Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, does not escape the compromises inherent to foldable design, according to a review published by Swedish technology outlet Ny Teknik on 8 November 2026. Reviewer Peter Ottsjö argues that even Apple has not managed to make the foldable form factor fully cohere, despite the device carrying a starting price of at least 27,000 Swedish kronor. The review's headline translates roughly to the claim that not even Apple can make foldables add up.
Why it matters
The iPhone Duo is Apple's entry into a product category that other manufacturers have been selling for years, and expectations around it have been unusually high. Apple's reputation rests on arriving late to a category and then refining it, so a critical verdict from a established Swedish technology publication is a notable signal. Ny Teknik's assessment suggests that the physical and engineering trade-offs of folding screens remain unresolved even at a premium price point — a conclusion that matters both for buyers considering the device and for how the broader foldable market is judged.
The price framing is central to the criticism. At a minimum of 27,000 kronor, Ny Teknik's reviewer contends that a device should deliver the strengths of both a phone and a tablet without inheriting their weaknesses. According to the review, the iPhone Duo does not clear that bar.
A crowded launch picture
The Ny Teknik review is one of several stories about the iPhone Duo circulating in Swedish media in the same news cycle, and together they sketch a mixed launch.
Macworld.se published its own test describing the iPhone Duo as Apple's most exciting phone in a long time, while at the same time advising readers to hold off on buying one. That combination — enthusiasm for the hardware paired with a recommendation to wait — echoes the caution in Ny Teknik's verdict.
Separately, Omni reported that it is unclear when the delivery problems affecting the iPhone Duo might be resolved, indicating that supply or shipping issues are clouding the rollout. The nature and scale of those problems were not detailed in the reporting available.
On the software side, Teknikveckan reported that 100,000 apps are already optimized for the iPhone Duo, a figure that speaks to developer readiness for the new screen format. And Vietnam.vn reported that Apple has released data intended to reassure iPhone Duo users, though the specifics of that data were not described in the material available.
What the review says, and what it does not
Ny Teknik's piece is a test review, and its central judgment is that the iPhone Duo remains bound by the same compromises that affect foldable phones generally. The reviewer's position is that paying a premium does not exempt a device from those physical and practical limitations.
The review as summarized does not itemize which specific compromises drew the sharpest criticism, nor does it provide benchmark results, battery figures, durability testing or camera comparisons. Readers seeking those details will need the full review, which Ny Teknik publishes behind a subscription paywall.
What the review does establish is the price floor: at least 27,000 kronor. It also establishes the reviewer's overall stance, which is skeptical. The headline's phrasing — that not even Apple can make foldables come together — is a verdict on the category as much as on the individual product.
The wider context
Foldable phones have been on the market from other manufacturers for several years, and the category has consistently involved trade-offs in thickness, weight, durability and cost relative to conventional smartphones. Apple's arrival was widely anticipated as a potential turning point, on the theory that the company's engineering resources and control over both hardware and software could reduce those compromises.
Ny Teknik's review pushes back on that expectation. The argument, in essence, is that the constraints are rooted in the form factor itself rather than in any one company's execution.
The surrounding coverage adds texture to that picture. A large library of optimized apps suggests the software ecosystem is ready. Reports of delivery difficulties suggest the logistics are not. And Macworld.se's advice to wait suggests that even reviewers who admire the device see reasons for caution in the near term.
What to watch
The immediate questions are whether Apple addresses the delivery problems Omni reported and how quickly it does so, and whether the data Apple released to reassure users — as reported by Vietnam.vn — changes the terms of the debate. Prospective buyers weighing a 27,000-kronor purchase will also want to read beyond the headlines: Ny Teknik's full test, and Macworld.se's, contain the detailed assessments that the summary coverage does not.
