Apple's Foldable iPhone Duo Arrives With First-Generation Quirks

Apple's foldable iPhone, called the iPhone Duo, is now out, and an early review from Bloomberg says the device delivers real fun for owners willing to accept some first-generation rough edges, according to Bloomberg's review published October 23, 2026.

What is the iPhone Duo and when did it launch?

The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable phone, arriving this week after years of speculation about whether the company would enter the foldable category, Bloomberg reported in its October 23, 2026 video review. Bloomberg's Chris Welch reviewed the device and described it as the most fun he has had with an iPhone in a long time, provided a buyer is ready to, in his words, "commit to the fold."

Why does it use Touch ID instead of Face ID?

Unlike every current iPhone model, the Duo launches with Touch ID rather than Face ID, HTT News reported in coverage of the phone's launch. The fingerprint sensor is a departure from the Face ID system Apple has used on its main iPhone lineup since 2017, and it marks one of the clearest signs that the foldable's internal layout forced engineering trade-offs that Apple's standard phones have not needed to make.

What growing pains did the reviewer find?

Bloomberg's review states the iPhone Duo carries what it calls first-generation quirks, without detailing every specific flaw, but frames them as the kind of issues expected from a brand-new hardware category for Apple. The review frames the Touch ID switch and other adjustments as part of the broader trade-offs that come with cramming a folding screen and hinge into a phone for the first time.

What's confirmed so far

• Biometric login: Touch ID, not Face ID, according to HTT News reporting on the launch.
• Reviewer verdict: "first-generation quirks" paired with what Bloomberg's Chris Welch calls his most enjoyable iPhone experience in years.

Is the foldable iPhone worth buying now?

Bloomberg's assessment lands on a conditional yes: the phone is fun to use, but only for buyers prepared to live with a fold-dependent design and its early-model limitations. The review does not present the Duo as a flawless flagship, instead positioning it as a first attempt that trades some polish for a new form factor.

Timeline

• October 23, 2026: HTT News reports the iPhone Duo launches with Touch ID instead of Face ID.
• October 23, 2026: Bloomberg publishes its video review calling the phone fun but flagging growing pains.

What to watch

• Whether Apple restores Face ID in a future foldable revision.
• How the Touch ID placement affects daily unlocking compared with Face ID on standard iPhones.
• Whether the "growing pains" Bloomberg flagged turn out to be software issues, hardware issues, or both as more reviews arrive.
• How buyers react to committing to a folding form factor on a first-generation Apple device.

For readers deciding whether to buy, the sourcing available so far points to a trade-off: a new and reportedly enjoyable way to use an iPhone, bundled with the kind of compromises that typically fade in a product's second or third generation.