The iPhone Duo is here. But you may have a long wait ahead. Photo: Apple
Apple’s first foldable and its most expensive iPhone to date, the iPhone Duo, is now on sale.
If you placed your preorder early and secured a launch-day delivery slot, your unit should arrive today. Or if you are camping outside your nearest Apple Store, you might be able to pick up a Duo when it opens — depending on where you live.
The iPhone Duo lacks Face ID, but it's successor might have it. Screenshot: Apple
Apple is reportedly testing prototypes of a second-generation iPhone Duo with Face ID beneath the display. The upgrade would address a frequent complaint about the company’s first foldable iPhone, which relies on Touch ID instead of facial recognition.
Plus, this is apparently another sign that Apple is working to get rid of the Dynamic Island from all iPhones.
The new Apple Music logo was shaped by sound played through mineral oil. Image: Apple
Apple unveiled a new Apple Music logo Wednesday that’s shaped by sound waves rippling through mineral oil. And yes, it’s real. Not AI. Not even CGI.
It’s the first major overhaul for the streaming service’s logo since its launch back in 2015. The new look is expected to arrive with iOS 27.2 next week.
Are you queueing up for the iPhone Duo? Photo: Apple
Some Apple fans started camping out days in advance of the iPhone Duo’s release, hoping to get their hands on the first foldable iPhone.
However, with Apple confirming extremely limited stock for walk-in customers, even camping out days ahead of launch might not guarantee them an iPhone Duo when the foldable hits stores Friday.
Plugable USB-C 8-in-1 Hub includes HDMI 2.1, Ethernet and much more. Photo: Plugable
Plugable launched two new USB-C hubs that let compatible Macs drive high-refresh-rate monitors at up to 4K 144Hz or 8K 30Hz thanks to support for HDMI 2.1. And without requiring additional drivers.
The USB-C 6-in-1 Hub and USB-C 8-in-1 Hub with Ethernet also provide extra ports and up to 85W of pass-through laptop charging, with prices starting at $39.99.
You could be using your Apple Pencil with your iPhone Duo next week. Photo: Apple
If you open your new iPhone Duo on Friday then grab your Apple Pencil and start sketching, don’t be surprised that it won’t work. Apple’s first foldable will be able to use a stylus eventually, but not at launch. Still, that might change sooner than you realize.
No matter when the feature shows up, it’s the answer to a request users have made for years.
WhatsApp’s in-app browser is still under development for iPhone. Photo: Pixabay
WhatsApp is reportedly working on an in-app browser for iPhone. It would open any chat link without leaving the app to go to a separate web browser.
Today, WhatsApp can only open certain business links in the app. Everything else you send opens in the device’s default browser, but this change would end that.
A custom-built test machine called Hingey puts the iPhone Duo's hinge to the test. Photo: Joanna Stern
A tech reviewer took a novel approach to testing the iPhone Duo’s hinge, using a custom-made device to automatically fold the phone more than 32,000 times.
The goal was to find out if the Duo’s hinge got loosey-goosey after repeated folds. The result proved pretty shocking.
We now have real-world results of people using the iPhone Fold. Photo: Apple
Early reviews of the iPhone Duo are in, and the results are generally positive. But certainly not always. Apple’s first foldable iPhone wins praise for its clever design and big inner display, but reviewers disagree about whether it is worth its $1,999 starting price.
Read on for a variety of comments from people who’ve had hands-on time with the iPhone Duo.
HomePod Sound Glow with colors pulled from album artwork. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
HomePod Sound Glow won’t be exclusive to the new HomePod mini 2. Apple’s upcoming HomePod Software 27.2 is bringing the pulse light show to the older speakers.
That’s a nice perk for owners of the second-generation HomePod and the original HomePod mini. Apple announced the feature as a hardware addition to the HomePod mini 2 on October 13.
iPhone 18 Pro repair parts hit Apple's self-service repair store. Photo: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max repair parts can now be purchased directly from Apple. Additionally, the company offers repair parts for the M5 Max/Ultra-equipped Mac Studio and the new Mac mini under its Self Service Repair Program.
With the use of Apple’s official repair manuals, you can buy the replacement parts to carry out Do-It-Yourself (DIY) repairs.
Apple partnered with Pennsylvania's Perryman Company to supply titanium. Photo: Apple
Apple is growing its American manufacturing efforts with new and expanded partnerships to produce components for the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro in the United States.
The company committed up to $100 million over three years to a Pennsylvania titanium producer, while expanding work with a Delaware company that makes technology for the latest iPhone Pro camera system.
It’s Apple’s latest move to once again remind critics that dozens of iPhone components are sourced from the United States.
The iOS 27.2 release date is just a week away! Image: Apple/ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Apple seeded the iOS 27.2 Release Candidate to beta testers on Monday, signaling that eager iPhone users should circle October 26 on their calendars. The update improves Group FaceTime calls, adds more languages to Siri AI and more.
