Hillary Clinton sparked anger and fierce debate this week when she told MS NOW’s Morning Joe that she believed it was possible Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignored warnings about a Hamas attack before October 7th “so that then he could come down hard and it would enhance his position.”

“So I think we’ve got to be very clear of the messages we send, hopefully to the Israeli people, especially after this bombshell that came out in the Israeli press, where Netanyahu had literally been called by, you know, Sheikh Mohammed, MBZ, from UAE, and warned that Hamas was planning something,” Clinton said Thursday, adding:

And either he didn’t believe it, or — it’s horrible to say — he wanted to see what they could plan so that then he could come down hard and it would enhance his position. I don’t know what his thinking was. But the bottom line: talk about a failure of imagination. This was a failure of leadership. This was a failure of protecting the people of Israel. He’d been told what was going to happen.

Clinton’s remark was quickly clipped and went viral on social media, with both sides of the political spectrum offering criticism.

Left-wing independent writer Ken Klippenstein shared the moment and added, “Hillary Clinton suggests October 7 was an inside job.” He later added, “No way she doesn’t walk this back lol. Start your timers!”

Conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings shared Klippenstein’s clip and added, “Is Hillary the biggest conspiracy theorist in America? Still thinks Russia stole the 2016 election & now says Oct 7 was an inside job. Good grief.”

The Nation’s Jeet Heer added, “I hate to be put in a position of having to defend Netanyahu but the scenario Clinton is outlining is speculation not justified by the facts. Netanyahu’s broader set of actions — including funnelling money to Hamas for years — indicates he thought Gaza had been “contained” not that he wanted Oct. 7 to happen. The failure here was not just Netanyahu but Israeli security state going back many years.”

Below are some more reactions from across the political spectrum:

__

The post ‘Biggest Conspiracy Theorist in America?’ Hillary Clinton Sparks Fury With Netanyahu, Oct 7th Remark first appeared on Mediaite.

CNN global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh joined anchor John Berman on Friday to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, which continue to cause spikes in global energy prices, including in the U.S.

“Diesel, of course, is key for farmers and manufacturers, and higher input costs could lead to higher food prices for consumers. The price of regular gas is also up, $4.30 a gallon. That is up 15 cents since just last week, John,” began anchor Sara Sidner after noting diesel hit an all-time high this week.

“All right, major developments overseas this morning, specifically in this region here near the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb in Yemen here. Yemeni sources say that Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have captured a key island on the Red Sea. Want to push in so you can see what I’m talking about there. They’ve captured this island, Perim Island, here, right in the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb,” Berman began, looking at a map of the region. He added:

This follows another major event just in the last 24 hours, where they took over this city right here, Mocha, you can see. So the Houthi rebels, again, Iranian-backed, moving ever closer to what looks like complete control of this crucial strait. With us now, CNN political and global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh. Sabrina, again, this is happening at a fairly rapid pace. I mean, I woke up and the city had been taken by the Houthi rebels, and then just a few hours later, we get word that this island falls. What kind of situation does that create for the United States and U.S. allies?

“Well, I think you captured it perfectly. I mean, yesterday, we were looking at reports of Houthi rebels advancing on the city of Mocha, which is a strategic port on the southwest corner of the Red Sea. That port would allow the Houthis greater control of the Bab al-Mandeb — that’s 50 miles from it. And now, today, we’re waking up and seeing that they’ve actually taken control of that critical island as well,” Singh explained, adding:

So what you’re seeing here is potentially the war in Iran spilling over into the region, and opening up a new front when it comes to trade and shipping lanes. The Strait of Hormuz, of course, is still being threatened by Iran, but Iran’s very powerful proxy group, the Houthis, now potentially controls another critical strait and shipping lane through the Red Sea.

And we know that Saudi Arabia has had to, in fact, reroute a lot of the oil that it would get out through the strait — it was using the Red Sea and trying to even export it up through the Suez Canal. With the Houthis now taking control of some of these two critical places, I think shipping is going to be further threatened, which means the global economy is going to be further upended.

“Yeah, let me give people a sense of exactly what you’re talking about here. You can sort of make it out on our map. All the way up here, this is the Strait of Hormuz, right, and this is what has effectively been constricted, if not closed, for the last six months with the U.S. war with Iran,” Berman replied, going back to the map.

“So if there’s not oil shipping getting out there, and now Iranian-backed rebels have much more complete control over the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb, where Saudi Arabia was moving so much of its oil, then it just makes the situation that much worse. Now, we’ve got word overnight, Sabrina, also, that the United States now has some hundred — what they’re calling — military advisors in Saudi Arabia, in theory helping the Saudis, who are backing the Yemeni government, battling the Houthi rebels. When the U.S. sends a hundred advisors somewhere to help, what does that mean?” he followed up.

“I think this administration is taking this very seriously. They understand that, should the Houthis be able to control just this critical waterway between the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb, not only is that going to upend the global economy, that is going to raise prices here at home. And Sara, of course, was talking about the price of oil, the price of diesel today — that’s going to go further up if the Houthis can threaten shipping and prevent Saudi, which is a critical oil exporter, from getting its oil out into the region,” Singh continued, adding:

It’s going to raise prices. And right now, what Saudi’s basically doing is having to go up through the Suez Canal, through the Mediterranean, and reroute oil through Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, all the way to get to Asian and European markets. That is extremely costly for shippers and, of course, is making oil prices skyrocket everywhere around the world.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post CNN’s Singh Warns Escalating New Front In Middle East Could ‘Upend the Global Economy’: Trump is ‘Taking This Very Seriously’ first appeared on Mediaite.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Since ending its nine-season run in 2013, The Office has only grown more powerful. Thanks to endless re-runs and availability on streaming platforms, the series has evolved into the glue that holds society together—no matter who you are, you’ve watched The Office (probably more than once, with the exception of “Scott’s Tots,” which is simply too cringey (though hilarious!) for anyone to experience twice). If you just finished your sixth re-watch and you’ve watched all the recommended streamalike series, it’s time to watch David Brent: Life on the Road.

Why fans of The Office should watch David Brent: Life on the Road

If you’re a huge fan of The Office, you’ve almost certainly watched the original UK version created by Rickey Gervais. The original series has a different vibe than the American version, of course, but all the pieces are there—especially Gervais’s performance as David Brent, who was a slightly meaner Michael Scott.

That’s what makes David Brent: Life on the Road a must-watch for Office fans. It picks up Brent’s story after the series’ end and digs deep into his character. No longer the boss, Brent is working as a sales rep—and finds himself in the same position his employees once did, miserable in his work and treated poorly by many of his co-workers. Instead of inspiring some self-reflection, however, Brent decides to make a desperate stab at music stardom, cleaning out his retirement funds to hire a band and go on a short tour during his vacation.

There’s very little office in David Brent: Life on the Road, but the film has the same cringe-comedy chops you love about the series. Brent is as bombastic, un-self-aware, and weirdly overconfident as ever when the story kicks off, but—just like Michael in the U.S. series—is slowly humanized over the course of the story, learning how to make real human connections. Along the way, there’s plenty of awkward comedy and hilarious moments, all done in the same mockumentary style of both the original show and the American adaptation. If you’re looking for something similar to bridge the gap to your next re-watch of the show, this is the perfect choice. Stream David Brent: Life on the Road on Netflix.

David Brent: Life on the Road (2016)

at Netflix

Learn More

Learn More

at Netflix

More movies that fans of The Office should watch

If that just made you want to watch more office-based comedies or mockumentaries that do cringe comedy well, never fear: Here are a few more movies fans of The Office will love.

Office Space (1999)

No recent comedy captures the slow, grinding indignities of working life like Office Space. If you love how The Office riffs on the personalities and petty squabbles between co-workers that come to dominate our 9-to-5 existences, this story of a man who decides his job just doesn’t matter (and who gets swept up in a ludicrous crime scheme that’s ripped off of Superman 3, of all things) is an ideal choice. It digs into what we sell to our employers, the rage that working for a living can inspire (this scene connects with literally everyone who watches it), and the hilarious absurdity of office life. Rent Office Space on Prime Video.

Office Space (1999)

$3.99 at Prime Video

Learn More

Learn More

$3.99 at Prime Video

The Apartment (1960)

Office culture and its warping effect on human nature has been a comedic subject for a long time, and this peak Billy Wilder film from 1960 is still relatable today. Jack Lemmon plays a put-upon, ambitious office clerk at an enormous insurance company that allows executives to use his bachelor pad as a trysting place for their office affairs, hoping to ingratiate himself. It’s as much a satire of corporate culture as it is a love story, and modern-day Office fans will find a lot of the jokes still land today. Stream The Apartment on Kanopy or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.

