offerings. The iPhone 18 Pro is fitted with an 18MP front camera while the iPhone Duo’s is a slightly lower resolution of 12MP.

In addition, the iPhone Duo’s front camera is under the front display. While Apple hasn’t given much detail about this, we know from experience that although under-display front cameras give more of an immersive screen, it does result in less detailed photos. 

Early Verdict

Both the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro are seriously impressive looking smartphones, but arguably for different reasons. While both promise exceptional performance, the iPhone Duo is designed for productivity whereas the iPhone 18 Pro is a brilliant choice for photographers, content creators and the like. Plus, remember the iPhone Duo is considerably more expensive too. 

We’ll update this versus once we review the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro.