Apple's First Foldable Phone Is Called iPhone Duo
Apple announced its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, in early September, reviving a name it last used on the PowerBook Duo.
Apple announced its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, in early September. The name is a familiar one for the company: Apple used Duo before on the PowerBook Duo, a laptop introduced in 1992 and produced through 1997.
That earlier Duo was built around a docking idea. The PowerBook Duo could connect to an accessory called the Duo Dock to work as a desktop.
Apple has also used the Duo label more recently. It introduced the MagSafe Duo Charger in 2020 to wirelessly charge two devices at once.
The name puts Apple alongside Microsoft, which launched the Surface Duo in 2020, the same year as the MagSafe Duo Charger. The Surface Duo ran Android and had two screens connected by a hinge with 360-degree rotation. Microsoft launched the Surface Duo 2 a year after the original, scrapped the Surface Duo 3 in 2023 and has discontinued the line.
Engadget reported the iPhone Duo news.
Quick answers
What is Apple's first foldable phone called?
It is called the iPhone Duo, announced in early September.
Has Apple used the Duo name before?
Yes. Apple used it on the PowerBook Duo, introduced in 1992 and produced through 1997, and on the MagSafe Duo Charger introduced in 2020.
Is Microsoft's Surface Duo still available?
No. The Surface Duo line has been discontinued. Microsoft scrapped the Surface Duo 3 in 2023.