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Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece, and it may not represent the individual or collective views\/insight of the entire HWZ Editorial team. Or it may. That\u2019s the point.<\/i><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s better than two displays on a phone? Adding an Apple logo to the back of it, of course<\/h2>\n
For many Apple fans and users, the weekend of 23 October 2026 marked an important mobile milestone. Apple\u2019s first foldable, iPhone Duo, landed in Singapore and sold like hotcakes \u2013 to put it mildly. Aside from the fastest few, it\u2019s currently backordered until late January 2027, so it won\u2019t arrive in time for Christmas this year.<\/p>\n
To be fair, some were just cashing in on the hype (and reselling them on the spot), but there\u2019s no denying that Apple\u2019s long-awaited passport-styled handset has broader mainstream interest and a high-quality polish, despite being the company\u2019s first real attempt at one.<\/p>\n
Hardcore consumer tech lovers, however, are ironically more reserved despite the fanfare. That\u2019s because foldable phones have been around long enough in the realm of Android.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Depending on who you ask, the first mainstream foldable phone for global use might be the Samsung Galaxy Fold (2019), although prototypes and patents have been filed by many other brands earlier than that \u2014 such as LG Mobile back in 2017 (remember them?) and the 2018 Royole Flexpai for the Mainland Chinese market (surprisingly, it\u2019s not the Huawei Mate X).<\/p>\n
But this opinion piece isn\u2019t about who\u2019s first, last, or better. It\u2019s about how the iPhone Duo, from its multi-year rumours to its retail-ready release, is the final piece of the puzzle Android phone makers need to bring foldables into mainstream acceptance.<\/p>\n
In economics, a late-mover is a market entrant that learns from a first-and second-mover\u2019s painful debut lessons before launching its own version. You don\u2019t need to be an Apple Genius to know who this refers to, but this iPhone Duo\u2019s launch has fuelled the Android foldable space in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n
In one fell swoop, everyone has already forgotten that Apple isn\u2019t the first US brand with a mainstream folding phone \u2014 Google supersedes it with a four-year head start, with this year\u2019s offering being a Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Our review (and the experiences others have shared) makes it clear that it hasn\u2019t used its lead time to properly match the polish of an iPhone Duo.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s not entirely true that Android foldables suffer just because Apple finally has one; if anything, Google\u2019s was almost the only exception to the rule (as far as foldables go in Singapore). Users who don\u2019t follow phones closely are now more familiar with foldable designs, more willing to question whether they fit their lifestyle and usage, and more likely to consider better-suited alternatives.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s almost free advertising for Android foldables \u2014 especially when iPhone Duo starts at S$3,099 (256GB) at launch; it certainly makes some users wonder whether foldables have to be so expensive. We\u2019re sure people have already compared them and found the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 (S$2,498 for 256GB) far easier to stomach if it\u2019s your first time trying one, even if it lacks the sexy matte screen and cool transition animation.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a fair reason. After all, folks who just want to buy a cool phone are buying precisely for the cool factor \u2014 they want the iPhone Duo because it\u2019s an Apple device, it\u2019s a way to put a number to how much their sugar daddies and mommies love them, it\u2019s something to flaunt for a calendar year, and not necessarily because it folds. However\u2026<\/p>\n
With Singapore\u2019s mobile penetration rate at 165% as of 2025 (meaning the average Singaporean has 1.6 active mobile phones), you\u2019re likely to be, or be around, someone who dual-wields handsets. Having two different operating systems (iOS and Android) has a huge versatility advantage. Android\u2019s upper hand comes from fast new launches, vast options, and notably faster leaps in advancement (especially cameras), while the iPhone stays in the arsenal because it retains buyback value well over time.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Apple\u2019s foldable foray earned front-row seats to early-adopter pain. The most notable is the minority of users reporting cracked screens and faulty pixels caused by folding (iFixit chalks it up to a hinge design issue, specifically its accordion-styled cable pleats). Apple has since responded, asking these new owners to use their AppleCare coverage to the fullest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This invites questions about how brands like OPPO, Honor, Xiaomi, and Samsung survived making foldable phones despite the engineering challenge they pose, and also partly explains why the crease has been so difficult to eliminate after nearly a decade of trying. Heck, each brand has perks that surpass the iPhone Duo\u2019s quality, though the scene is still fragmented, with every brand still finding its strengths in making the ultimate folding phone.<\/p>\n
While Apple had the advantage of taking others apart to study for years, it gives back by elevating the profile of existing Android foldable alternatives, many of which are still around without the price hikes caused by a worldwide memory shortage.<\/p>\n
This is a perfect segue into HWZ\u2019s foldable phone reviews and a reminder to keep an open mind. We\u2019ve tested almost every notable foldable phone available in Singapore since they first hit shelves. The following recent launches also clue us in on what to expect in your next Apple or Android foldable:<\/p>\n
2026 reviews by the resident phone reviewer:<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n
2026 reviews by the wider HWZ Editorial team:<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In short, the handset\u2019s display ratios, hinge quality, camera performance, software compatibility, battery life, material choices, and final price are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to making foldables as reliable as conventional bar-type phones. If anything, it\u2019s that foldables have quietly been getting proper traction and support, but it\u2019s the users who need time to get comfortable with a pocketable slate in their everyday carry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n