What happens when a foldable phone screen becomes part of the photography experience itself? With the Phonegram iPhone Duo, Apple is not just relying on a new design; it is leveraging the dual screens and the folding mechanism to offer unconventional ways to take photos and conduct video calls. While the phone hides a set of smart features that might change the way the camera is used, it unfortunately abandons a number of functions we are accustomed to seeing in Pro models. In this article, we will take you on a fun and quick tour to learn about what the iPhone Duo camera can do and what it cannot.
Smart Take Feature
Apple introduces the Smart Take feature, which uses artificial intelligence to determine the moment when everyone, including the phone owner, is ready for a group photo. This way, the user does not need to set a timer or stay out of the shot to take it. The new feature works thanks to the foldable design and dual-screen setup, where the user can place the iPhone Duo in a half-folded position to stand on its own, then step into the frame and let the phone take the photo automatically at the right moment.
Kid Cue Feature
Kid Cue is a new feature from Apple aimed at children, displaying entertaining animations inspired by characters from the famous cartoon series Peanuts to help children look at the camera while taking photos.
Duo Preview Feature
The Duo Preview feature takes direct advantage of having two screens, as the camera app displays a live preview of the image on both screens. This allows the person being photographed to see the result directly and make adjustments to their pose or framing before the photo is taken.
Duo FaceTime Feature
The Duo FaceTime feature allows people with the user to participate in a FaceTime call using the external screen, while the phone owner uses the internal screen. This way, more than one person can appear in the call without crowding around the phone or passing it between them.
Design Feature
The iPhone Duo can operate in more than one position, including the half-folded mode, and can stand on its own while making FaceTime calls or recording video without needing to be held. The folding mechanism itself acts as a built-in stand or a tripod-like base, making the phone practical for taking selfies or long-exposure photography (a photography technique where the camera shutter is kept open for a long period of time).
The 48MP main rear camera can also be used to take high-quality selfies, using the external screen as a viewfinder, a feature not available on traditional flat-design iPhones.
Camera System
The iPhone Duo relies on a dual-camera system called Dual Fusion, led by a 48MP main camera, which is the same camera found in the standard iPhone 17, not the Pro models. This camera captures 24MP photos with a 26mm focal length by default, along with 12MP photos with 2x optical quality zoom at 52mm.
The main camera also supports optical image stabilization via sensor-shift, but it does not support the second generation of this technology available in Pro models. The phone also lacks support for spatial photos and the ProRAW format. The second camera is an ultra-wide 48MP lens with a 13mm focal length, with macro photography support. Since there is no separate telephoto lens, the phone reaches 2x optical quality zoom, with the ability to zoom out optically by 2x, while digital zoom reaches up to 10x.
Video Recording
The camera introduces the new Smart Focus Tracking feature, which relies on artificial intelligence to keep the camera focused on the subject constantly; it can also resume tracking a person or object if they leave the frame and return. This feature is also available on the iPhone 18 Pro.
Apple’s foldable phone can record 4K Dolby Vision videos at up to 120 frames per second, along with Cinematic mode, which allows recording 4K Dolby Vision videos at up to 60 frames per second. For the first time, Apple allows adding cinematic effects to video after finishing shooting, a feature available on the iPhone Duo and Pro models. Apple has also improved low-light video recording when shooting at 1080p and added the option to record Time-lapse videos in 4K and Dolby Vision format.
Front Camera
The external front camera comes with 12MP, not 18MP like the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 Pro. However, it offers the same remaining features. The internal screen houses a 1080p FaceTime camera mounted under the display.
What is the iPhone Duo camera missing?
Despite the features we reviewed above, the photography system in the iPhone Duo is simpler than the one in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. It lacks a set of professional functions, which include the following:
- Telephoto lens
- Pro Controls
- Apple Reference Image
- Variable aperture
- Second generation of Sensor-shift OIS
- Adaptive True Tone flash
- Spatial photo and video capture
- ProRAW format
- ProRes format
- ProRes RAW format
- Genlock support (synchronizes the iPhone with professional cameras or other iPhones, so they all start capturing the same image at the same time)
- Apple Log 2 video recording
- Studio-quality four-microphone array
Finally, the iPhone Duo will be available for pre-order on October 16, and will officially arrive in markets on October 23. The price of Apple’s foldable phone will start at $1,999. Despite the capabilities and new ideas in photography that the iPhone Duo offers, the high price will be a major problem for many, especially since the phone lacks some of the professional photography features found in Pro models.
Do you think the photography features in the iPhone Duo justify its high price? Let us know in the comments!
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