Is the new foldable iPhone Duo a good fit for pilots?
Apple unveiled a new clean-sheet iPhone design last week at its annual press event. The new iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable device, with a phone-sized front screen that opens to reveal a much larger inner display.
When opened, the inner screen is nearly the size of an iPad Mini, which has caught the eye of many pilots looking for a single replacement for both an everyday phone and an EFB in the cockpit. Here’s a first look at the new iPhone Duo and our initial thoughts.
iPhone Duo Specs
The iPhone Duo isn’t the first foldable mobile device to hit the market. The Samsung Galaxy Fold has been around for nearly 7 years and has a similar design. In typical Apple fashion, though, they aimed to perfect the user experience by tightly controlling both hardware and software to create a more premium experience.
When the Duo is closed, you can interact with a 5.4″ screen on the front that offers a traditional iPhone experience. The aspect ratio is closer to a square than traditional mobile phones, but still offers around 90% of the screen real estate of an iPhone 18 Pro.
Then open up the Duo like a small book to reveal a much larger 7.6″ OLED screen that provides an experience similar to using an iPad. By comparison, the latest iPad Mini is 8.3″ diagonal and approximately 9% larger overall.
The Duo incorporates two lithium-ion batteries (one in each half of the device) providing impressive battery life for an iPhone, and it’s even more impressive compared with an iPad Mini. For typical daily use of both the inner and outer screens, expect around 24 hours of battery life. In similar use cases, the iPhone Duo’s inner screen lasts 3x longer than an iPad Mini, thanks to efficiency gains from the new A20 processor.
Like other modern iPhone models, the Duo includes both a USB-C port and MagSafe wireless charging. Like the new iPhone 18 models, it supports 60W fast charging (previous iPhones maxed at 40W), meaning you can charge to 50% in just 20 minutes. The MagSafe wireless charger supports up to 25W, bring the battery up to 50% in 30 minutes using that method.
Both the inner and outer screens use Apple’s latest Super Retina XDR OLED displays. Keeping with the iPad Mini comparison, the Duo offers a faster 120Hz refresh rate vs. the iPad Mini’s 60Hz for smoother screen interactions. The Duo’s inner screen is much brighter too, maxing out at 3,000 nits, vs. 500 for the iPad Mini.
iPhone Duo Compromises
The Duo is far from perfect, and there will naturally be some compromises when you try to cram both a handheld iPhone and tablet-size screen into one device. First, the inner screen must be flexible in the middle as it bends to fold. This “crease” was fairly noticeable in the early Samsung foldable phones, but based on early reviews at Apple’s press event, it’s barely noticeable on the Duo. A sophisticated hinge behind the crease supports the Duo’s folding capabilities. Apple takes hardware engineering seriously, but both the screen crease and the hinge’s mechanical action are untested, so it’s still unclear how they will hold up after years of use.
When unfolded, the Duo measures only 5.2mm thick, the thinnest iPhone yet. However, when folded, the depth doubles to 11.3mm, and it would definitely be more noticeable in your pocket. The Duo weighs 0.56lbs, right between the lighter iPhone 18 Pro (0.47 lbs) and an iPad Mini (0.65 lbs). That’s likely manageable, but worth considering since it’ll be with you at all times.
This thinner size also means compromises on several core features. It lacks Face ID, so biometric unlocking uses Touch ID. It has cameras on both the back and inner display, but no telephoto option like the recent iPhone Pro models. On the plus side, the inner screen contains no notches or cutouts, thanks to the FaceTime camera being embedded under the display.
The iPhone Duo as an EFB
The iPhone Duo is available for pre-order starting Friday, October 16, so we can only speculate about its utility in the cockpit for now. Pilots have been flying for years now using the larger iPhone Max as a primary EFB, and it works well if you have eagle eyes and don’t mind interactions on a smaller screen. If you consider the iPad Mini’s 8″ screen size the bare minimum, the Duo’s inner 7.6″ screen might appeal if you want to eliminate one piece of hardware from the flight bag. Despite a slightly smaller screen, the Duo’s battery should last at least twice as long as an iPad Mini. And based on the tech specs mentioned earlier, the screen can reach a much higher peak brightness.
A new potential challenge, though, will be mounting. There are many reliable, low-cost options for mounting a traditional iPhone, like suction cups with MagSafe magnets or clamp attachments. You can mount the Duo similarly using the magnet on the back, but likely only in the folded position to view the smaller front screen. It’s also unclear how a traditional clamp or cradle mount would work with the Duo without putting pressure on the folding mechanism when it’s opened.
