Apple was never going to be first to market with a folding phone. The first models were clunky and riddled with flaws, but almost a decade after Samsung’s Galaxy Fold introduced the category, Apple was finally ready to give us an iPhone that bends. Rivals, not just Samsung, but Google, Xiaomi, Huawei, and others, have spent years ironing out the problems that come with folding a screen, and the iPhone Duo benefits from all that groundwork. 

I’ve used the Duo as my main phone for the past week, having moved from an iPhone 18 Pro Max, and it’s the most refined foldable I’ve tried, even if it doesn’t get everything right. Here’s how Apple’s first folding phone has fared so far.

Folding done the Apple way

Like most first-gen Apple products, build quality is where the iPhone Duo shines brightest. Its titanium frame feels more than sturdy enough for daily use, and with an IP68 rating for dust and water, only the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold matches its level of protection among foldables. The hinge is stiff in a reassuring way, so you can leave the Duo partly open at almost any angle, whether that’s tented on a desk, propped up at a 90-degree angle, or somewhere in between, and it has a satisfying snap when you close it.

Folded, the Duo has a passport-sized footprint, making it compact enough to slide neatly into a pocket. It’s a touch shorter than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and rather than following Samsung’s symmetrical approach, Apple has given the Duo rounded corners on one edge and square ones on the other, similar to the Xiaomi 18 Fold. I wasn’t convinced by the design at first, but it has grown on me over the last week. I’ve also found the curved side easier to hold when the phone is closed, and once unfolded, it resembles a mini iPad mini, which makes it clear why Apple chose the asymmetrical look. At 254g, the Duo is weighty, but I haven’t found it too heavy, and when open, the weight feels surprisingly well balanced.

Face ID is the most notable omission, and anyone who’s used a newer iPhone in the last few years will notice. In its place is a Touch ID fingerprint reader built into the side button, an approach borrowed from the iPad, and it unlocks reliably whether open or closed. After years of simply glancing at my iPhone, however, even a quick task like resting a finger on the power button feels sluggish by comparison, and more than once I’ve instinctively lifted the Duo toward my face and waited for it to unlock. Apple Watch owners can rely on their wrist to unlock the Duo, which softens the blow somewhat, but that doesn’t help with passwords or Apple Pay purchases. 

Apple also dropped the Action button for the Duo, and shifted the volume keys to the top edge of the device, which I found (and still find) awkward. Neither the missing Action button nor the volume button placement is likely to be a dealbreaker, but if you use the Action button like I do, it’s something to consider.

A matte display that hides the crease

The two screens on the Duo are both excellent with ample brightness, smooth scrolling, and plenty of punch. The 5.4-inch outer display is compact and comfortable to use one-handed, with dimensions that will remind long-time iPhone users of the cute 13 mini, albeit broader and chunkier. Open the Duo, and you get a 7.6-inch inner panel with a glare-free matte finish, the feature I loved most when I first saw the Duo and still appreciate after a week of use.

Matte coatings aren’t new to Apple hardware, but this is the first time they’ve appeared on an iPhone, and they make a huge difference to the device’s overall feel. Glare is kept to a minimum, and the crease only really shows when light catches it, or you run your finger across it – something that can’t be said for other folding phones. The surface feels smoother under your finger than the glossy displays on rival foldables, too. The trade-off is reduced contrast, so darker scenes lose some depth, and smudges are easier to spot. Sadly, the box also doesn’t include a Polishing Cloth, which is standard when you upgrade to nano-texture finish on other devices.

Smooth and intuitive performance

In everyday use, the Duo has been fast and fluid, whether I’m switching between apps, working on documents side by side, running AI tasks through Siri AI or Claude, or playing games (the Toastie app is a great one to try and more addictive than you might think). The A20 Pro chip runs a little warmer than the iPhone 18 Pro, but that’s to be expected given the slimmer halves.

What has impressed me most is how iOS handles the fold. The animation as you transition between open and closed was a major talking point when Apple first announced the iPhone Duo, and it hasn’t lost its charm in use. Apps pick up exactly where you left off as you switch between the two displays, layouts adapt when the phone is half-open, and the on-screen keyboard reshapes itself to suit each posture. There’s an incredible amount of polish here that makes the Duo a delight to use. 

When I returned from the Surprise and Shine event in September, the most common question I got was about the typing experience, and having now had a chance to test it properly, I’ve found it excellent. I write on my phone alot, and plowing through a 2,000-word feature in Pages using the Duo wasn’t frustrating at all. On the external display, the keyboard is even short enough to leave more than half the screen for viewing, which isn’t true of all folding phones in this format.

However, the Duo’s interface takes some getting used to, whether you’re a long-time iPhone user or switching from Android. The dock-style toolbar sits vertically on the right side, and for now it can’t be moved to the left, which left-handed users may not appreciate. Nor can you simply flip the Duo around, as you can with an Apple Watch. 

Elsewhere, apps that haven’t been updated for the Duo’s layout show a black bar on the right of the outer display where the controls should be. Inside, non-optimized apps just hover in the middle of the inner screen and look terrible. The iOS apps that have been optimized, however, show what the Duo is capable of and restore faith in the overall experience. Netflix, Slack, Sonos and Apple’s native apps, such as Music, News and Pages, all work fabulously, filling the space and delivering a fantastic experience.

A decade of single-screen iPhones is a hard habit to break, but once I made a point of regularly unfolding the Duo, I really enjoyed using the inner display. Multitasking is incredibly intuitive, and running apps like Mail and Calendar, or Messages and Photos, side by side makes complete sense, while other apps such as Slack really benefit from the larger space. Longtime iPhone users will naturally want to stick to the external display longer than theys hould, but once they get into the habit of opening the Duo, it’ll be worth it.

Camera compromises

The camera is generally the first place where Apple makes sacrifices in its iPhones, and the Duo is no exception. On the back, Apple has paired two 48MP sensors, one wide and one ultra-wide, and omitted a telephoto lens, so 2x zoom relies on a crop of the main sensor. Photography enthusiasts will also miss the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture and manual Pro controls; in my testing, I’ve so far found that the Duo needs an extra moment to finish processing shots taken after dark.

That’s disappointing at this price, though the photos I’ve taken so far are still very good, with true-to-life tones and crisp shots of everything from my dog to flowers in my garden. On the outer display, the front camera adopts the square sensor format from recent iPhones, letting you switch between portrait and landscape selfies while holding the phone upright, though its resolution dips slightly compared with the Pro models and last year’s iPhone 17. 

Meanwhile, the inner camera, hidden beneath the display, produces noticeably softer images, so I’d stick to using it for FaceTime and video calls. A better option for selfies is Duo Preview, which mirrors the rear camera’s viewfinder onto the outer screen so you can see yourself as you shoot, with Smart Capture handy for automatically getting the group shot without an awkward arm. Kids Cue, which brings Snoopy up on the external screen to grab the attention of younger subjects, is a nice touch, too, and a particular favorite in my home with my kids.

Battery life and charging

Battery life has been the Duo’s biggest surprise. Coming from an iPhone 18 Pro Max, I was braced for a healthy drop in stamina, but the Duo has held up remarkably well, even with heavy use. I finished most of my testing days with around 25 percent left, even that was with iCloud syncing everything in the background, a couple of hours of gaming and video streaming, writing in Pages, sending emails and posting to social media, as well as heavy camera testing, so it didn’t get an easy ride. 

Overall, I found it to outlast the iPhone 18 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, but it falls slightly short of the Pro Max in mixed use.

You can charge the Duo via USB-C, on a Qi2 wireless pad, or with a MagSafe puck. Plugged into a 60W adapter, it reached half charge from flat in roughly 20 minutes. Apple only supplies a USB-C cable in the box, though, so you’ll need to factor in the cost of a power adapter if you don’t already have one. You might as well add one of those new $9 polishing cloths while you’re at it, as you will want that.

Worth the price of admission

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, making it pricier than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 and $800 more than an iPhone 18 Pro. Demand hasn’t suffered, though, as initial stock sold out shortly after preorders went live, and Apple’s estimated delivery dates have already slipped to January 2027.

Based on my experience so far, the Duo is the most premium foldable I’ve tested, with intuitive software that makes it a pleasure to use. It’s not without fault—I’d restore Face ID and give it the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera hardware for starters—but no device, especially not a first-generation one, is perfect.

For now, anyone who puts photography first, or who struggles to picture themselves unfolding the Duo every day, will be better served by the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max. But if you’ve been waiting for Apple’s take on a foldable and can see yourself reading, writing, and juggling apps on that larger, gorgeous matte canvas, the Duo is a promising debut, and I’ve loved using it.

WhatsApp and other messaging apps have an option in their settings that allows you to automatically save received photos to your iPhone. This can mean that, after a while, your photo library turns into a jumble of all sorts of images. Although the Search in Photos feature gets better every year and can find even the most unusual images, every user with an extensive photo library would like a bit more clarity.

For such cases, Apple has introduced a special filter in iOS 27. The Captured by Me filter displays only the photos that the user has taken with their own camera. You can enable the new filter by tapping the icon with the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner of the Photos library.

In iOS 27, a new option appears in the Collection section under Utilities: Captured by Me. This means the system only displays your own photos. The filter function does not distinguish between specific iPhone models, but displays photos that have ever been taken with an iPhone linked to the same Apple ID.

There are other filtering options in the main view of the Photos library that were available even before iOS 27. For example, you can hide screenshots entirely from the Photos library by disabling the Screenshots option under View Options in the same menu.

TL;DR: This bundle gets you 27 Mac apps with lifetime licenses for $29.99 (reg. $390).

Mac utilities tend to arrive one subscription at a time, a few dollars a month each, until a menu bar full of small tools costs more than the apps you actually use. The 27-App Lifetime Mac Bundle bundles the full enSili catalog of native macOS utilities into one purchase, and lifetime licenses for all 27 are on sale for $29.99 (reg. $390).

Designers get Specimen for font management and Color Hound for pulling palettes out of any image. Developers get JSON Wizard, Regex Wizard, CodeCounter, and DMG Wizard for disk images. Everyday upkeep runs through tools like MemoryBooster for freeing inactive memory, Tidier for sorting files automatically, AllClips for clipboard history, and RenameMe for batch renaming with live previews. For media work, use ToAnything for bulk conversion, PhotoFoundry for batch processing, and Watermarker+ for adding watermarks.

Every app runs natively on macOS 10.12 or later, built by independent developer Yanis Zafiropulos, who has been making Mac software since 2010. Each license allows 2 activations, so a desktop and a laptop both stay covered, and free updates continue through each app’s next major version. Pay once for a toolkit that you can use forever.

Get the 27-App Lifetime Mac Bundle on sale for $29.99.

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Most AI chatbots charge a monthly fee for one company’s models, so comparing answers usually means paying for several. AskAnyModel puts more than 50 AI models in one browser window, and with code SAVE10, a lifetime subscription to the Pro Plan is marked down to $29.97 (MSRP $499) through October 25.

