#iphone-duo

An early benchmark result attributed to the iPhone Duo has appeared, giving a first look at how Apple's foldable performs ahead of its October 23 launch, MacRumors reports.

According to the report, published October 14, the result is a Geekbench 7 entry for a device with the model identifier iPhone19,4, running iOS 27.1. It lists a single-core score of 3,986 and a multi-core score of 11,067. The listing shows a 6-core CPU and a 7-core GPU configuration for the A20 Pro, a chip built on a 2-nanometer process, with a base frequency of 4.93GHz. The same base frequency has appeared in benchmark results for the iPhone 18 Pro.

Apple CEO John Ternus has used a new interview with TIME to explain why Apple took so long to enter the foldable market, describing some early rival foldables as feeling "kind of cheap and crappy," according to MacRumors and 9to5Mac, which summarized the piece.

Ternus is on the cover of TIME's Best Inventions of 2026 issue, which MacRumors says is due October 26. The interview centers on the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable, which opens for pre-orders today, October 16, ahead of its October 23 on-sale date.

According to 9to5Mac's reading of the interview, Ternus was involved in Apple's foldable research as far back as 2011, when he and five other engineers filed a patent application covering the batteries and circuit boards such a device might need…

Apple has detailed how customers can pay for and accessorise the iPhone Duo as pre-orders open today, October 16, at 5 a.m. PT on apple.com and in the Apple Store app. According to an updated Apple Newsroom post, buyers can choose home delivery or pickup at a local Apple Store.

Apple says eligible iPhone 13 or later models can receive instant trade-in credit ranging from $175 to $885, which can also reduce monthly payments. Through the Apple Upgrade programme, which is run with Klarna, customers can choose a 12- or 24-month lease; Apple lists a 24-month lease from $57.99 per month, before taxes and trade-in credit. Apple Card Monthly Installments are offered at 0% APR in the U.S., with 3% Daily Cash earned up front.

Apple is preparing a large in-store push for the iPhone Duo, but buyers may find stock tight, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. His reporting, relayed by MacRumors on October 11, describes how Apple Stores are being set up ahead of the foldable's arrival. These are reported details, not Apple announcements.

Gurman says Apple will dedicate a section of its Fifth Avenue flagship in New York to the iPhone Duo. Most other locations are said to be adding a spotlight table built on Apple's white display tables with central posts, plus a new fixture that shows the phone folding and unfolding.

Apple has opened a "get ready" step for the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, letting buyers prepare their order before pre-orders go live on Friday, October 16. According to a MacRumors report published on October 15, customers have until 9 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday to complete the step in the Apple Store app or on Apple's online store.

Apple says completing the preparation lets shoppers check out with a single click once ordering begins. In practice, that means choosing a configuration and confirming details such as payment and delivery in advance, so the final purchase takes a tap rather than a full checkout. Apple has used similar preparation tools ahead of other high-demand launches, where stock and delivery slots can move quickly.