Why the iPhone Duo camera falls behind the iPhone 18 Pro: What the foldable sacrifices

Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, trails behind the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera capabilities, according to reviewers. The Duo’s camera system sacrifices three key features that the Pro keeps: a dedicated telephoto lens, variable-aperture main camera, and pro-grade video and control features. While the Duo’s photos are generally excellent, the lack of these advanced camera capabilities becomes more noticeable when zooming in, attempting creative control, or filming serious video.

The Duo does not have a dedicated telephoto lens and relies on 12MP and 24MP crops from the main camera for zoomed-in shots, resulting in lower quality images compared to the Pro’s 8x optical zoom. Additionally, the Duo’s main camera sensor is slightly smaller than the Pro’s, potentially leading to more noise and reduced background blur in low-light conditions.

The Pro’s variable-aperture camera offers greater control over depth of field, allowing for creative effects like blurred backgrounds in portraits and landscapes. Pro video features like ProRes and Apple Log are also absent from the Duo, which are appreciated by videographers for superior color and highlight detail during grading.

The Duo’s selfie camera, a 12MP Center Stage, falls short of the 18MP camera found on other recent iPhones, missing out on advanced manual controls and Pro Controls features. Despite these shortcomings, the Duo remains a strong performer in everyday photography, delivering solid 4K video at up to 120fps and taking sharp, detailed images across all cameras.