Type a prompt once and send it to up to six models at the same time, including GPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok. Their answers appear side by side with response times and token counts, so you can see which model got it right before you trust the output.

Thirty standard models, including DeepSeek, Llama, and Mistral, come with no usage limits. For flagship models like GPT-5.4 and Claude Sonnet 5, you get 500 premium credits every month. Image generation is unlimited across several models and doesn’t touch those credits, and you can switch models mid-conversation without losing context.

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Until October 25, use code SAVE10 to get a lifetime subscription to the AskAnyModel AI Pro Plan on sale for $29.97 (MSRP $499).

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What’s new on Apple TV? What are the best shows and movies? How do you sign up and what does it cost? This article will answer all of that, and you’ll also get a list of all the currently-available Apple TV content.

There’s also a ton of new content in the works for Apple’s service, too. If you want to know what’s on the way, check out our list of upcoming Apple TV shows and movies.

Updated October 23: The second season of Where’s Wanda? is now streaming.

Latest Apple TV releases

• Where’s Wanda? (season 2)
  Released: October 21, 2026
• Tenzing
  Released: October 16, 2026
• Matchbox The Movie
  Released: October 9, 2026
• Small Prophets
  Released: October 7. ,2026
• The Last First: Winter K2
  Released: October 2, 2026
• Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars (season 2)
  Released: September 25, 2026
• Brothers
  Released: September 23, 2026
• Slow Horses
  Released: September 16, 2026

How to get Apple TV

You can subscribe to Apple TV on Apple’s website here, or via the Apple TV app on your device. It costs $12.99/£9.99 a month, which you can cancel at any time (Read: How to cancel an Apple subscription). You can also opt for a one-year subscription for $99/£89, which essentially gives you two months free each year.

Apple also offers various trials so that you can try out Apple TV before you subscribe. Take a look at our article explaining all the ways you can watch Apple TV for free, and the best Apple TV deals you can get.

Students can get Apple TV for free with an already subsidized Apple Music subscription.

Best shows on Apple TV

There’s far too much content on Apple TV to sift through it all yourself. If you’re looking for something to watch and don’t know where to start, here are a few of the Macworld staff’s favorite shows, series, and movies.

Full list of Apple TV shows and series

These are all the episodic series you can currently watch on Apple TV, including both recurring and limited series. This list is in alphabetical order.

Title	Premiere	Seasons / Episodes
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything	May 21, 2021	8 episodes
Acapulco	October 8, 2021	4 seasons, 40 episodes
Amazing Stories	March 6, 2020	1 season, 5 episodes
Amber Brown	July 29, 2022	1 season, 10 episodes
Bad Monkey	August 14, 2024	1 season, 10 episodes
Bad Sisters	August 19, 2022	2 seasons, 20 episodes
BE@RBRICK	March 21, 2025	1 season, 13 episodes
Becoming You	November 13, 2020	1 season, 6 episodes
Before	October 25, 2024	10 episodes
Best Foot Forward	July 22, 2022	1 season, 10 episodes
Big Beasts	April 21, 2023	1 season, 10 episodes
Black Bird	July 8, 2022	6 episodes
Boom! Boom! The World vs Boris Becker	April 7, 2023	2 episodes
Born to be Wild	December 19, 2025	6 episodes
Brothers	September 23, 2026	1 season, 8 episodes
Calls	March 19, 2021	1 season, 9 episodes
Camp Snoopy	June 14, 2024	2 seasons, 26 episodes
Cape Fear	June 5, 2026	10 episodes
Carême	April 30, 2025	1 season, 8 episodes
Carpool Karaoke	August 8, 2017	5 seasons, 75 episodes
Central Park	May 29, 2020	3 seasons, 39 episodes
Chief of War	August 1, 2025	9 episodes
Circuit Breakers	November 11, 2022	1 season, 7 episodes
City on Fire	May 12, 2023	1 season, 8 episodes
Constellation	February 21, 2024	1 season, 8 episodes
Cowboy Cartel	August 2, 2024	4 episodes
Criminal Record	January 10, 2024	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Curses!	October 27, 2023	2 seasons, 20 episodes
Dark Matter	May 8, 2024	2 season, 19 episodes
Dear Edward	February 3, 2023	1 season, 10 episodes
Dear…	June 5, 2020	2 seasons, 20 episodes
Defending Jacob	April 24, 2020	8 episodes
Dickinson	November 1, 2019	3 seasons, 30 episodes
Disclaimer	October 11, 2024	7 episodes
Dope Thief	March 14, 2025	8 episodes
Doug Unplugs	November 13, 2020	2 seasons, 26 episodes
Down Cemetery Road	October 29, 2025	1 season, 8 episodes
Dr. Brain	November 3, 2021	1 season, 6 episodes
Drops of God	April 21, 2023	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Duck & Goose	July 8, 2022	2 seasons, 17 episodes
Earth at Night in Color	December 4, 2020	2 seasons, 12 episodes
Earthsounds	February 23, 2024	1 season, 12 episodes
Echo 3	November 23, 2022	1 season, 10 episodes
El Deafo	January 7, 2022	3 episodes
Eva the Owlet	March 31, 2023	2 seasons, 17 episodes
Extrapolations	March 17, 2023	1 season, 8 episodes
Five Days at Memorial	August 12, 2022	8 episodes
For All Mankind	November 1, 2019	5 seasons, 50 episodes
Foundation	September 24, 2021	3 seasons, 30 episodes
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock	January 21, 2022	2 seasons, 27 episodes
Fraggle Rock: Rock On!	April 21, 2020	1 season, 6 episodes
Frog and Toad	April 28, 2023	2 seasons, 18 episodes
Get Rolling with Otis	October 8, 2021	2 seasons, 18 episodes
Ghostwriter	November 1, 2019	3 seasons, 39 episodes
Government Cheese	April 16, 2025	1 season, 10 episodes
Greatness Code	July 10, 2020	2 seasons, 13 episodes
Gutsy	September 9, 2022	1 season, 8 episodes
Harriet the Spy	November 19, 2021	2 seasons, 20 episodes
Hello Tomorrow!	February 17, 2023	1 season, 10 episodes
Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show	November 5, 2021	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Helpsters	November 1, 2019	3 seasons, 40 episodes
Helpsters Help You	April 24, 2020	6 episodes
High Desert	May 17, 2023	1 season, 8 episodes
Hijack	June 28, 2023	2 seasons, 15 episodes
Hollywood Con Queen	May 8, 2024	3 episodes
Home	April 17, 2020	2 seasons, 19 episodes
Home Before Dark	April 3, 2020	2 seasons, 20 episodes
Imperfect Women	March 18, 2026	8 episodes
Interrupting Chicken	November 18, 2022	2 seasons, 17 episodes
Invasion	October 22, 2021	3 seasons, 30 episodes
Jane	April 14, 2023	3 seasons, 20 episodes
John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial	December 6, 2023	3 episodes
Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars	October 10, 2025	2 seasons, 16 episodes
K-Pop Idols	August 30, 2024	6 episodes
KPopped	August 29, 2025	1 season, 8 episodes
La Maison	September 20, 2024	1 season, 10 episodes
Lady in the Lake	July 19, 2024	7 episodes
Land of Women	June 26, 2024	1 season, 6 episodes
Last Seen	September 9, 2026	6 episodes
Lessons in Chemistry	October 13, 2023	8 episodes
Liaison	February 24, 2023	1 season, 6 episodes
Life by Ella	September 2, 2022	1 season, 10 episodes
Lincoln’s Dilemma	February 18, 2022	4 episodes
Lisey’s Story	June 4, 2021	8 episodes
Little America	January 17, 2020	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Little Voice	July 10, 2020	1 season, 9 episodes
Long Way Up	September 18, 2020	11 episodes
Long Way Home	May 9, 2025	10 episodes
Loot	June 24, 2022	3 seasons, 30 episodes
Losing Alice	January 22, 2021	1 season, 8 episodes
Love You to Death	February 7, 2025	1 season, 7 episodes
Lovely Little Farm	June 10, 2022	2 seasons, 14 episodes
Lucky	July 15, 2026	7 episodes
Make or Break	April 29, 2022	2 seasons, 15 episodes
Manhunt	March 15, 2024	7 episodes
Margo’s Got Money Troubles	April 15, 2026	1 season, 8 episodes
Masters of the Air	January 26, 2024	9 episodes
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed	May 20, 2026	1 season, 10 episodes
Me	July 12, 2024	1 seasons, 10 episodes
Messi Meets America	October 11, 2023	6 episodes
Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend	February 21, 2024	4 episodes
Midnight Family	September 25, 2024	1 season, 10 episodes
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters	November 17, 2023	2 season, 20 episodes
Monster Factory	March 17, 2023	6 episodes
Mr. Corman	August 6, 2021	1 season, 10 episodes
Mr. Scorsese	October 17, 2025	5 episodes
Murderbot	May 16, 2025	1 season, 10 episodes
My Brother the Minotaur	April 24, 2026	1 season, 10 episodes
My Kind of Country	March 24, 2023	1 season, 8 episodes
Mythic Quest	February 7, 2020	4 seasons, 40 episodes
Not a Box	June 13, 2025	1 season, 8 episodes
Now and Then	May 20, 2022	1 season, 8 episodes
Omnivore	July 19, 2024	1 season, 8 episodes
One-of-a-Kind Marcie	August 18, 2023	39 min.
Onside: Major League Soccer	February 21, 2025	8 episodes
Oprah Talks COVID-19	March 21, 2020	1 season, 13 episodes
Oprah’s Book Club	November 1, 2019	1 season, 14 episodes
Pachinko	March 25, 2022	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Palm Royale	March 20, 2024	2 seasons, 20 episodes
Physical	June 18, 2021	3 seasons, 30 episodes
Pinecone & Pony	April 8, 2022	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Platonic	May 24, 2023	2 seasons, 20 episodes
Pluribus	November 7, 2025	1 season, 9 episodes
Prehistoric Planet	May 23, 2022	3 seasons, 15 episodes
Presumed Innocent	June 12, 2024	8 episodes
Pretzel and the Puppies	February 11, 2022	2 seasons, 18 episodes
Prime Target	January 22, 2025	8 episodes
Puppy Place	October 15, 2021	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Real Madrid: Until the End	March 10, 2023	3 episodes
Roar	April 15, 2022	1 season, 8 episodes
Sago Mini Friends	September 16, 2022	3 seasons, 24 episodes
Schmigadoon!	July 16, 2021	2 seasons, 12 episodes
See	November 1, 2019	3 seasons, 24 episodes
Servant	November 28, 2019	4 seasons, 40 episodes
Severance	February 18, 2022	2 seasons, 19 episodes
Shantaram	October 14, 2022	1 season, 12 episodes
Shape Island	January 20, 2023	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Shining Girls	April 29, 2022	1 season, 8 episodes
Shrinking	January 27, 2023	3 seasons, 33 episodes
Side Quest	March 26, 2025	4 epsiodes
Silo	May 5, 2023	3 seasons, 30 episodes
Slow Horses	April 1, 2022	6 seasons, 36 episodes
Slumberkins	November 4, 2022	1 season, 8 episodes
Small Prophets	October 7, 2026	1 season, 6 episodes
Smoke	June 27, 2025	9 episodes
Snoopy in Space	November 1, 2019	2 seasons, 24 episodes
Star City	May 29, 2026	1 season, 8 episodes
Stick	June 4, 2025	1 season, 10 episodes
Still Up	September 22, 2023	1 season, 8 episodes
Stillwater	December 4, 2020	4 seasons, 40 episodes
Strange Planet	August 9, 2023	1 season, 10 episodes
STEVE! (martin): A documentary in two pieces	March 29, 2024	2 episodes
Sugar	April 5, 2024	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Sunny	July 10, 2024	1 season, 10 episodes
Super League: The War for Football	January 13, 2023	4 episodes
Surface	July 29, 2022	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Surfside Girls	August 19, 2022	1 season, 10 episodes
Suspicion	February 4, 2022	1 season, 8 episodes
Swagger	October 29, 2021	2 season2, 18 episodes
Ted Lasso	August 14, 2020	4 seasons, 44 episodes
Tehran	September 25, 2020	3 seasons, 24 episodes
The Afterparty	January 28, 2022	2 seasons, 16 episodes
The Big Cigar	May 17, 2024	6 episodes
The Big Conn	May 6, 2022	4 episodes
The Big Door Prize	March 29, 2023	2 seasons, 20 episodes
The Buccaneers	November 8, 2023	2 seasons, 16 episodes
The Changeling	September 8, 2023	1 season, 8 episodes
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin	March 1, 2024	1 season, 6 episodes
The Crowded Room	June 9, 2023	1 season, 10 episodes
The Dynasty: UConn Huskies	August 21, 2026	3 episodes
The Dynasty: New England Patriots	February 16 2024	10 episodes
The Enfield Poltergeist	October 27, 2023	4 episodes
The Essex Serpent	May 13, 2022	6 episodes
The Hunt	March 4, 2026	6 episodes
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey	March 11, 2022	6 episodes
The Last Frontier	October 10, 2025	1 season, 10 episodes
The Last Thing He Told Me	April 14, 2023	2 seasons, 15 episodes
The Line	November 19, 2021	4 episodes[a]
The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball	April 22, 2022	1 season, 5 episodes
The Me You Can’t See	May 21, 2021	1 season, 6 episodes
The Morning Show	November 1, 2019	3 seasons, 30 episodes
The Mosquito Coast	April 30, 2021	2 seasons, 17 episodes
The New Look	February 14, 2024	1 season, 10 episodes
The Oprah Conversation	July 30, 2020	1 season, 15 episodes
The Problem with Jon Stewart	September 30, 2021	2 seasons, 20 episodes
The Reluctant Traveler	February 24, 2023	2 seasons, 13 episodes
The Sisters Grimm	October 3, 2025	1 season, 6 episodes
The Shrink Next Door	November 12, 2021	8 episodes
The Snoopy Show	February 5, 2021	2 seasons, 26 episodes
The Studio	March 26, 2025	1 season, 10 episodes
The Super Models	September 20, 2023	4 episodes
The Wild Ones	July 11, 2025	1 season, 6 episodes
They Call Me Magic	April 22, 2022	1 season, 4 episodes
Time Bandits	July 24, 2024	1 season, 10 episodes
Tiny World	October 2, 2020	2 seasons, 12 episodes
Truth Be Told	December 6, 2019	3 seasons, 28 episodes
Trying	May 1, 2020	5 seasons, 40 episodes
Twisted Yoga	March 13, 2026	3 episodes
Unconditional	May 8, 2026	8 episodes
Visible: Out on Television	February 14, 2020	5 episodes
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn	August 25, 2023	4 episodes
Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson	July 30, 2021	1 season, 6 episodes
WeCrashed	March 18, 2022	8 episodes
Where’s Wanda?	October 2, 2024	2 seasons, 16 episodes
Widow’s Bay	April 29, 2026	1 season, 10 episodes
Wolfboy and the Everything Factory	September 24, 2021	2 seasons, 20 episodes
Women in Blue	July 31, 2024	2 seasons, 20 episodes
WondLa	June 28, 2024	3 seasons, 20 episodes
Wonder Pets: In the City	December 13, 2024	2 seasons, 26 episodes
Yo Gabba Gabbaland	August 9, 2024	1 season, 20 episodes
You Would Do It Too	October 30, 2024	1 season, 8 episodes
Your Friends and Neighbors	April 11, 2025	2 seasons, 19 episodes