The Apartment (1960)

$3.99 at Prime Video

Learn More

Learn More

$3.99 at Prime Video

Clockwatchers (1997)

Clockwatchers offers a different kind of humor and explores a kind of working experience that doesn’t really exist anymore—that of long-term temp workers. But if your favorite part of The Office is the way it skewers work culture and office dynamics, this is your jam. Toni Colette plays Iris, a young woman who starts a temp gig at a mid-size financial company. She hooks up with the other temps (including a typically marvelous Parker Posey and Lisa Kudrow) and learns the ins and outs of this stressful, darkly funny office. Anyone trapped in a dead-end job will understand the peculiar madness that sets in—the same madness that drives the funny core of this movie. Stream Clockwatchers on Hoopla, or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.

Clockwatchers (1997)

$3.99 at Prime Video

Learn More

Learn More

$3.99 at Prime Video

Office Christmas Party (2016)

Are your favorite episodes of The Office the ones where normal order breaks down and chaos invades, like the Christmas party episode, the fire drill cold open, or the office Olympics?. Check out Office Christmas Party. A struggling office is ordered to cancel bonuses and its holiday party, but the CTO and branch manager forge ahead with the party in an effort to land a big client. The phrase “chaos ensues” does not even begin to sum up the events that follow, including copious property damage, arrests, and several hospitalizations. If Dwight and Jim’s prank wars and Michael’s tendency to overdo everything were the best parts of the show for you, you’ll dig this. Stream Office Christmas Party on Paramount+ or rent it on Prime Video.

Office Christmas Party (2016)

$3.99 at Prime Video

Learn More

Learn More

$3.99 at Prime Video

Waiting for Guffman (1997)

If you’re a sucker for the “mockumentary” format The Office perfected, Waiting for Guffman is the perfect choice. The story of a community theater group planning a show for the town’s 150^th anniversary, led by intense director Corky St. Clair (Christopher Guest). It captures Michael Scott’s oblivious approach to leading a team and his improvisational comedy skills as the weirdos who populate the community of Blaine, Missouri come together to put on a show that is a lot more memorable than it is good. Rent Waiting for Guffman on Prime Video.

Waiting for Guffman (1997)

$3.99 at Prime Video

Learn More

Learn More

$3.99 at Prime Video

After roughly eight hours on live television, Fox News anchor Jon Scott finally left the studio and began walking toward Grand Central Terminal at around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2001.

Sixth Avenue was completely deserted. He stepped into the middle of the normally bustling Manhattan thoroughfare on a sunny late afternoon and turned towards downtown. He could still see the smoke pouring from the site of the World Trade Center three miles away.

Scott continued on to Grand Central and boarded a train out of Manhattan. Sitting across the aisle from him was a man who asked to borrow another passenger’s cellphone. The man took the phone, dialed up his wife, and told her the two words every New Yorker wanted to hear from their loved ones that day.

“I’m alive.”

The Fox News anchor remembers that phone call on the train with great clarity.

“Normally you call home and say, ‘What’s for dinner?’ or ‘I’ll pick up the dry cleaning,’” Scott — now the anchor of the FOX Report — told Mediaite in an interview ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11. “And this guy calls home and tells his wife that he’s still alive.”

He began to choke up.

“See, now I’m getting a little emotional,” he admitted.

For eight hours on air that Tuesday morning a quarter-century ago, Scott fought those emotions. He was determined not to break down.

Scott — a Fox News original who joined the network two months before its launch in 1996 — certainly wasn’t expecting to struggle when he reported to work that day. He was anticipating an ordinary show, preparing for a lineup that included a book interview and a musician.

As he opened the studio door, he heard an urgent message from his producer that a plane had struck 1 World Trade Center.

“It didn’t compute because we had just never seen [anything like it] before,” Scott explained. “It’s hard for the human brain, or at least my human brain, to wrap your mind around things that you’ve never experienced before.”

Early reports suggested a small plane had crashed into the tower, and an aviation expert on the phone with the anchor walked through reasons it could have been an accident live on air.

As hosts across broadcast platforms scrambled to provide important information to their viewers and listeners, Scott had some unique insight to offer. He was working toward his pilot’s license at the time. And with his knowledge of aviation, he found the theory about a possible small plane crash hard to square with the enormous hole and smoke visible on screen.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a second jet swoop into the frame.

