It's been almost 10 years since Apple released the iPhone X, which ushered in a new era of design for the company's flagship handsets. Now, Apple is venturing into uncharted territory once again with the iPhone Duo, which just might be the company's most interesting new phone (or gadget in general) in nearly a decade. Packing a 5.4-inch external OLED display along with an even larger 7.6-inch flexible OLED panel on the inside, the iPhone Duo reminds me a lot of the original Pixel Fold, except that Apple has refined its chassis even further. The sides of the phone feature lovely rounded edges that make it super easy to open and the transition animation that plays when you switch from the outside display to the main interior panel is a work of art. It's practically seamless, while subtle gradient and depth of field effects help sell the magic of Apple's first foldable device.

That said, despite a beautifully crafted frame made from titanium that includes IP68 dust and water resistance, the Duo is rather hefty. At 11.3mm (when closed) and weighing 254 grams, Apple's fold is significantly heavier and thicker than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 (201 grams and 9.7mm when closed). I really wanted to post some side-by-side comparisons between the iPhone Duo and both the Z Fold 8 and the original Pixel Fold to really highlight some of their design differences, but I was asked not to by Apple representatives.

Around the outside, the Duo features a full complement of buttons including a lock key with built-in Touch ID, a dedicated camera control and a volume rocker. At first, I thought putting the volume rocker on the top of the phone was an interesting choice, but it makes a lot of sense, especially for anyone who shifts between portrait and landscape modes frequently. Another subtle feature of the Duo is that it's really good at sensing when it's open and to what degree. It supports both tent and tabletop modes, with the former allowing the Duo to turn into a fancy clock or standalone calendar. That said, you can also use the phone when it's merely partially bent, which I imagine will be really nice for reading ebooks.

Inside, the Duo features a heavy matte nano texture on its gorgeous main display that serves a few different purposes. In addition to almost completely eliminating annoying reflections, it also neatly disguises the Duo's crease. Yes, there is one, but I must say the divot that runs down the middle of the center is very faint, to the point where it often easier to feel it with your finger than observe it with your eyes. However, one of my favorite little features on the Duo is Apple's inclusion of a under-display FaceTime camera sensor that almost entirely disappears when it's not in use. Finally, while the Duo's outside screen is shiny, its matte interior should also help make stylus input feel really natural, as the phone supports the Apple Pencil across both of its screens.