Full list of Apple TV movies and short films

Apple TV is home to a fair number of original movies, too. Some of the movies saw a limited theatrical release, all are listed here in alphabetical order.

Title	Release Date
9/11: Inside the President’s War Room	September 1, 2021
Argylle	April 12, 2024
All of You	September 26, 2025
Beastie Boys Story	April 24, 2020
Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry	February 26, 2021
Blitz	November 22, 2024
Blush	October 1, 2021
Bono: Stories of Surrender	May 30, 2025
Boys State	August 14, 2020
Bread and Roses	November 22, 2024
Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You	October 23, 2020
Causeway	November 4, 2022
Cha Cha Real Smooth	June 17, 2022
Cherry	March 12, 2021
CODA	August 13, 2021
Come from Away	September 10, 2021
Come See Me in the Good Light	November 14, 2021
Dads	June 19, 2020
Deaf President Now!	May 16, 2025
Echo Valley	June 13, 2025
Emancipation	December 9, 2022
Eternity	February 13, 2026
F1: The Movie	December 12, 2025
Fancy Dance	June 28, 2024
Fathom	June 25, 2021
Finch	November 5, 2021
Fingernails	November 3, 2023
Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds	November 13, 2020
Flora and Son	September 29, 2023
Fly Me to the Moon	December 6, 2024
Fountain of Youth	May 23, 2025
Ghosted	April 21, 2023
Girls State	April 5, 2024
Greyhound	July 10, 2020
Hala	December 6, 2019
Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas	November 22, 2023
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth	April 17, 2020
Highest 2 Lowest	September 5, 2025
Killers of the Flower Moon	January 12, 2024
Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues	October 28, 2022
Luck	August 5, 2022
Lulu is a Rhinoceros	May 30, 2025
Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special	December 4, 2020
Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues	December 3, 2021
Matchbox The Movie	October 9, 2026
Mayday	September 4, 2026
Napoleon	March 1, 2024
Napoleon: Director’s Cut	August 29, 2024
Number One on the Call Sheet	March 28, 2025
On the Rocks	October 23, 2020
Outcome	April 10, 2026
Palmer	January 29, 2021
Propeller One-Way Night Coach	May 29, 2026
Raymond & Ray	October 21, 2022
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me	November 4, 2022
Sharper	February 17, 2023
Sidney	September 23, 2022
Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical	August 15, 2025
Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne	December 10, 2021
Snoopy Presents: It’s The Small Things, Charlie Brown	April 15, 2022
Snoopy Presents: Lucy’s School	August 12, 2022
Snoopy Presents: There’s No Place Like Snoopy	July 31, 2026
Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), With Love	May 6, 2022
Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin	February 16, 2024
Spirited	November 18, 2022
Stephen Curry: Underrated	July 21, 2023
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie	May 12, 2023
Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost	October 24, 2025
Swan Song	December 17, 2021
Tenzing	October 16, 2026
Tetris	March 31, 2023
The Banker	March 20, 2020
The Beanie Bubble	July 28, 2023
The Bloody Hundredth	March 15, 2024
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse	December 25, 2022
The Dink	July 24, 2026
The Elephant Queen	November 1, 2019
The Family Plan	December 15, 2023
The Family Plan 2	November 21, 2025
The First Snow of Fraggle Rock	December 5, 2025
The Gorge	February 14, 2025
The Greatest Beer Run Ever	September 30, 2022
The Instigators	August 9, 2024
The Last First: Winter K2	October 2, 2026
The Last of the Sea Women	October 11, 2024
The Lost Bus	October 3, 2025
The Pigeon Tunnel	October 20, 2023
The Sky Is Everywhere	February 11, 2022
The Tragedy of Macbeth	January 14, 2022
The Velvet Underground	October 15, 2021
The Velveteen Rabbit	November 22, 2023
The Year Earth Changed	April 16, 2021
Twas the Fight Before Christmas	November 26, 2021
Who Are You, Charlie Brown?	June 25, 2021
Wolfs	September 27, 2024
Wolfwalkers	December 11, 2020

These days we never really know when Apple laptops are going to go on sale. Well, we found a good one today. Ahead of Black Friday, Apple’s M5 MacBook Air is down to $1,149 at Amazon, a savings of $150 off the regular price and the best price we’ve seen since Prime Day when it was just $50 lower.

The M5 MacBook Air is one of the slimmest laptops you can buy right now, but it’s also quite powerful. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display delivers vivid colors and great contrast so photos pop and videos look rich. The two Thunderbolt 4 ports let you add extra monitors so you can get your tasks done even easier.

Powered by an M5 chip, it delivers a faster CPU and a next-generation GPU, alongside a powerful Neural Engine that keeps your multitasking hours running smoothly. Whether you’re just editing pics, browsing for new book ideas, or juggling a ton of work apps, this laptop can handle it all. Apple Intelligence is built into this laptop, too, helping you write, clean up messages, and whatever else you feel like you need help with. Battery life stretches up to 18 hours, too, so you can’t complain about not being able to use your laptop for the full workday even if you forget your charger at home.

With Black Friday around the corner, you might want to wait for a better deal, but with rising prices and supply shortages, there’s no guarantee it’ll go any lower or have enough stock to deliver in time for the holidays. So if you want one for yourself or some else, go take advantage of this fantastic deal before it’s gone.

Apple’s next event is its “Pro and Tell” media experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, starting at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. U.K.

Apple is expected to announce touchscreen MacBook Pro models, an M6 14-inch MacBook Pro, an M6 iMac and an OLED iPad mini. The product announcements could come before the hands-on experience: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple has a release planned for October 27.

This will be Apple’s second launch event this October. The company announced HomeView, HomePod mini 2, a new Apple TV 4K and the Apple Home Collection at its “Welcome Home” launch on October 13, 2026.

Apple’s annual event calendar typically includes WWDC in June and the iPhone event in September, with additional launches sometimes taking place in spring and October. Dates are rarely confirmed far in advance, but past schedules and reliable reporting offer clues for anyone planning to buy a new Apple device. Here’s everything we know about Apple’s next event, including the date, start time, expected announcements and what could follow.

Apple event calendar 2026: What has Apple launched this year?