He paused mid-sentence on television as he watched another fireball erupt from the towers. Because of the WABC-TV helicopter camera’s angle, the two towers were aligned in the footage.

“For a second, I thought that our director had somehow cued up a replay,” he said.

Then the helicopter moved.

“I saw that both towers had gaping holes and pillars of smoke coming out of them,” Scott recalled. “I knew then that this was no accident.”

He quickly mentioned Osama bin Laden on air as a possible suspect — a conclusion that would ultimately prove correct, but one he immediately worried had come too soon.

“As soon as I said it, I thought, ‘It’s really too early to be naming suspects,’” he disclosed.

But since the attacks, Scott said he’s become friendly with an Air Force flight nurse who told him he had been watching Fox’s coverage that morning alongside military superiors. They had also suspected bin Laden, and when the anchor said his name on air, those in the room looked at one another and asked, “How did he know?”

That morning, though, his decision to name a suspect was actually in an attempt to maintain composure.

After the second plane struck the South Tower, a floor director in the studio began “bawling out loud.” Seeing her cry nearly broke his own resolve.

“I decided me getting emotional wasn’t going to help get the story out, wasn’t going to help communicate to anybody who might be watching,” he said, deciding instead to focus strictly on the facts.

Scott believes experience helped him navigate the chaos. Before joining Fox, he had been a correspondent for NBC’s Dateline and reported on the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, touring the complex and learning about its security.

Yet 9/11 changed the way he experienced the breaking news that followed. Two months later, when American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Queens, Scott was at home when one of his bosses at Fox called.

“Looks like they’ve hit us again,” the anchor recalled being told.

“I just got this rock in the pit of my stomach because I thought we’d been attacked again,” he said.

That crash was not an act of terrorism, but as Scott explained, “9/11 was still very raw.”

And it can still feel that way to Jon Scott, even 25 years later. He’s one of the very few anchors who is still with the network where he broadcast on 9/11. One of the few who is still with the same outlet where he brought us the images that we haven’t forgotten.

But the memories that have endured in Scott’s own mind were the ones that came after he stepped outside the studio to take his first look at a city that had forever changed: An empty Sixth Avenue. A train out of Grand Central. A stranger making the most basic phone call imaginable.

“That,” Scott said, “was the kind of day it was.”

——

The post Fox’s Jon Scott Anchored for 8 Hours on 9/11 — One Moment Still Gets Him first appeared on Mediaite.

I've followed the foldable smartphone space for seven years now, but I’ve still never wanted to buy one. But the iPhone Duo is making me doubt my convictions, and not just because I’m an iPhone user. Until now, foldable smartphones felt like a work in progress to me, requiring a sacrifice or two (or three) with either the hardware or the software.

But with the launch of the iPhone Duo, it feels like this everything is finally coming together. Apple's hardware and the software appear to be working hand in hand to provide a seamless, and even fun, foldable experience. It still feels like choosing the Duo instead carries its own share of compromises—missing Face ID, no telephoto lens, and the lack of an Action button)—but what the new device brings to the table might make up for all of that.

The screen opening animation is peak Apple design

Credit: Apple

It’s a trick, but it’s surprising no one thought of this before. When you open the iPhone Duo, the cover screen performs a blurred animation that seamlessly continues to the inner screen. What’s on the cover screen appears on the right side of the inner screen. The interface also adapts to the hinge and the degree of folding. Make it a tent, and it shows the Stand By widgets. When watching media, you can prop it up like a laptop, and the interface splits in two as well, with the top half showing the media, and controls on the bottom half (assuming the app has been optimized to do so, anyway). If you’re playing a game or watching a movie on the inner screen, closing the Duo will switch the content to the cover screen, with the animation, and without skipping a beat. This is the kind of seamless device/software integration that's tough for Android devices to compete with.

A matte inner screen that appears to be creaseless (almost)

Credit: Apple

Apple is late to the foldable party, but at least it has caught up in the screen and hinge tech. Of course, we won’t know exactly how creaseless it is until we can all get our hands on the iPhone Duo, but based on the coverage so far, it is at least fairly creaseless. In day-to-day use, you might not even notice it.

More interesting is the inner display tech: Apple is bringing a version of the nano-texture display from the MacBook Pro line to this device. The matte display fights reflections, but it also hides the crease—something that’s harder to do with the glossy panels sported by Android foldables.

