Apple’s Foldable iPhone Is Wild! An Expert Reveals What You Need To Know Before Buying

So much news from the Apple event. Let's scrub right to the end, because this was crazy. iPhone Duo. Yeah, it folds. Apple is finally going foldable and with the new CEO at the helm, the company is entering one of its most interesting eras yet. Joining us now to learn more about what Apple unveiled this week is our friend Mark Spoonauer, global editor in chief of Tom's Guide. Mark, thank you so much for being with us today. Thanks for having me. Yeah, a lot of exciting news. So let's get to it. Apple fans, of course, have been waiting for years now for this foldable phone. What was your biggest reaction when you finally saw the iPhone Duo? I would say the fact that it just feels like it works like when you pick it up, like you're firstly sort of taken aback by like the slick animations and everything else. But they didn't just make a foldable phone. Apple actually redesigned iOS 27 so that it actually feels like it works on a foldable. So, for example, when you're opening apps, they're on the right hand side, whether you're on the external screen or on the internal one. And they've also made a really big deal about like durability, because I think one of the biggest complaints that people have and worries about foldable phones is that is this thing going to break like within the first couple of months? So I think they did a really good job like reinforcing the hinge, for example, and it seems like super sturdy. The frame is actually made of titanium, which is stronger than what Samsung has. And when you actually a lot of people also complain about the so-called crease, so like the fold in the middle of the fold. And they did a really good job of hiding that with what's called a nanotexture display. So while you can see it at certain angles, like I could barely feel it. And I think once you actually start watching content, especially video, it kind of disappears. That's really exciting and encouraging. I mean, you know, the iPhone Duo is entering a foldable market where Samsung and others have had a lot of years to experiment. It doesn't sound like it feels like Apple is playing catch up here. I don't know if that's kind of what you've witnessed from having that phone in your hands. What does it feel like? And tell us a little bit more about how it's this folding capacity. Yeah, of course. I think when you actually, when you pick it up, like one thing I will say is that it's a little bit heavier and thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, for example. I think Samsung did a really good job of making it feel like you're not having like a penalty for carrying a foldable phone around. But I do think the Duo is pretty compact. So it's a 5.4 inch display on the outside, 7.6 inches on the inside. And that's why they call it Duo. It's basically a phone and tablet in a single device. And I think probably like a key difference, I think between Apple and Samsung's ecosystem is that I'm pretty confident that from day one, the app story is going to be pretty good. They talked about Zoom being optimized and Slack. And despite having seven years of development on the Android side, a lot of like foldable phone apps on Android devices kind of feel like stretched out phone apps. So Slack is a good example. Instagram, like the comments actually cover the content when you like, when you open it. So I think you'll see like more quote unquote, dual pane apps, you know, on the iPhone Duo. And I think if I had to guess that might actually have something to do with the fact that it's not coming out until October because they want to give developers a little bit more time to optimize their stuff. At a starting price of $19.99, you know, sounds like a lot. But what do you think it is that Apple will need to deliver once they get their hands on this phone? It's definitely a high price. I don't think it's a coincidence that they rolled out the Apple upgrade program, which is basically like leasing your phone for a cheaper monthly price and being able to trade it in when you're done. There's no getting around the fact that $2,000 is expensive for a flagship phone, but it is pretty much in line with other foldables on the market so far. It's actually right in between the price for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which starts at $1,900 and the Fold 8 Ultra, which is $2,100 and a little bit more than Google. So I do think that they're going to have to convince people that having this two devices in one is worth the premium. Apple is also claiming that it has 31 hours of battery life on the inner display and a 50% charge in just 20 minutes. How impressive are those numbers in the real world? Yeah, I think it really comes down to real world usage. What we do at Tom's Guide, we actually have our own web surfing test. So we'll surf the web until a phone dies at 50% brightness and the best phones last about 18 hours or longer on a charge. I think if people really care about the longest possible battery life, they might want to go for the iPhone 18 Pro Max this year because it has an even bigger battery. But yeah, I think the big question is what happens when you're using a 7.6 inch display for multiple hours a day? Can you get close to the 12 to maybe even 24 hours of everyday use? That's something that we're going to have to test. Yeah. How big of a deal is the A20 Pro chip and the new C2 modem? And what could that mean for things like the battery life and performance? Sure. I think the A20 Pro chip, because it's a two nanometer processor, it basically means they can squeeze more transistors onto the chip. And they also redesigned how the chip works so that the memory is not seated on top of the actual processor. They're separated. And I think because of those things, it's going to be a lot more efficient. I think they said up to 20%, if not more efficient than the A19 Pro. So it's not just about the size of the battery, it's the chip and the software and all of that working together. And I think that it's going to give them an advantage, but also in terms of performance, I think it's going to help too, especially for gaming. They showed off some console quality games that can play up to like 120 frames per second. And it's obviously more immersive when you have that big display. Now let's talk about the other huge change over at Apple. John Ternes taking over from Tim Cook. What does his engineering and product background tell you about where Apple could be headed? Sure. I think for now, it kind of just feels like a continuation of Cook's legacy, but it kind of makes sense because the iPhone Duo was in development long before Cook decided to step down. But at the same time, Ternes is known for having an eye for detail and being an engineer. So I actually think that he's going to have a huge focus on products, and obviously making sure that this device is a success, but I think the next true test for him is AI and especially AI hardware, right? What's going to be Apple's answer to smart glasses? Are they going to actually enter the market or are they going to be scared off by all of the privacy concerns that people have? And one thing that was really interesting from yesterday's keynote are the audio features that are built into the Apple Watch. So they have this like live rewind feature. So like if someone comes to your table and you're at a restaurant, you're like, well, what did that person say? And then you can go back and like see what they said. So imagine like one of the rumors is that Apple is working on like an AI pendant that you would sort of wear around all day and it might like sense your world and always be listening and stuff like that. So I'm excited for this next chapter of sort of like AI plus hardware innovation that could come under Ternes' leadership. Yeah, do you see any of those innovations coming to some of the existing products that so many of us have become accustomed to using? Yeah, I mean, I think a good example is the AirPods with cameras, right? So they're supposedly called the AirPods Ultra and it actually leaked in Apple's own software. So you know that at least that they're working on it even though they won't comment on the device. But what's interesting is that as soon as that leaked, people were like, I don't, or a lot of people were saying, I don't want cameras on my AirPods. I don't want to be followed around and not knowing I'm being filmed. But I think the difference with that device based on how it's being positioned is that the cameras are infrared. They wouldn't be recording what's around you and they would only help you sense things or look at things and know what they are, like visual intelligence. Like what's the rating for this restaurant or tell me about this landmark, that sort of stuff. So, but even then I think the backlash is pretty telling. So they have to be really careful entering that kind of market. Definitely. A lot of interesting and exciting stuff coming from there. Thank you so much, Mark Spoonauer, Global Editor-in-Chief of Tom's Guide. It's been a pleasure having you today. Thank you.