Timescale	Event theme	Dates	Products
March	Special Experience	2-4 March	Launched: iPhone 17e, MacBooks Neo, Pro & Air, iPad Air
June	WWDC	June 8	Unveiled plans for: iOS, macOS, other software, AI and Siri
September	iPhone event	September 9	Launched: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, new Apple Watch, AirPods 5
October	Welcome Home Apple Experience	October 13	Launched: HomeView, HomePod mini 2, new Apple TV, and Apple Home Collection
October	Pro and Tell Media Experience	October 28 confirmed	Rumored: touchscreen MacBook, M6 14-inch MacBook Pro, M6 iMac and OLED iPad mini
Spring 2027	TBC	TBC	Expected: iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, iPhone Air 2

Apple has held four events so far in 2026, including its March and October hands-on Experiences. On March 4, the company invited select media to hands-on “experiences” in multiple locations. In the run-up to that date, Apple launched several products via press release, including the iPhone 17e, M4 iPad Air, and M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro, M5 MacBook Air and the MacBook Neo.

The second event was WWDC, which began with a keynote on June 8. At the WWDC keynote Apple outlined the upcoming changes to its operating systems, including iOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate.

In August Apple issued press releases to announce the new Mac mini and Mac Studio.

At the September 9 event Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, a foldable iPhone Duo, a new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and AirPods 5.

Apple’s October 13 “Welcome Home” announcements included HomeView, a new smart-home display with a 7-inch touchscreen; HomePod mini 2; a fourth-generation Apple TV 4K with an updated Siri Remote; and the Apple Home Collection, a range of cameras, doorbells, locks, and thermostats developed with accessory partners.

Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the iPod. If I could, I’d pull out my old iPod out of storage and give it a once over on this occasion, but sadly it’s long gone. However, Apple provides the next best thing: a virtual iPod on the Apple Music website.

This Apple Music iPod isn’t in plain sight. It’s hidden, and to find it, you first have to use the Apple Music website, not the Music app on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. Then you have to go to a webpage that produces an error message, which means you can’t just click on any link on, say, the Apple Music home page.

Fortunately, we have an Apple Music error page link you can use to see the iPod for yourself; if you are an Apple Music user, copy the link and paste it into a browser, because clicking the link launches the Music app, where you can’t see the iPod. Here’s the link: https://music.apple.com/us/MichiModsStuff (you can also right-click the link and open in a new browser tab).

The displayed iPod is interactive. To use the clickwheel on a Mac, cursor over it and then click and drag. On an iPhone or iPad, it becomes a meta experience where today meets yesterday and you’re suddenly using the iPod on your device’s display.

It’s not clear if this is a event-only stunt that will eventually go away or if it’s here to stay. I certainly hope it’s the latter, but in case it’s not, check it out before time runs out. You can also watch the iPod introduction hosted by Steve Jobs below (I wasn’t there, but you can see my wife in the YouTube thumbnail, sitting behind then-Macworld editors Jason Snell, Rick LePage, and Jonathan Seff, and next to Philip Michaels).

Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo demands accessories built around its unique design, and ESR has answered with a lineup engineered specifically for it. The Classic Hybrid Magnetic Case with Flex Stand and ESR Atelier Magnetic Case with Flex Stand lead the range, pairing a versatile rotating stand with hinge-focused protection. Rounding things out, ESR’s Xtend 45W and 100W retractable chargers keep your Duo—and everything else—powered up at home, on the road, or in transit.

ESR Classic Hybrid Magnetic Case with Camera Control and Flex Stand

Owning a foldable iPhone means rethinking what a case should do. It’s not just about shielding a screen anymore—there’s a hinge to protect, two surfaces to consider, and a form factor that changes shape throughout the day. ESR’s Classic Hybrid Magnetic Case, with its built-in Flex Stand, is designed specifically around that reality.

The standout feature is the 180° rotating, folding stand, built from durable zinc alloy for long-term stability. A precision hinge with carefully tuned damping force lets it open and close smoothly, holding steady at whatever angle you choose—whether the Duo is folded or unfolded. ESR rates the mechanism to 3,000 open-and-close cycles, and the added bracket makes the phone easier to grip when you’re not using the stand at all.

Protection is equally considered for a foldable’s unique vulnerabilities. A polycarbonate and acrylic back pairs with a TPU frame and reinforced hinge coverage to guard against scratches and daily wear, alongside upgraded Air Guard corners with contoured cushioning to provide further drop protection. Raised edges add another layer of defense around the phone’s most exposed points.

None of this comes at the cost of bulk. The case keeps a slim 1.5mm profile at the back and remains compatible with 25W Qi2 fast charging, so you’re not sacrificing convenience for protection. A strong 1,500g magnetic hold keeps MagSafe accessories securely attached, from wallets to chargers to mounts.

For iPhone Duo owners, that combination matters: a case that protects the hinge and both surfaces, doubles as a genuinely useful stand for calls, video, or recipes, and still feels slim and magnetically secure in daily use. It’s a thoughtful answer to a phone that asks more of its case than any iPhone before it.

Buy ESR Classic Hybrid Magnetic Case at ESR

ESR Atelier Magnetic Case with Flex Stand

Not every foldable owner wants a case that looks like protective equipment. ESR’s Atelier Case takes a more refined route, pairing a soft silicone leather finish with a built-in Flex Stand, and it’s aimed at business users and anyone who cares how their phone looks.

The material is the standout. The silicone leather has a smooth, leather-like feel, and an oleophobic coating resists daily stains so it wipes clean easily. ESR says it also resists scratches, wear and fading. A microfiber lining sits against the phone, and colors run from Black and Light Gray to Deep Burgundy and Misty Blue.

The Flex Stand rotates and folds 180°, supporting the Duo folded or unfolded, in portrait or landscape. It doubles as a grip when you aren’t propping the phone up.

Protection is built around the fold. A TPU frame, raised edges (2.3mm at the screen, 1.6mm at the camera bar) and extra hinge coverage guard against scratches, dust and daily wear. A 1,400g magnetic hold keeps MagSafe charging and accessories working.

For Duo owners who want a premium look without giving up a stand or hinge protection, it’s a polished option.

Buy ESR Atelier Silicone Leather Magnetic Case at ESR

ESR Xtend 45W Retractable Charger

One compact charger, no tangled cables. ESR’s Xtend delivers up to 60W dynamic power via PD 3.2 AVS—enough to charge an iPhone 18 Pro to 50% in roughly 15 minutes—while a built-in retractable cable extends to 3.1 feet, rated for 20,000 pulls. A second USB-C port lets you charge two devices at once, and TÜV certification backs its safety credentials. It’s a genuinely travel-friendly replacement for a bag full of separate chargers and cables.

Buy ESR Xtend 45W Retractable Charger at ESR

Buy ESR Xtend 45W Retractable Charger at Amazon

ESR Xtend 100W Retractable Car Charger with Dual Cables

No more tangled cables littering your car. ESR’s Xtend packs two retractable cables plus an extra port, charging up to three devices at once. It can power an iPhone 18 Pro Max to 50% in around 15 minutes. Cables extend to 3.1 feet and withstand 20,000 pulls, while built-in safety features keep charging 15°C cooler. It’s road-ready power without the clutter.

Buy ESR Xtend 100W Retractable Car Charger at ESR

Buy ESR Xtend 100W Retractable Car Charger at Amazon

Get the Duo essentials

With stand-equipped cases built to protect the Duo’s hinge and screens and two clutter-free retractable chargers, ESR’s lineup covers the essentials for getting the most out of Apple’s foldable iPhone—without compromising on protection, convenience, or everyday usability.

Apple unveiled the first iPod on October 23, 2001, exactly a quarter-century ago. Our original reviewer said the device looked great, had a screen that was easy to read, featured navigation that was “the best I’ve ever seen,” and was “definitely” worth $399. But how well has it stood the test of time? Would anyone buy a first-gen iPod today?

As a keepsake, a cool bit of vintage memorabilia? Absolutely, and at astonishingly high prices. But as a workhorse portable music player for everyday use? Not so much. Technology has progressed quite a long way in the past 25 years.

To demonstrate this, here are a few interesting facts and figures to show how the iPod compares to the iPhone Duo, Apple’s latest handheld device (and music player, among other things). See if you’d be willing to make the tech-spec sacrifices necessary in order to enjoy this piece of history.

Processing power

The original iPod’s PortalPlayer PP5002 chip ran two 90MHz cores. Totally acceptable for 2001.

The iPhone Duo, on the other hand, isn’t even Apple’s most powerful current mobile device. Early reviews suggest the iPhone 18 Pro runs both a little quicker and a little cooler, but with a maximum CPU clock rate of 4.93GHz, its six-core A20 Pro chip is roughly 50 times as fast.

The Duo also has 12GB of RAM, a mere 375 times as much as the iPod’s 32MB. It probably has a bit more processing muscle, on balance.

Storage

This is always a brutal comparison because storage hardware has plummeted in price over the years, while storage needs have skyrocketed. But here we go.

The original iPod offered a maximum capacity of 10GB, enough (according to Apple’s marketing materials) to hold 2,000 songs. The iPhone Duo tops out at 2TB. That’s 200 times as much.

Camera

The iPhone Duo has actually come in for some mild criticism over its camera setup, which doesn’t include a telephoto lens. But it still boasts four separate lenses for various situations: 48MP wide and ultrawide as your main shooting option on the rear, 12MP on the cover, and a neat 4MP camera hidden beneath the display for FaceTime.

The original iPod didn’t have any cameras at all. iPods wouldn’t get a still camera for another nine years, on the 4th-gen iPod touch. It had two of these, rated at 0.7MP and 0.3MP.

Screen

This could be painful.

The original iPod’s display measured just 2 inches corner to corner, with a resolution of 160 x 128. (It was monochrome, of course.) The Duo has two full-color screens, inside and out; even the smaller of the two is vastly bigger and sharper, at 5.4 inches and 1398 x 2034 pixels. The outer display is 7.6 inches and 1878 x 2670: the same number of pixels as 245 iPod screens. But it does have a slight crease, so there’s that.

Water/dust resistance

It was considered unwise to drop the original iPod in the bath. The device didn’t have an IP rating and was not water-resistant.

The iPhone Duo, by contrast, has an IP rating of IP68, pretty much the highest rating you’ll see on a consumer tech product. That signifies that the device is dust-tight and capable of handling immersion in more than 1m of water.

Dimensions & weight

The original iPod measured roughly 102 x 62 x 19.8mm. It weighed 184g. (That’s 4 x 2.4 x 0.8 inches and 6.5oz, if you prefer imperial.)

The Duo’s dimensions are a little more complicated because they depend on whether it’s folded or unfolded. In its more compact form, it measures 118 x 84 x 11.3 mm, so a little longer, a little wider, and close to half the thickness. And when unfolded, those differences become even more exaggerated: at 117.8 x 165 x 5.2 mm it offers far more real estate, most of which is screen, while being a quarter the thickness.