The iOS 27 adapts like Android doesn’t

Credit: Apple

As noted, the real hardware-software advantage shows up in how iOS works. Because of the shorter display, Apple has chosen to dedicate the right-hand side edge to the Dock and toolbar controls, an interesting choice in terms of reachability and design.

The usable space isn’t compromised, either with the cover screen or the inner display. Adapting and moving the toolbar, and bringing third-party apps along for the ride, is no easy feat. It’s also something that would be extremely difficult to pull off on the Android side: It would require a design directive from Google, and manufacturers would have to find their own ways to implement it.

App layouts should make the inner display more useful

Credit: Apple

It will be interesting to see how third-party developers adapt to the new screen and layout options. Apple already showcased how media apps like Netflix are taking advantage of the split-screen interface design. Zoom’s example, where the screen sharing is on one side and the meeting participants are on the other, is quite smart, too.

How you end up using the inner screen on a foldable is all down to how developers take advantage of it. Sure, you can put two apps side by side, but how often are people really going to do that? But the fact that you have an iPad mini-sized canvas, along with upcoming support for the Apple Pencil, sets the stage for creative uses of the expanding display. Conversely, Samsungdropped support for its stylus from the Fold series last year.

A disappearing selfie camera and new camera tricks

Credit: Apple

Under-display selfie cameras are not new—Samsung tried it in Fold 3, and gave up in the Fold 7. The under-display camera just wasn’t as good. This is the first time that Apple is trying it, and we will have to test it out before we can make a judgment on how well it performs.

But that's not the only camera-related feature in the iPhone Duo. While it's missing a telephoto lens, the way Apple is using the second screen in the camera and FaceTime is very interesting. When you're photographing someone with the Duo unfolded, the cover screen becomes a live preview, so the subjects can see themselves, and guide you as well. To make it easier to capture moments with kids, the outer camera can show fun Snoopy graphics. Even FaceTime has a Duo mode where a participant can be shown on the cover screen.

A foldable that’s still rough and tough

Most foldable smartphones lose out when it comes to dust and water resistance. The design itself means you have to be careful with dust, especially around the hinges. The Samsung Fold 8, for example, has an IP48 rating. The iPhone Duo gets the full IP68 sealing treatment. An IP68 rating means that the iPhone Duo is fully dust-protected, and it can survive under shallow 1.5 meter deep water for 30 minutes. The Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 lacks a dust-sealing rating, though it does offer stronger water resistance.

Is the iPhone Duo worth the downsides?

All that new tech does come at a cost. The first is literal: the $1,999 starting price, or more than buying an iPhone and an iPad mini combined. The foldable design ushers in a new era of iPhone innovation, but it’s also leaving behind features that iPhone users have come to love and expect. There’s no Face ID, no Action button, no real optical zoom, and no physical SIM card slot, all lacking in a device that’s quite heavy (254 g) compared to the iPhone 18 Pro (211 grams). Ultimately, the market (and buyers' wallets) will decide if these tradeoffs are worth it, but if you ask me, the Duo makes the most compelling case for a foldable yet.

iPhone Duo pre-orders open October 16, and the device won’t ship until October 23.

The iPhone Duo is both the most exciting (and expensive) product from Apple's September hardware event. The Duo is Apple's first foldable, equipped with new features not present in the company's other iPhones. On the flip side, designing a foldable smartphone comes with a bunch of compromises, which means that the iPhone Duo misses out on a lot of features when compared with the iPhone 18 Pro and the 18 Pro Max. Yes, even if you pay $1,999 (going all the way up to $3,199 for the 2TB variant) for an iPhone Duo, you won't be getting all the best new iPhone features this year. Here's every feature that the iPhone Duo misses out on.

The iPhone Duo doesn't have an Action button

Unlike the iPhone 18 Pro series (or any iPhone since the 15), the foldable iPhone doesn't get a programmable Action button. It doesn't even have a mute switch, which means that its only buttons are for volume control and power. The Action button can be mapped to simple tasks such as taking screenshots, or more complex automations of your choice, and it'll be missed on the foldable iPhone.

