After nearly a decade on the sidelines, Apple officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, unveiled at its Sept. 9 event at Apple Park.

Rather than treating the first generation as an experiment filled with inevitable compromises, Apple has taken a familiar approach: examining shortcomings that Android foldable users have lived with for years and attempting to address them through both hardware and software.

Android Authority highlighted eight aspects of the iPhone Duo that could offer lessons for rivals including Samsung, Google and Motorola as they develop their 2027 foldables.

1. Bringing stylus support back

The iPhone Duo supports Apple Pencil input on both its external display and larger foldable inner screen, allowing users to take notes, draw and sign documents.

Android manufacturers, meanwhile, have recently moved away from stylus support. Samsung dropped S Pen compatibility beginning with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and it remains absent from the Galaxy Z Fold 8, while Google's Pixel Fold lineup has never supported a stylus.

For a foldable designed to transform into a small tablet, the inability to write or draw directly on its larger screen remains a significant limitation.

2. Full IP68 dust and water resistance

Although the iPhone Duo is slightly heavier and thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, it carries an IP68 rating for protection against dust and water.

After nearly a decade of foldable development, Samsung's flagship foldable still does not offer full IP68 protection, leaving an expensive device more vulnerable to fine dust particles.

Google is an exception, having introduced IP68 protection with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Other Android manufacturers still have ground to make up.

3. Keeping multi-angle folding

Samsung redesigned the Galaxy Z Fold 8's titanium hinge to improve durability and reduce the screen crease, but the change came at the expense of its ability to remain partially open at multiple angles, commonly known as Flex Mode.

The iPhone Duo, by contrast, combines a less visible crease with the ability to stay open at various angles.

That allows users to place it on a table for photos using the rear camera, make video calls or split tasks across the display without having to fully open the phone.

4. Making anti-glare displays standard

Flexible materials used in large foldable screens can be highly reflective, making them uncomfortable to view under bright indoor lighting or outdoors.

Apple addresses the issue on the iPhone Duo with a nanotexture finish designed to reduce glare.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 also has an anti-reflective coating, but rivals such as the Pixel 11 Pro Fold continue to use highly reflective displays.

5. Building Qi2 and MagSafe magnets into the phone

Magnetic wireless charging has become increasingly common, yet many flagship Android foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8, still lack built-in Qi2 magnetic rings and instead rely on third-party cases.

The iPhone Duo ships with MagSafe/Qi2 support integrated into the device, allowing it to work directly with Apple's broader ecosystem of magnetic accessories.

For an expensive flagship, native magnetic charging eliminates the need for users to buy a special case simply to access the feature.

6. Bringing back the under-display camera

The iPhone Duo places its inner camera beneath the large foldable display.

When users browse the web or watch movies, the screen remains uninterrupted by a visible camera cutout. The camera becomes active when needed for FaceTime calls or photos.

Samsung was an early adopter of under-display cameras in foldables but removed the feature with the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Apple's implementation suggests the technology can still offer an attractive solution for large foldable displays if the underlying optical challenges are handled effectively.

7. Making the crease less visible

The crease remains one of the most recognizable compromises of foldable smartphones, even after multiple generations of development.

It is still clearly visible on Android devices such as the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Razr Fold.

Early hands-on impressions suggest Apple has made the iPhone Duo's crease considerably less noticeable on its first attempt, pointing to the maturity of its hinge and display engineering.

For a device whose main attraction is its expansive inner screen, reducing that visual interruption can make a meaningful difference to everyday use.

8. Offering up to 2TB of storage

Storage becomes particularly important on an expensive device designed for long-term productivity and content creation, potentially replacing some of the functions of a tablet.

While competing Android foldables top out at 1TB, Apple offers the iPhone Duo with as much as 2TB of internal storage.

The 2TB version carries a high price, but the additional option could prove useful for professional users storing large amounts of data or 4K video directly on their device.

The iPhone Duo is Apple's first attempt at a foldable smartphone, entering a category where Android manufacturers have accumulated years of experience.

Its significance may therefore extend beyond Apple's own ecosystem. By addressing several compromises that have persisted through multiple generations of Android foldables, the device could raise expectations for what buyers demand from the category in 2027.

Du Lam