The macOS Golden Gate 27.2 Release Candidate was also released, as have equivalents for iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and more.
When is your iPhone Duo arriving? Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple is moving up estimated delivery dates for some iPhone Duo preorders. Some buyers report that their orders will now arrive in November instead of December or even January.
Another "special Apple Experience" will happen next week. This time, we expect a touchscreen MacBook Pro to steal the show. Image: Apple
Apple sent invitations on Monday for a special event set for October 28, making official a product showcase that has been rumored for weeks.
While the company’s invitation didn’t reveal what’s on the agenda, it’s not difficult to guess. We can look forward to a redesigned MacBook Pro with a touchscreen, new Macs powered by the latest Apple M6 processor, and an upgraded iPad mini.
Apple HomeView could be followed by a HomeView Max. Screenshot: Apple
Apple is reportedly hard at work on a bigger, better version of the HomeView smart display. The follow-up version will apparently boast a larger screen that turns on its own, and could be dubbed something like HomeView Max, Ultra or 360, according to a new report.
That would help fix a clear limitation of the current version, whose screen stays put.
Pitaka's iPhone Duo case offers the best of both worlds. Photo: Pitaka
Picking up an iPhone Duo? Apple’s first foldable is also its most expensive iPhone, and probably its most delicate yet. The iPhone Duo has more to protect than any iPhone before it. It comes in two halves: an outer display and an inner display and a hinge that has to move freely without obstruction.
Unlike regular iPhones, the cases for the iPhone Duo are also special. To help you choose, we rounded up the best iPhone Duo cases from popular case makers, along with the standout options from each.
The reported Apple smart home camera would analyze rooms with AI rather than record video. Photo: Pixabay
Apple reportedly still plans to release a smart home camera that doesn’t record video sometime in the next year. Instead, it will use AI to analyze what’s happening in your home.
The privacy-focused device is separate from the LG Electronics cameras in the new Apple Home Collection. Together, they show how Apple plans to tackle home security from two very different angles.
iPhone Duo uses two separate cells to pack a massive battery. Photo: Apple
An EU regulatory document uploaded by Apple confirms that the iPhone Duo packs a 4,883mAh battery. That’s larger than the battery in the iPhone 18 Pro, but smaller than the one in its Pro Max sibling.
Unlike other iPhones, the iPhone Duo features two separate cells: one 2962mAh and another 1921mAh.
Unlike almost all of Apple's devices, HomeView doesn't have its own App Store. Apple's moving to a new model. Photo: Apple
Apple’s new HomeView smart home hub doesn’t come with an App Store, a decision that’s puzzling users accustomed to installing apps to customize their devices.
There seem to be several good reasons for Apple’s decision, related to the device’s memory, storage, ease of use, privacy and maybe even regulation. But perhaps the most important factor is all about elevating Siri AI as a next-generation user interface.
Apple may already have a third of the global foldable market. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
As Apple already immediately sold out of iPhone Duo units through January 2027, the company likely just sold at least 6 million of its foldable in a couple of hours. And the number might approach 10 million.
That means Apple may have just claimed between a quarter and a third of the global foldable market.
iPhone Duo units are already fetching $5,000 on eBay after selling out on Apple’s website Friday morning. Listings on the auction website show dozens of sales of the in-demand foldable for as high as $4,999, which represents about $1,800 in profit for the seller.
The iPhone Duo went on sale at 5 a.m. this morning. But within minutes, ship dates slipped to late January — three months after the new handset is supposed to become available.
Why HomeView is going to be great. Photo: Cult of Mac
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: Apple’s new HomeView hub is a getting a lot of criticism, especially for its lack of a built-in app store. But the absence of an app store is a feature, not a bug.
The situation is reminiscent of the charging port on the bottom of the Apple Magic Mouse, which is famously misunderstood. The placement of the port was designed to force users to use it wirelessly, just like ditching the headphone jack on iPhone forced users to adopt wireless Bluetooth headphones.
Apple is pulling the same trick with HomeView: The absence of apps forces users to use Siri AI as the primary interface, instead of tapping away on the screen as though it were a mini iPad. It’s genius!
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
HomePod mini gets a big update.
Apple TV 4K gets a remote you can actually find down the back of the couch.
Who exactly is the Apple Home Collection for?
And Apple’s next event looks set for October 28 in LA.
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in Apple’s Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. Or watch the video version, embedded below. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!)
The Withings Apple Health sync now requires a Withings+ subscription for new accounts. Photo: Withings
New owners of Withings smart scales and other health devices must pay for a $9.99 Withings+ monthly subscription to sync their data with Apple Health. Previously, the data sync cost nothing — and many Withings fans are outraged over the change.
The subscription requirement covers automatic syncing to all third-party apps, not just Apple Health. While existing users’ data will continue to sync for free, anyone who created a Withings account after October 13 will need to pay or export their data manually.