The iPhone Duo's selfie camera isn't as good as the iPhone 18 Pro

The iPhone Duo ships with a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera on the outer display, which is a lower-resolution sensor than the one on the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. The two 18 Pro series phones ship with an 18-megapixel Center Stage camera for selfies. The iPhone Duo also has an under-display front camera, and since Apple hasn't disclosed its megapixel count, it's safe to say it's also less than the 18 Pros. However, by its nature, the Duo has an interesting advantage here: If you're taking selfies with the device unfolded, you get to use the far superior "rear" camera sensor, as the front display becomes your viewfinder. Anyone using the Duo for selfies this way will shoot better pictures than those using the front camera on an iPhone 18 Pro.

The iPhone Duo's rear cameras have fixed apertures

Variable aperture is one of the best new camera features of the iPhone 18 Pro series. The primary rear camera lets you control aperture, which opens up the possibility for better quality photos, enhanced depth of field effects, and more creative control over your photography. Unfortunately, the iPhone Duo misses out on this feature.

Pro Controls aren't coming to the iPhone Duo

By now the trend is pretty clear: iPhone Duo misses out on a slew of camera features. For the iPhone 18 Pro series, Apple announced "Pro Controls" for the Camera app, which lets you control aperture, shutter speed, and more variables. This will undoubtedly appeal to photography enthusiasts, but despite the Duo's inflated price tag, this is another feature that didn't make it to the foldable.

Apple Reference Image is limited to the 18 Pro series

Apple also announced a new standard to combat AI-morphed images. Apple Reference Image allows you to verify that an image was captured using an iPhone 18 Pro device, and that it wasn't generated by AI. For some reason, however, this feature isn't coming to the iPhone Duo.

There's no telephoto lens in the iPhone Duo

Apple decided to go with two rear cameras in the iPhone Duo, which means that the telephoto lens gets a miss. The iPhone 18 Pro series has 4x and 8x optical zoom options, both of which won't be available on the iPhone Duo. You'll be limited to a zoom range of 0.5x to 2x on the foldable iPhone, across both the ultrawide and Fusion cameras.

You won't get Spatial photos, videos, and ProRAW on the iPhone Duo

Spatial photos, Spatial videos, and ProRAW are all features targeted at professional photographers and videographers. These features are available in the iPhone 18 Pro series, but not on the iPhone Duo.

The iPhone 18 Pro has better mics for video recording than the iPhone Duo

Apple included a "studio-quality" four-mic array in the iPhone 18 Pro and the 18 Pro Max. The aim is to enhance audio quality when you're shooting video. The iPhone Duo misses out on this feature too.

iPhone Duo doesn't use Face ID

Apple chose to give the iPhone Duo Touch ID, which means that you can use your fingerprint to unlock the device. While the lack of Face ID may initially seem like a big miss, I think it makes perfect sense for a device that has multiple "front" cameras. Rather than placing the Face ID sensor near every camera, Apple opted for the more practical alternative. Plus, you can unlock your iPhone Duo with your Apple Watch, if you have one.

The iPhone Duo doesn't have a LiDAR scanner

LiDAR sensors measure distances between two objects, creating 3D scans of objects in the real world, and even mapping the layout of your home for 3D models. Your iPhone ships with an app called Measure, which works well with Pro series iPhones because those devices have a LiDAR scanner. The iPhone Duo misses out.

The Duo is available only in two colors

This year, Apple reserved all the fun iPhone colors for the 18 Pro and the 18 Pro Max, including the new Glacier and Burgundy color variants. I wish Apple had added at least one of those to the iPhone Duo, as the foldable iPhone is only available in "Night Sky" (dark blue) or white.

iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide

The iPhone Duo is the first iPhone to ship with two eSIM slots globally. The iPhone 18 Pro devices will be eSIM-exclusive in 12 countries, but not in the rest of the world. The 18 Pro will ship with at least one physical SIM slot in most regions. An eSIM is great for those who never swap SIM cards or travel often, but having the option of a physical SIM is also useful. It allows you to use cheap prepaid travel SIMs when abroad, and offers you the flexibility to keep swapping SIMs quickly.