The Duo’s weight is always the same: 254g, or 9oz. It’s a fair bit heavier than the iPod.

Price

The iPod started at $399 when it launched in 2001. That’s about $750 in 2026 money. But the Duo is way more expensive than even the inflation-adjusted figure, starting at an eye-watering $1,999.

25 years of progress

For the price of a single iPhone Duo you could get a couple of original iPods (even adjusted for 25 years of inflation) and still have enough left to buy an Apple Watch or two. But there’s a reason why the Duo costs so much more.

It has 200 times as much storage, 375 times as much RAM, 245 times as many pixels on just one of its screens, and the ability to perform a million times as many functions… including taking photos. And folding.

But will the iPhone Duo become a cultural phenomenon, upending multiple industries and finding a place in millions of lives (not to mention numerous art galleries)? Only time will tell. Let’s revisit this discussion in another 25 years.

Ever since the 10th-gen iPad’s 2022 redesign to match the rest of the lineup, the iPad lineup has been pretty clear. There’s the iPad Pro, which has the latest features and the best performance, the iPad Air in the middle, the smaller iPad mini, and the entry-level model with an older A-series chip and display. As such, we’ve always recommended the iPad Air for most people looking for an iPad with a smart combination of price and specs. However, after the recent hikes added $150 to the price, the Air is a lot less attractive than it was for $599, especially since it hasn’t gotten a meaningful upgrade in years.

The upcoming iPad mini—expected to launch as part of Apple’s “Pro and Tell” event next week—is shaping up to become the new balanced mid-ranger. While it won’t offer an M-series processor or a screen as larger as even the smaller iPad Air, the overall package is rumored to be significantly more advanced and feature-rich than the Air offers. In fact, once the new iPad mini launches, I see little reason why the Air even needs to exist.

Au revoir, LED

Disregarding the size, the iPad Air and iPad mini offer comparable Liquid Retina (LED) screens. With both models, you get the same maximum brightness, wide color P3 gamut, True Tone support, Apple Pencil compatibility, antireflective coating, etc. The iPad mini does come with a slightly higher pixel density of 326 ppi (compared to the Air’s 264 ppi) due to its smaller size, but that’s about it.

The M4 iPad Pro was the first Apple tablet to adopt an OLED panel, unlocking true blacks and crisper colors. After two years of exclusivity, OLED is finally rumored to expand to another iPad. Based on Apple’s pattern, one would assume that would be the iPad Air, but somewhat surprisingly, it’s reportedly coming to the mini first.

The iPad mini will reportedly be Apple’s first non-Pro tablet to switch to OLED. Having actively used both an LED iPad Air and an OLED iPad Pro, let me tell you that it’s not just an iterative bump on a spec sheet. The difference in image quality is night and day. Colors are richer, blacks are deeper, and HDR content shines.

To be fair, the iPad mini reportedly won’t be receiving the same tandem OLED technology found in the iPad Pro, but the upgrade will undoubtedly enhance consumed digital content. Even with a smaller display the iPad mini will essentially leapfrog the Air for movies and photo editing.

Putting the IP in iPad

iPads have never had an water-resistance rating, making them susceptible to liquid damage and more worrisome when traveling to a beach or using one to relax while taking a bath. The next iPad mini will be the first model with an official water resistance certification, widely expanding its use case possibilities.

On rainy days, for example, you won’t hesitate to take it out with you. You’ll similarly feel more comfortable using it in the kitchen while cooking, on the beach, or in the bathtub. This will make it infinitely more practical for on-the-go reading sessions, viewing recipes, and consuming media while soaking—and set it apart from even the iPad Pro. Add in its inherent portability, and it’s a more intriguing option than the Air.

Pro power

Given that the iPad Air is powered by the Mac’s M-branded chipsets, one would assume it’ll always outperform the iPad mini and its A-series processors. While this may have been the case in the past, the next iPad mini is expected to get a serious upgrade with the iPhone 18 Pro’s A20 Pro SoC.

With the same 12GB of RAM as the M4, Apple’s A20 Pro actually outperforms the Air’s chipset in several relevant benchmark tests. As such, demanding iPadOS apps should run fluidly and reliably on the mini variant. And given the shift to a 2nm manufacturing process, the iPad mini could become even more power efficient, extending its battery life beyond the reported 10-hour limit on the current mini and Air models.

Size matters

It goes without saying that the iPad mini is significantly lighter—0.65 pound (293 grams) vs 1.02 pounds (464 grams)—and more portable than the Air, making it more practical to store and carry around. It’s also relatively intuitive for one-handed use, letting you utilize tablet features without the added bulk.

The flashy kind

Another iPad Pro feature that mini users get is the True Tone flash. While you likely won’t be taking professional-grade photos with your iPad, the flashlight’s utility extends beyond the Camera app. For example, you could turn it on when using the built-in document scanner to produce clearer results. It can also come in handy during sudden power outages when your iPhone isn’t within reach.

The issue of price

After the recent price hikes, the 8.3-inch iPad mini starts today at $599, while the 11-inch iPad Air goes for $749. Taking all of the above into consideration as well as the Apple’s recent pricing strategy, we can conclude that the mini will get another price hike, perhaps even pushing it as high as $799.

Let’s say that happens. Yes, that means the mini would cost $50 more than the Air, assuming Apple does’t raise prices again. However, other than a smaller screen, the upcoming iPad mini will offer a superior experience in every way, with a better display, stronger durability, higher performance, and greater portability. It’s hard to imagine that anyone would choose the 11-inch Air instead even with a slightly lower price.

Want the best performance? The iPad Pro is the one you want. Need an 11-inch display? Go for the A16 iPad. Need to get work done? The $699 MacBook Neo is much smarter option than an 11-inch iPad Air with a Magic Keyboard for $1,018 or $1,268 for the 13-inch model. Heck, at that point, you might as well add $30 and get an M5 MacBook Air instead.

So, once the new iPad mini arrives, there’s really no scenario where it would make sense to buy an iPad Air. And I can’t help but wonder if its days in the iPad lineup are numbered. 

Update: The apps appear to be back in the stores, though without the new Intelligent Assistant feature.

Update X2: Apple has issued version 15.4.2 with bug fixes and iPhone Duo support. However, Macworld hasn’t been able to activate or use the Intelligent Assistant feature.

Earlier this year, Apple introduced its Creator Studio subscription service. For a reasonable monthly or annual fee, Creator Studio bundles some of Apple’s most popular productivity apps, including Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Photomator, into a fully connected suite, and unlocks exclusive AI-centric perks in the free iWork suite, allowing users to choose from premium templates and generate photos in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

However, compared to the Gemini integration in Google Workspace, the AI offerings in Creator Studio are somewhat lackluster. That, however, is seemingly about to change. According to a Pages update that was briefly published to the App Store, Apple is about to expand the AI toolbox in iWork, providing subscribers with a Google Workspace-like experience.

Meet Intelligent Assistant

As stated in the release notes of a now-pulled Apple Pages update, Creator Studio apps will soon adopt a Gemini-like tool called Intelligent Assistant. Per the change log, the beta feature requires iOS 27 and will allow Creator Studio users to:

• Start a first draft, then edit, organize, and elevate your writing with an assistant that understands your document;
• Get guidance on where to start, learn how to use advanced features, or try a suggestion to see what’s possible;
• Draft a section, adjust your tone, or generate images and shapes using natural language
• Search for up-to-date information on a topic and incorporate it into your document.

Based on the official description, it appears that Intelligent Assistant will significantly elevate the existing Writing Tools with deeper document context awareness, help research topics using fresh information, and more. While users can already achieve similar results using Siri AI on iOS 27, it seems Intelligent Assistant will be more deeply integrated into Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, providing a more intuitive ideation, creation, and editing flow.

Other Creator Studio perks included with the removed update include “a new collection of professionally-designed templates,” along with curated videos in the Content Hub “that add motion and depth to your document.”

Where’s the update?

I was able to download Pages version 15.4.1 right after Apple published it and before its swift removal. However, despite having an active Creator Studio subscription, I was unable to locate or use the all-new Intelligent Assistant. Even stranger, at the time of writing, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote were completely unavailable to download from the U.S. App Store—presumably as Apple resolved the matter.

Later in the day, Apple pushed version 15.4.2, which includes bug fixes and adds iPhone Duo support, skipping 15.4.1 entirely. However, I’ve been unable to activate or use the Intelligent Assistant feature. It’s also strange that Apple wouldn’t have announced the feature with a press release or some other fanfare.

So Apple either accidentally posted a change log meant for a future update or is rolling out the feature gradually to users. Whether we see Intelligent Assistant in the coming days or it’s delayed for a few weeks, one thing is clear: Apple is finally aiming to take Creator Studio to the next level for AI power users.

Best Prices Today: Apple AirPods 5

With an iconic look, smart design, and massive commercial success, the AirPods are one of the finest Apple products to launch in the Tim Cook era. And unlike some Apple hardware I could mention, these neat wireless earbuds just keep getting better and better, making worthwhile steps forward in the 2nd- (wireless charging), 3rd- (improved design and sound quality), and 4th- (ANC) generation models. What’s Apple got in store for the AirPods 5? Plenty.

Launched alongside the iPhone Duo and Apple Watch Series 12, this year’s AirPods have five main attractions, running the gamut from improved ANC (active noise cancellation) on both models to a truly unexpected price cut. All signs point to another home run.

But do the AirPods 5 live up to the hype? I spent three weeks testing them thoroughly to find out. From battery performance to sound quality, my in-depth review has everything you need to decide if these are the earbuds for you. Should you upgrade from a set of AirPods 3 or 4? Are these a better choice than the AirPods Pro 3? How do they compare to earbuds from rival companies? Don’t worry, I’m here to help.

For broader advice, check out our guides to the best AirPods and the best wireless earbuds.

AirPods 5: Design and fit

The AirPods 5 have the same external design as the previous generation, and largely the same design as every AirPods model going back to 2016: the stems have got shorter over the years, but the classic shape and shiny white finish remain instantly recognizable. They look great, in short, but don’t expect anything radically new.

But there are a couple of minor changes to the design which are worth mentioning. One is that the new earbuds (and their case) are rated as significantly more water-resistant than the previous model, with the IP rating bumped from IP54 to IP57. The second number refers to liquid ingress, and in this case indicates that whereas the AirPods 4 were protected against jets of water, the AirPods 5 can handle immersion up to 1m for 30 minutes… although I wouldn’t recommend testing this out. More of a peace-of-mind type of upgrade.

