Apple's foldable iPhone Duo could have a massive advantage over Galaxy Z Fold 8

Apple is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone during its product event later today. While multiple names have circulated in recent rumors, Apple appears to have settled on an unexpected choice: the iPhone Duo. It will compete with Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The iPhone maker seems keen to avoid the “Fold” or “Ultra” branding used by rivals like Samsung and other Chinese brands. Instead, the company is adopting the “Duo” moniker, which Microsoft previously used years ago for its Surface Duo.

This detail comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who has a strong track record reporting on unreleased Apple products. Given his reliable track record, the iPhone Duo name seems extremely believable.

The device will reportedly be introduced by Apple's new CEO, John Ternus. It is said to feature a short-and-wide folding aspect ratio similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It will house a dual-camera setup, consisting of a 48MP primary sensor and a 48MP ultrawide lens, on the back. A 12MP front-facing camera is used for selfies and video calls.

The foldable is expected to run on Apple's upcoming A20 Pro chip, supporting side-by-side app multitasking and iPad-style multi-pane layouts.

More importantly, the iPhone Duo will reportedly support the Apple Pencil. If accurate, this could put the Galaxy Z Fold 8 on the backfoot. While Samsung offered S Pen support across several generations (from the Galaxy Z Fold 3 through the Galaxy Z Fold 6), it dropped stylus support with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to achieve a substantially thinner design.

Pricing for the iPhone Duo's base 256GB model is expected to start at $2,000 in the US, which is just $100 more than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Higher storage variants will cost more, with the 2TB model going as high as $3,000.

The iPhone Duo is expected to hit store shelves in early October, available in dark blue and white.