Then it comes to your personal preference about whether flying with one EFB and a single point of failure makes sense. If you’re primarily flying VFR and have a glass panel or Garmin GTN navigator installed, a single iPhone EFB makes perfect sense. However, if you’re flying single-pilot IFR and relying on your EFB for IFR charts and weather, we recommend always having some type of backup on hand. For most pilots, this means flying with an iPad front and center and keeping an iPhone or second iPad on standby.
Lastly, trading in your iPad Mini and iPhone for a Duo won’t save you any money. The base-level iPhone Duo with 256GB starts at $1,999, while you could buy both a new iPad Mini and iPhone 18 Pro for $1,798. If you’re an early adopter and want Apple’s latest tech, this new iPhone is definitely worth checking out. Just make sure to hold onto your iPad until you get some flights in first, so you can learn what works and what doesn’t in the cockpit.
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Nice review. Thanks.
Although I see you have pictures of ForeFlight in your article, as of the release of the Duo, ForeFlight told me it was not a supported device. So I wouldn’t rush to get a Duo to use with ForeFlight without contacting them directly for updates.
I’m an independent IOS Designer who designs apps for Apple products. We are ways away from getting used to this new screen. The SDK’s that we need to design / update our app’s for it were released yesterday Sept 18. Give it some time we will get the hang of it but right now stick with your iPad and as the article mentions if you use the Duo, bring a backup.
I use an iPad Air as primary and my iPhone as a backup EFB.
The biggest question to me for possible use as an EFB and replacement for an iPad Mini is: Does it have a built-in stand alone GPS like the iPad Mini with radio receiver? The standard iPhone does not. For use as an EFB, having the GPS part is invaluable to me with my iPad Mini.
I am glad to see an Apple product with a 3,000 nits screen. It should be visible in a bubble canopy like an RV. I hope they can also solve the overheating problem. I would consider switching from the Samsung Z Fold 6 if they can address both issues.
Sorry guys … the “Fold” is a “solution looking for a problem.”
Just like the “Vision Pro”, it’s an over-priced (by double?) “gee-whiz” device that Apple is arrogantly trying to shove down our throats.
Cash-strapped student pilots have better things to spend their money on.
Am I wrong to believe that cash strapped students shouldn’t be using electronic Gee Whiz devices in the cockpit?
They should be learning basic navigation and e6Bs, as well as old fashioned flight planning, so they can survive when the Gee Whiz devices all go dark on them during a flight.
So I agree with you that they don’t need to be buying these for their training.
But for the rest of us who have been flying for 30 years, we just might like a combo device like these. I spent twice the price of this phone on a helmet to protect my “squash” in my back country and off airport flying I do.
This is an interesting article in that I am just now trying to make the decision on upgrading to the new iPad mini 8 from my 5 model. I also utilize an iPhone mini 13 which is coming to the end of it’s support cycle as well.
I was flying with my new Lift helmet and with the visor down, the 500 nit iPad screen nearly disappears. I can see my AV-30’s just fine on the panel, but I use my mini for traffic and navigation (VFR).
I like the thought of a 3000 nit “iPad”.
The GPS might be an issue, but my BOM has an integral GPS in it so it might not be a problem for me if the phone does not have integral GPS built in.
Thanks for the article. I think some research is in order before making a decision.
I fly a Pilatus P3-05 and I have an ipad mini 7 as my EFB. The issue is that with the glass canopy of the P3, the sunlight takes away all chances to read it. The 500 NITS brightness is nothing. Much better with my iPhone Air. The issue is that the small cockpit does not allow me to fit as many devices. The Duo is part of my interest because it has 3000 NITS brightness, the screen is bigger than my iPhone Air or Pro Max and I can fit it in my cockpit, if there is a 1″ ball mount holder available in future. It has the pencil. On top it is weather sealed, which makes it more usable et the beach than the Mini. The A17Pro was powerful enough on my Mini. I would not switch. The other thing is that the iPadPro11 here in CH costs 900 bucks more if you want it with nano texture glass. Non reflective in cockpit is excellent. And since I am having helmet with visor down during flight, the finger print unlock on the Duo is perfect. My worries. Foreflight and Garmin Pilot won’t use the full screen.