A change you’re more likely to notice if you opt to spend an extra $20 on the model with the wireless charging case is the addition of a volume swipe function to the force sensor on both stems: swipe up to increase the volume, swipe down to decrease it. It’s odd that this feature isn’t available on the cheapest AirPods 5, but neither AirPods 4 model got it, and in principle this is a handy addition to your controls. An unexpectedly loud track starts playing on shuffle? No need to dig out your iPhone, you can simply lower the volume with a swipe. The only issue is that it’s a little awkward to use because the AirPods 5 fit quite loosely; trying to swipe the control sometimes just makes the earbuds move in the ear. The AirPods Pro, by comparison, have a firmer fit which makes it easier to use their swipe control.

So let’s talk fit. Unlike the AirPods Pro, which come with detachable eartips in a range of sizes and can be further customised by using aftermarket foam tips, the AirPods 5 continue to use an integrated earbud in the same material as the rest of the device. That means you’re stuck with a single, standard shape and size. If it doesn’t fit, you’re out of luck.

That might sound unappealing, and it’s true that the range of interchangeable eartips means that (once you’ve put in the work experimenting with different sizes and potentially shopping around for third-party alternatives) the AirPods Pro will deliver a better fit and superior passive sound isolation. But in my experience the standard AirPods generally offer a good, secure, and comfortable fit. My AirPods 5 move around a little more than my AirPods Pro 3, hence the issues with the swipe control, but this very rarely causes any other problems.

I was skeptical when the time came to do an exercise test. As I’ve written elsewhere, I rarely feel comfortable wearing earbuds during exercise unless they have ear hooks, fins, or a neck band, but the AirPods 5 held up surprisingly well. Once I broke a sweat, they started to feel slippery and precarious, and a few specific activities–kneeling dumbbell rows, getting off the stationary bike–did make them fall out. Most of the time, however, they stayed in… including, triumphantly, the full duration of a 40-minute treadmill session.

I’d still prefer to have one pair of headphones for general listening, and another specialised set (more secure in the ear, perhaps more bass-focused, but above all cheaper) for sports. But in a pinch, and preferably indoors rather than in an environment with gutters and puddles, these can fill in reasonably effectively as exercise buds.

While we’re on the subject of eartips vs. integrated earbuds, bear in mind that the latter approach is better in other ways. Integrated earbuds don’t penetrate so far into the ear canal; some people don’t like the feel of silicone eartips and find them oddly intrusive, whereas you hardly know the AirPods 5 are there. This design also takes up less room in the case, which means the AirPods 5 case is smaller and noticeably more comfortable in the pocket than that of the AirPods Pro 3. There are no worries about an eartip detaching and getting lost. And the AirPods 5 are both easier to clean and (this is disgusting, but there’s no other way to say it) less prone to collecting earwax than versions with a detachable eartip.

So for me these get two thumbs up for both fit and design. But ear canals vary, and the one-size-fits-all nature of the AirPods 5 makes it essential that you either try before you buy, or ensure that you can return them afterwards if you find that the shape is not suitable for you.

AirPods 5: Sound quality

As with the fit, I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality delivered by the AirPods 5 while being conscious that the Pro model does sound noticeably better.

I spent a while obsessively playing the same Pink Floyd track (“The Great Gig in the Sky”) alternating between the AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3 to spot the differences. After close comparison, these were obvious: there’s a deeper, richer, and more immersive sound on the AirPods Pro, and the bass hits harder and more bodily when the vocals come in. But that doesn’t mean the AirPods 5 are bad. On the contrary, they delivered a warm, clear sound with plenty of detail and the ability to hit higher volumes without any distortion. And on my first play, before I’d given the Pros a go, I thought they were pretty great. Comparison is the thief of joy, as they say.

Keen to explore the disparity in bass performance, I next turned to some pulsing disco (“Supernature” by Cerrone) for a proper test. The AirPods 5 did manage to deliver decent bass once I cranked up the volume. But it just doesn’t compare to the AirPods Pro 3. What I was missing was that kinetic, almost hostile bass kick that you feel in the back of the head. (That’s about all you can expect from even a good pair of in-ears. The visceral body blow is the domain of high-end over-ears.) When I went back to the AirPods 5 for a second attempt, they felt polite by comparison. The AirPods 5 did fine, but if you love dance, disco, or anything that depends on heavy bass, an upgrade to the Pro model will be worth the money.

Away from the most bass-dependent musical genres, the AirPods 5 consistently delivered beautifully warm, clear, and faithful audio. A baroque piano piece was handled with sensitivity to the texture and atmosphere of the recording; the fine details and discernible muttering put me in the room with the musician. A 1950s jazz track was rich and smoky and exhilarating. And when I fancied a bit of art-pop, I could hear the crackling fire at the start of “Horse And I” by Bat for Lashes just as easily as its soaring multilayered vocals.

I really like the sound quality of the AirPods 5. It’s not as good as that of the AirPods Pro 3, particularly on bass-heavy tracks, but let’s remember that the Pro models cost $249, whereas these start at $129. For a set of affordable in-ears without the benefit of detachable eartips, these are fantastic.

AirPods 5: Active noise cancelation

While we’re talking audio, it’s worth discussing active noise cancellation (ANC). For the uninitiated, this feature involves the headphones monitoring ambient audio and then playing the opposite sound wave directly into your ear, cancelling it out. (Passive noise isolation, by contrast, simply involves a snug-fitting earbud blocking out unwanted sounds.) It’s a clever and often very effective way to escape background conversation, traffic sounds, commuter hustle and bustle, and so on.

ANC is key to the AirPods 5 for two reasons. First, Apple claims to have improved this feature significantly from the AirPods 4 (specifically, that this product delivers “up to 1.5x more,” however that’s measured). And second, the feature is now available on both versions of the AirPods 5, whereas the AirPods 4 were split into ANC and non-ANC tiers.

Getting ANC at all for $129 is very nice indeed. But even with the “1.5x” improvement, I have to say that it’s not the best example of the tech I’ve ever tested. I put on some YouTube videos while wearing the AirPods 5 (with nothing playing, just the ANC doing its thing) and was still able to keep up with what was being said fairly easily. It was just muted. When I repeated the test with the AirPods Pro 3, the conversations became very difficult to follow, which is exactly what I’m looking for while commuting.

I had similar results when using the AirPods 5 to keep down the volume of visiting children in the next room: I could still hear their laughing and clapping all too clearly. And while the background hubbub on a train was dampened fairly well, spoken announcements came through clearly. You might think that’s a good thing, but there’s a specific mode (adaptive audio, which I found very effective) designed to allow through some sounds but filter out others, and when I’ve got ANC on, I’d prefer to eliminate almost everything.

Of course, much of the time you’ll be combining ANC with audio of some kind: music, a podcast, an audiobook. The combination of the two should drastically reduce the distraction and annoyance of inconsiderate fellow passengers. But I’m quite fond of silence, and the AirPods 5 alone may struggle to achieve this.

AirPods 5: Siri AI and other features

Aside from ANC, Apple is keen to talk up the AirPods 5 for their AI features. My experiences with this were rather mixed.

To start with, I used the Live Translation feature to navigate a conversation in French (specifically a “real French conversation” I found on YouTube, with all the messiness and grammatical irregularity one would expect in real life), and the results were incomprehensible. When I switched to one labelled “super easy,” the AI managed much better, but there were still torturous pauses after each phrase. This may be an impressive proof of concept and a glimpse of a multilingual future, but for now it doesn’t strike me as useful.

Note that Live Translation is not a new feature; it was announced in September last year and is also available on the AirPods 4 with ANC. But Apple again hyped it up in the press release for this product, so I thought it was important to give it a try.

The AirPods 5 are also compatible with Siri AI, the improved version of Apple’s Siri voice assistant. But again, this isn’t a latest-gen exclusive; the AirPods 4 with ANC and the last two generations of AirPods Pro have the same feature. And while I was impressed with Siri AI’s accuracy and feature set–I asked about an upcoming social engagement using rather careless natural language, for example, and it tracked down the correct details in my calendar–the responses were a little slow, to the extent that I wasn’t always sure if the system had heard me.

There are also some concerns with device overlap. For one thing, I’m not convinced that I need my headphones to have Siri AI, when my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook all have it already. There are situations when it makes sense and is more convenient to access Siri AI via the AirPods, but quite a few of those involve me looking like I’m talking to myself. That impression can be lessened, admittedly, by the ability to respond to Siri AI by nodding or shaking your head, but the initial query still needs to be spoken out loud.

On one occasion I said, “Hey Siri” to ask a question, my HomePod (which has Siri but not Siri AI) responded that it couldn’t answer that, and then the AirPods kicked in and took charge, seemingly unaware another device had already taken a swing. It just doesn’t feel like a completely seamless system at this stage.

AirPods 5: Battery and charging

For the AirPods I tested (the ones which come with a wireless charging case), Apple estimates a battery life of up to five hours with ANC enabled. That’s an improvement on the previous generation, whose equivalent model was capable of just 4 hours with ANC. If you’re prepared to do without ANC, you should be able to squeeze out an extra two hours per charge.

In testing, those numbers proved accurate, if you keep the words “up to” in mind: my test unit died after 4 hours and 43 minutes of continuous music playback at medium volume with ANC enabled. Technically, they soldiered on with one surviving earbud for another 10 minutes, but that won’t do you much good.

The real convenience and joy of AirPods, of course, is the fact that putting them away in their slim case charges them from its larger battery. Apple estimates that, if you start with fully charged earbuds and a fully charged case, you’ll be able to get around 22 hours of total playback. I think that’s fair. Based on my tests, the case is capable of roughly four full charges, which means five complete rundowns (and somewhere between 22 and 25 hours of playback) before you need to plug it in.

Charging in the case is conveniently speedy, particularly at low levels. Apple boasts that just five minutes of charging will give you around an hour of playback, and while my testing suggested this is slightly optimistic (my AirPods 5 lasted for 51 minutes after their micro-charge), it’s still impressive. A full charge from 0 to 100 percent took me 103 minutes, but a big chunk of that time is spent mopping up the last few percentage points; just half an hour in the case got me to 75 percent.

While the non-linear charging speeds might seem strange to those of us who aren’t battery scientists, it’s really the best way for things to work out. When speed isn’t an issue, you can just pop the AirPods in their case and leave them overnight, and get the value of a full charge the next day. But in an audio emergency, when for example you’ve been hammering album after album on an international flight, and they just can’t take it any more, a short break will be enough for several more hours of playback.

AirPods 5: Price and options

Pricing is slightly complicated by the fact that there are two models.

Throughout this review, I’ve been testing the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, which cost $149/£139. But there’s also a cheaper model for $129/£119; these are just referred to as “AirPods 5” on Apple’s website, which could be confusing. Make sure you know what you’re getting if you see a deal from a third-party retailer.

We’d recommend that you spend the extra $20/£20 because the upmarket model doesn’t just get a better charging case. It also gets an additional volume swipe gesture and longer estimated battery life (five hours away from the case, compared to just four for the cheaper model). And being able to charge the case wirelessly is a handy option.