Since Apple announced the date of its big September event, we've expected the company to reveal the "iPhone Ultra," its first foldable smartphone. As it turns out, half of that prediction came true: While the company did indeed showcase the first iPhone to transform from smartphone to tablet, it isn't actually called the Ultra. Instead, the company surprised us all with a new name: iPhone Duo.

iPhone Duo: Design

Credit: Apple

It's immediately apparent that the iPhone Duo has a much different design than any iPhone Apple has ever made. This device is foldable, which means it has two functioning displays, depending on how you use it. When closed, the Duo has a funkier 5.4-inch display than the one you might be used to on an iPhone, but it's fully functional. You don't actually have to open up the Duo to use it: You can text, browse Safari, play games, and do whatever you normally would on your iPhone from here. The selfie cam and two rear cameras mean you can take FaceTime calls and shoot photos and videos while the Duo is in this position. If you never wanted to open up your Duo, you would probably never have to.

Open it up, however, and you'll be greeted by a much larger 7.6-inch display. This is the benefit of foldable smartphones: You have access to a mini tablet (sometimes called a "phablet") whenever you want it. That extra screen real estate means you can view single apps in a much larger window, but also run two apps side-by-side. That's a first for any iPhone, even if it's not a first for smartphones in general. And because this is a tablet-like display, your Home Screen looks a bit more like an iPad's, complete with extra widgets and a macOS-like Dock. There's even a Dock on the outer display, and many controls are adjusted to sit on the right of the display to make them accessible using your thumb.

Interestingly, the Duo is the first iPhone in years to lack Face ID. Instead, this device marks the return of Touch ID, integrated into the Side button. (You can also unlock it with your Apple Watch.) It also supports Apple Pencil for the first time on iPhone, and includes two batteries, providing 31 hours of video playback on the inner display, and 44 hours on the outer. You can reach 50% battery in 20 minutes of charging, and five hours of use after five minutes.

It works in many different orientations: You can stand it up tent-style or like a laptop, or fold it slightly to split your keyboard. It also works in StandBy by folding it on its side.

iPhone Duo: Processor

Credit: Apple

Like the iPhone 18 Pros, the iPhone Duo comes with Apple's new A20 Pro chip. But for the Duo, the chip has a new display engine to power both screens. Apple says it offers up to 35% faster performance than iPhone 17 Pro. While I'm sure it's Apple's fastest chip yet, we'll have to wait until independent benchmarkers put it to the test to know how much better it is than the A19 Pro. The Duo also has Apple's proprietary C2 modem, which provides faster uploads and quicker reconnection to networks.

iPhone Duo: Cameras

As noted above, the iPhone Duo has four cameras: two rear cameras and two selfie cameras. Let's start with those rear cameras: Apple has a 48MP fusion lens and a 2x telephoto lens. Some might be sad about the omission of an ultrawide lens. At the same time, the Duo might not be the iPhone for users who care most about mobile photography. Perhaps it'll feel more like the cameras on the iPad: useful to have, but not exactly a selling point. Like the 18 Pro, the Duo supports 4K Time-Lapses and new Photographic Styles.

Perhaps more importantly, the Duo has two selfie cameras: one on the front display, and one on the inner display. This ensures that you can take FaceTime calls and selfies in whichever orientation you have the iPhone Duo in. Crucially, the inner camera is embedded in the display, so you don't ever see it. There are a lot of camera perks with those dual displays: Your subject can see themselves in the outer display; you can stand up the Duo like a tripod; and you can project FaceTime calls on both displays, so everyone can see who you're talking to.

iPhone Duo: Colors

Credit: Apple

Apple didn't go all out with the colors for the Duo. Buyers will only have two options to choose from here: Star White or Night Sky (dark blue). That's in contrast to the iPhone 18 Pro, which comes in four interesting colors. That said, I'm guessing Apple doesn't expect Duo sales to be affected by color options: Buyers are either going to pay up for the Duo, or they're not, and fun colors probably wouldn't play into that conversation.

iPhone Duo: Price

Credit: Apple

Apple's first foldable iPhone doesn't come cheap, of course. The iPhone Duo officially starts at $1,999, which makes this the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever made. And yet, that doesn't sound so bad: Initial reports suggested that the Duo would be more than $2,000, which seemed quite believable considering how RAMaggedon is driving the costs up for all types of tech.

The iPhone Duo can be more expensive, however. $1,999 is the starting price for the 256GB model, though it goes up to 2TB.

iPhone Duo: Release date

While Apple announced the iPhone Duo today, it won't be available right away. Instead, the company says preorders begin Oct. 16, while sales begin Oct. 23. While iPhone preorders are usually a frantic affair, I imagine the Duo's demand will be historic. If you're interested in picking one up as soon as possible, you'll likely want to make sure you preorder it as soon as Apple lets you.