It’s worth pointing out, however, that one major reason to pay for the costlier model is no longer a factor. The AirPods 4 cost $179/£179 with ANC or $129/£129 without, whereas both versions of the AirPods 5 get this feature. So not only has the top-line price dropped by $30/£40, but the entry point for ANC has dropped by $50/£60. That really is a terrific price for a solid set of ANC earbuds, fancy case or not.

Should you buy Apple AirPods 5?

Of Apple’s September announcements, the AirPods 5 have to be my favorite. While other devices overcomplicate and push prices ever higher, these do the key things well while remaining affordable.

Audio quality is excellent. Battery life is excellent. The design is excellent (that neat little charging case is one of the great designs of our era), and while the fit can’t compare to headphones with detachable eartips like the AirPods Pro, it’s comfortable and decently secure. You could find better ANC elsewhere, admittedly, but you’ll pay more for it; the fact that ANC of even middling quality is now on both tiers of standard AirPods is a huge step forward. And the price of the higher-tier model (and the price of the lower-tier model too, if you’re in the U.K.) has gone down from the previous generation.

I have a few quibbles, such as the volume swipe not quite working on earbuds of this design and Live Translation… well, completely dropping the ball, I’m afraid. So it’s not a perfect 5-star score. But I’m deeply impressed with the AirPods 5, and would recommend them almost without reservation to anyone who currently has a set of AirPods 3 or earlier, and maybe even the non-ANC version of the AirPods 4. In fact, for any Apple fan looking for a set of affordable ANC earbuds, these would be a great choice.

For more guidance read: When is the best time to buy AirPods?

By now you’ve seen the keynote, watched the ads, and read the early reviews. You know what the iPhone Duo’s features are. But what is it like to use it, right here at the launch?

We’re working on our iPhone Duo review, but as the Apple Stores open up today to hand over a precious few preorders and disappoint legions of would-be drop-in buyers, I wanted to share some initial impressions. Here are six things I discovered on my first day with the iPhone Duo.

Outside bad, inside great

When you have the fold folded, it’s not a great experience. Even with the home row and controls on the side, it’s the smallest iPhone display in many years, and most apps just aren’t formatted for the odd shape. Unless you’ve been clinging to your iPhone 13 mini all this time, you’re likely to find that even optimized apps, which put their controls off on the right edge to allow more vertical room, are frustratingly small.

If you are an iPhone mini diehard, the screen won’t bother you, but the massively fat and chunky form factor will. What good is a small screen when the phone is so thick and wide that it’s definitely not going to fit in the pocket of a pair of tight jeans?

The actual display quality is fine, and so is the outside selfie camera. But that outside screen is for quick-hit info checking, firing off a short reply, dialing a phone number, or asking Siri stuff. That said, there is one huge benefit: the keyboard. While it takes up like half the vertical space, the extra-wide shape makes the whole keyboard a lot larger and easier to use. It’s even wider than an iPhone 18 Pro Max keyboard, and the extra few millimeters really help.

However, the inside display is a delight and makes me want this same nanotexture treatment on all iPhones. It has a lovely paper-like feel to the touch and seriously cuts down on glare, while still remaining bright and sharp. Granted, blacks aren’t as deep as on a glossy screen, but it’s still very good, and the trade-off is totally worth it for all the glare (and crease) you don’t have to deal with.

When using the inner display, the Duo feels super thin and light, comfortable and easy to use. The more time you spend with the Duo unfolded, the more you love it.

A status bar and Dynamic Island upgrade

Without a camera cutout in the middle of the display (inside or out), Apple moved the Dynamic Island to the upper right corner. It surrounds the front camera when closed, and just pops up out of nowhere on the inner display.

It’s actually in a really great spot, expanding down vertically as necessary. I prefer it to the centered one, and it makes me want Apple to stuff the camera up in the corner on all future iPhones.

There’s a new status bar element beneath it that, again, is a step up from current iPhones. A bar at the top shows battery (with percentage if you like), the Wi-Fi symbol in the middle is your Wi-Fi strength, and a series of four dots underneath is your cellular strength. It’s a brilliant little mash-up that again, should make its way to other iPhones.

No information is lost, space is saved, and it takes all of two seconds to get used to the change. Plus, you can tap on it to show the entire Control Center (so you don’t have to do an awkward edge swipe), which is already my favorite thing. When you do, the symbols separate and expand to show more detail.

StandBy any time

Another trick the Duo can do that other iPhones can’t is enter Standby mode when not connected to power. Just lock the screen and then stick it in “tent” posture, and it becomes a nice little smart clock for your desk. Or open it partially like a book, and you get a two-page Standby mode view.

It’s clever, it’s fun, and it makes the “put my iPhone down on the desk while working” thing actually useful. I can see this being the preferred way for Duo owners to place their phone when out with friends—keeping their phone out of their hands while still letting them see the clock or showing a conversation-starting photo album.

Dear Apple, please give every iPhone with an always-on display the option to go into Standby mode when not connected to power. Even lying flat on a desk, it would be nice.

The cameras are (mostly) fine

The 48MP main camera is not as good as that on the iPhone 18 Pro, even if you ignore the aperture blades. It starts to get a little noticeable in low light. But it’s close, and it’s certainly good enough. The ultra-wide is as good as Apple’s best, and as useful as ever for macro shots.

Weirdly, you get like half the Pro camera controls from the iPhone 18 Pro. There’s no aperture control (of course), no histogram, no shutter speed. But you do get white balance, manual focus with focus peaking, and the new photographic styles with adjustable skin texture and grain.

The front-facing selfie camera has the center stage functions (auto-rotate and auto-zoom) introduced in the iPhone 17 line with the new 18-megapixel sensor, but this isn’t that sensor. It’s the older 12MP sensor, and the dynamic range and clarity just aren’t as good. It’s fine, but the newer 18MP sensor on the other recent iPhones is better.

But that inside selfie camera. Oh. Oh no. No, that’s a potato. It takes blurry, awful 4MP photos that have a bunch of post-processing to over-sharpen and restore some detail. It’s kind of good enough for a FaceTime call in good lighting, but it’s absolute trash compared to the selfie cam since iPhone X. If this is the cost of an under-display camera, I don’t want it.

Here’s a neat trick, though: When you’re in selfie mode, you can flip the whole Duo around, and there’s a “Slide to show camera” bar that flips the interface to the outside screen while turning off the inside screen so you don’t accidentally interact with it. Then you can take a selfie with the 48MP main camera. It’s pretty awesome, really.

The apps matter most

There are three classes of iPhone Duo apps, and you’ll discover all of them while learning how crucial they are in the first five minutes of using your iPhone Duo.

Old garbage apps: These are apps that haven’t been updated for the dynamic sizing of iOS 27. They have a black bar on the side of the outside screen and appear centered against a black background on the inside screen (though you can swipe to move it from the center to either side). These apps suck on the Duo. They put their interface buttons on the bottom, which makes them feel even smaller, and they waste all that space.

A lot of old apps, small apps from small companies (like a local bank chain), and apps with notoriously bad UI design, such as most car apps or insurance apps. It’s just a terrible experience, and there are a lot of these that probably won’t ever be updated. Thankfully, you can force these apps into split view with a Duo-optimized app that’ll make the awful experience slightly better.

iOS 27 apps: Apps that updated to use iOS 27’s resizable and reconfigurable layout fare a lot better. When you use them on the inside screen, they fill the width and often give you a sidebar, or split info between an index and content. The Tesla app just updated to use this, as does Microsoft Outlook and Robinhood, among others. It’s something of a stopgap, but is a signal that the developer is working on a proper Duo app. In fact, Robinhood says a Duo-optimized app will be available on launch day.

You still get interface elements that don’t use the left/right sidebars, and they don’t understand all the “poses” for Duo, but at least you can go from iPhone app outside to iPad app inside, essentially, and it’s really nice.

Duo-optimized apps: Oh, these are fun. When an app uses the Duo-specific developer frameworks, it will put the interface elements out of the way on the side, mitigating the tiny outside screen (somewhat). Inside, it will fill the display, morph to make correct use of portrait and landscape view, and many times, move stuff away from the crease when you slightly fold the Duo into “book” form.

This is how the Duo is meant to be used, and it’s really great when it’s there. Most of Apple’s apps work like this, as you would expect, but some don’t (I’m looking at you, Wallet and Apple Store). Third-party apps that have updated to Duo-optimized apps all feel great. MLB, Spotify, Slack, Yelp, Instagram, TikTok, Things, Fantastical, Carrot Weather…there are plenty of popular apps with full Duo support, and the experience when you use them is awesome.

But just as many important apps don’t work well on Duo at all. Given the book-sized open position and glare-free, paper-like coating on the display, you would think ebook readers would prioritize Duo support. But Kindle is flat-out busted, and glitches out when you try to show the menu in reader mode. (I actually had to close the Duo and return the app to the outside screen just to get out of the page view!) The Libby app is in desperate need of an update, too.

The app situation is currently all over the place. Gmail supports the iOS 27 reactive sizing, but has a poor layout for widescreen. Google News is an old-style iPhone app that looks and feels terrible on the big screen. Video apps like Netflix, Paramount+, and Prime Video have nice Duo optimizations, but Hulu and Disney+ do not. Lyft, yes. Uber, no.

It’s the Wild West right now, and the situation changes daily. The number of apps you use that are Duo-optimized (or at least iOS 27 optimized) is a crucial part of how much you’ll like using this phone, and it’s a quickly moving target.

I miss Face ID already

You’ve seen a lot of early reviewers complain about the lack of Face ID. They are correct.

We get emails all the time from people who miss Touch ID and want it back. I guess they forget what it was like to unlock their iPhone with gloves, or wet/dirty hands, or to have to reach to a certain spot, or to have their lock screen notifications jump away because you accidentally opened your phone when you unlocked it.

All those experiences come right back with the iPhone Duo. Except one—Apple added a delay on the lock screen. When you put your finger on the side button at the lock screen, your phone unlocks so you can see your notifications, but it doesn’t open yet. A little message shows a fingerprint icon and “Rest to Open” at the top of the display, and your iPhone opens to the home screen after a short pause with your finger on the button.

In the first hour with the Duo alone, there were dozens of situations in which I wanted to fill in a password, download an app, or make a purchase that required me to authenticate with Touch ID. And every single time, I was reminded that I now had to do something where Face ID would simply automatically authenticate. I registered both thumbs and my index finger with Touch ID, and that certainly helps, but it’s still slower and more awkward than Face ID.

Touch ID is more annoying on the iPhone Duo than it was on old iPhones or on an iPad, because those devices are usually held just one way, so the sensor is always in the same place. You get a muscle memory for it. The Duo is held both ways: in one hand and in two. Portrait and landscape. Folded like a tent, folded like a book, unfolded, closed… It’s a strength that there are so many ways to use it, until you need to touch the damn side button for Touch ID.

Stay tuned for Macworld’s full review of the iPhone Duo as I continue my testing.

Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, officially goes on sale today, Friday, October 23, but getting hold of one could prove difficult. Preorders opened on October 16 and delivery estimates slipped rapidly, with Macworld’s U.S. tracking showing waits stretching to January 25, 2027 within around half an hour. Apple is still accepting orders, but there is another option for buyers who don’t want to wait: Apple has confirmed that limited numbers of the iPhone Duo will be available for walk-in customers at Apple Stores in the U.S., U.K. and other selected markets on launch day. Supplies are expected to be extremely limited, however, and there’s no guarantee of getting one without a preorder. Prices start at $1,999/£1,999.

The Duo opens like a book from a compact 5.4-inch phone into a much larger 7.6-inch device. Apple describes the internal screen as its largest-ever iPhone display, with 50 percent more screen area than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, while the outer display provides more than 90 percent of the screen area of an iPhone 18 Pro.

The biggest difference is obviously the folding design, but Apple has done more than simply add a hinge. The iPhone Duo ships with iOS 27.1, which adapts to different positions and orientations with fold-specific interface and multitasking features. These include Split View, hands-free FaceTime and video, StandBy without charging, and layouts that move seamlessly between the two screens. Apple Pencil USB-C support is also coming later in 2026.

The other major changes are the 7.6-inch nano-texture inner display, Touch ID replacing Face ID, an A20 Pro processor with vapor-chamber cooling, and a dual-battery system designed around the two halves of the phone. Apple has also introduced camera features that exploit the second screen, including Duo Preview, Smart Take, Kid Cue and Duo FaceTime.

Much of the pre-launch reporting proved accurate: the Duo name, book-style design, roughly 7.7- and 5.4-inch screens, Touch ID, two 48MP rear cameras, two front-facing cameras, A20 Pro, C2 modem, MagSafe and the white/dark-blue colors were all anticipated.

iPhone Duo: Top 10 features

Foldable design	Book-style titanium design with precision hinge
Inner display	7.6-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion
Outer display	5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion
Processor	A20 Pro, 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU
Neural Engine	Dual 16-core Neural Engine
Authentication	Touch ID in side button
Rear cameras	48MP Main + 48MP Ultra Wide
Battery	Dual batteries; up to 44 hours video on outer screen
Connectivity	C2 modem, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, second-gen UWB
Storage	256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB

iPhone Duo cameras: What cameras does it have?

The Duo has a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system, comprising:

Camera	Resolution	Equivalent focal length	Aperture
Fusion Main	48MP	26mm	f/1.6
2x crop from Main	12MP	52mm	f/1.6
Fusion Ultra Wide	48MP	13mm	f/2.2
Outer front camera	12MP	—	f/2.2
Inner FaceTime camera	Apple does not specify resolution	—	f/1.8

The Duo does not have variable aperture. Variable aperture is exclusive to the 48MP Fusion Main camera in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

iPhone Duo price: How much does it cost?

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the U.S. and £1,999 in the U.K. for 256GB.

Prices are:

Storage	Price
256GB	$1,999/£1,999
512GB	$2,199/£2,199
1TB	$2,599/£2,599
2TB	$3,199/£3,199

The 256GB starting capacity means Apple has not created an unusually low-storage entry model simply to make the headline price look lower.

TL;DR: A Nibble lifetime subscription is $69.99 (reg. $599.99). You get 10-minute lessons in 20+ topics on iPhone and Apple silicon Macs.

Ten minutes of doomscrolling leaves you with nothing. Ten minutes in Nibble leaves you with a new idea about history, art, philosophy, or money. Right now a lifetime subscription is $69.99 (reg. $599.99).

Nibble is a learning app with a 4.4-star rating from more than 27,000 App Store reviews. It splits 20+ subjects into 10-minute lessons that mix short reads with quizzes, audio, video, and games. You can also chat with AI versions of notable figures to ask follow-up questions.

Pick a guided path or jump between topics like AI, music, and personal finance. New lessons arrive every month, and the app adjusts to your preferences.

Nibble requires iOS 16 or later on iPhone, or a Mac with an M1 chip or newer. One subscription works on up to three devices. I’d put it on the home screen right where the social apps used to be. This deal is for new Nibble users only.

Get Nibble for life for $69.99 (reg. $599.99).

Nibble All-Around Knowledge App (Lifetime Subscription)See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Sign, edit, and export scanned documents from your phone with an iScanner lifetime subscription for $24.97 (MSRP $199.90) through October 25.

A desktop scanner only helps when you’re sitting next to it. iScanner turns your iPhone or iPad into a document scanner and PDF editor, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $24.97 (MSRP $199.90) through October 25.

Point your camera at a contract, receipt, or handwritten note, and iScanner finds the page edges, straightens out curves and skew, and recognizes text in more than 20 languages. From there, you can export the scan as a PDF, JPG, DOC, XLS, PPT, or TXT file.

Before you send anything, the built-in editor lets you sign the page, blur an account number, fill in a form, or merge several scans into one PDF. Tax forms and ID scans can go in folders locked with a PIN. With the same camera, iScanner also solves math problems, measures objects, counts similar items, and reads QR codes.

You’ll need iOS or iPadOS 16 or later, and 200MB of cloud storage comes with the plan. This deal is for new users only and isn’t available in several countries, including Spain, Italy, Mexico, and Japan.

Scan documents from your iPhone instead of hunting for a scanner.

Until October 25 at 11:59pm Pacific, you can get an iScanner App lifetime subscription on sale for $24.97 (MSRP $199.90).

iScanner App: Lifetime Subscription (iPhone, iPad & Android)See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Ah, the stock-tracking site. When that must-have gadget is hard to get, they can help you find some limited retail or online restock before it disappears.

We see them all the time when there’s a new game console launch, or some hard-to-find sneakers, or during that brief Stanley Cup craze. But it has been a while since an iPhone launch has needed one. Sometimes a specific iPhone color is out of stock, but the situation is usually rectified quickly. Between Apple’s site offering a reasonable delivery estimate, carrier stores, and a fast retail refresh, the iPhone you want is usually not too hard to find.

Usually. But the iPhone Duo is different. Notoriously difficult to manufacture and thus in limited supply, preorders at launch are now stretching into late January of 2027. That’s a three-month wait if you order now. You might do better buying an iPhone Duo from your carrier. Or trying to grab one of the modest retail resupplies that will trickle out over the coming weeks. That’s where stock-checking sites come in.

iPhoneStockChecker shows you nearby stock in various colors and storage sizes. It includes the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max as well, which can still be a little hard to get in particular storage/color combinations.

OrionChime has two sub-sites. One checks restaurant availability in Japan (really), and the other checks on stock for Apple products like iPhones, Mac Studio, or Mac mini.

Apple Inventory Check also checks inventory for various Apple products, including Macs and Apple Watch, and of course iPhones (including Duo). It’s limited to Apple Stores, but it’s faster than using the interface on Apple’s site to check availability of various configurations.

TrackaLacker is a general stock-tracking site for online retailers. You can watch iPhone Duo there, but only for the online stores of places like Best Buy or Walmart, not the Apple Store online or in-store stock.

Most of these will also let you set a browser notification to alert you when a particular product or configuration is spotted, or even an email, but continually checking and notifying you is often a paid feature, or at least requires signing up for a free account with the site. (AI agents or tools like Apple’s new Notify Me feature in Safari might let you keep tabs on things, too.)

The early reviews of the iPhone Duo posted on Wednesday, and one common complaint is how some third-party apps look on the device. The iPhone Duo has new dimensions, and that often results in a suboptimal user experience. One reviewer went so far as to call them “horrible.”

In these situations, apps are not yet optimized for the iPhone Duo. Apps that are made for iPhone Duo can provide quite rewarding experiences, as Apple points out in an article it released to the media on Thursday. “From watching popular shows and content on the expansive inner display to multitasking across windows or playing console-quality games, developers around the world are reimagining what their apps can do,” said Apple VP Susan Prescott in the press release.

Video apps are taking advantage of the bigger folding display by providing modes that work when the Duo is propped open in an L shape; the top display shows the video while the bottom can display video controls and other items, as shown on the Netflix app. The Paramount+ app does a similar thing, but the bottom display can show info on the show being watched.

Sports fans can have a great time watching the game in apps made for iPhone Duo. The screen can be split so that live game coverage is streamed on one half, while the other provides a vast array of statistics, scores, and other data, as with the MLB app, which will be available on day one, in time for the World Series.

Productivity apps such as Bear, Fantastical, Notewise, Salesforce, Slack, Things, and Zoom take advantage of the larger inner display, and Microsoft Word and Outlook take advantage of the Duo’s Split View. Creative apps such as Detail, Instagram Edits, and VLLO provide an enhanced UI for video editing. Apple says apps that have been optimized will have a clear “Made for iPhone Duo” badge in the App Store.

Of course, games provide a better experience on the Duo’s big screen. Game such as Asphalt Legends, Retrocade, Sneaky Sasquatch, Ungodly, Zenless Zone Zero have been optimized for the new phone. “The large inner display and the sustained performance of A20 Pro let us put more of the track and every detail of our cars in front of users, so races look and feel incredible wherever they play,” said Raúl Orrego del Río, of Gameloft, creator of Asphalt Legends.

While Apple’s press release lists several more apps optimized for iPhone Duo, there are still many more that are not. It’s not a new situation; when Apple introduced the iPad, iPhone 5, and iPhone X, several developers had their apps ready for the device launch, but a vast majority were not. Developers need some time to catch up, so if your favorite app looks odd on your iPhone Duo, be sure to check the App Store for updates. There could be one waiting for your Duo.

Macworld will be posting an in-depth review of the iPhone Duo soon. In the meantime, check out our guide to everything you need to know about the iPhone Duo.

Whether you’re packing for a weekend trip or headed out for a day at the office, this tiny Ugreen MagFlow 25W foldable pocket-sized charger needs to be in your bag. And today, instead of shelling out $60, you can grab one for $30, half-off its MSRP and the best price we’ve ever seen.

This foldable charger will fit into the palm of your hand. It’s small enough to slip into a pocket. At 2.36 x 2.96 x 0.52 inches and just 3.88 ounces, it fits easily in a backpack or tech pouch. When unfolded, however, it will charge two of your devices at the same time. It fits your iPhone and AirPods just fine, so you’re always having fun listening to your favorite music. The 2-in-1 design takes things one step further. Lay it flat on your nightstand, or fold it into a stand on your desk if you want to check out a recipe or take a video call.

As small as it is, the Ugreen device comes with Qi2.2 certification and delivers up to 25W magnetic wireless charging. Ugreen says that takes an iPhone 17 Pro Max from 0-50 percent in just 30 minutes. This isn’t a power bank, so you’ll have to keep it plugged in, but you’ll have to use your own 45W or higher adapter since the Ugreen MagFlow 25W wireless charger doesn’t come with one.

So if you want a portable, versatile way to charge your gadgets without spending a fortune, grab this super cute wireless charger for $30 while it’s still on sale.