Where the reviewers agree
- The matte nano-textured inner display hides the crease well and reduces glare. — Tom's Guide, Android Central, Engadget, Wired, PCMag, TechRadar, Tech Advisor, CNET, SmartWorld, Tweakers
- The titanium build and hinge are polished, well engineered and smooth. — Tom's Guide, Engadget, Wired, PCMag, TechRadar, Tech Advisor, SmartWorld
- The phone is heavy at 254 grams. — Engadget, Wired, PCMag, Tech Advisor, SmartWorld, Tweakers, The Verge
- Many apps are not yet optimized for the large inner screen. — Engadget, Wired, Tom's Guide, Android Central, SmartWorld, Tweakers
Where they disagree
- Reviewers split on the cameras: TechRadar and CNET praise the main and ultra-wide cameras, while The Verge, Android Central and Tech Advisor call them weak or just OK, and Tom's Guide and Wired note… — TechRadar, CNET, The Verge, Android Central, Tech Advisor, Tom's Guide, Wired
- Touch ID draws criticism from PCMag (frequent misreads) and Tech Advisor and SmartWorld (slower or a step back from Face ID), while CNET treats the lack of Face ID as a minor drawback. — PCMag, Tech Advisor, SmartWorld, CNET
- The Verge finds the cover screen too small for everyday use, while Tom's Guide and Tech Advisor do not raise this issue. — The Verge, Tom's Guide, Tech Advisor
Bottom line: Suits buyers who want an early, well-built foldable with a strong inner screen and long battery life, and who accept a high price, weight, and apps still catching up. Main trade-offs are the weight, cost, missing telephoto lens and immature app optimization.
Summarised with AI from the 11 reviews below — each one is linked in full.
What the reviewers said
Android Central US
4/5Nov 4, 2026Apple's first foldable is contradictory: flawed in places, but its ecosystem and nano-textured screen make it hard to put down. Pricey, yet a strong first-generation device.
- Nano-texture folding display feels pleasant and reduces crease distraction
- Hinge holds at almost any angle
- Apple developer ecosystem unlocks unique experiences
- Excellent battery life
- Surprisingly ergonomic D-shaped design
- Cameras fall short of Pro-level expectations
- Multitasking is limited compared to Android
- Many apps still need foldable optimization
- High starting price of $2,000 or more
Tweakers NL
No scoreOct 31, 2026An excellent foldable for people tired of conventional phones; compact folded, tablet-like open, fast and long-lasting, though heavy and pricey.
- Excellent battery life
- Very powerful and fast
- Matte inner screen pleasant to use
- Compact when folded, passport-style format
- Strong selfie capabilities
- Quite heavy at 254 grams
- Software needs attention; many apps not optimized
- No telephoto camera
- Very expensive
- Inner screen reported to break at same spot
SmartWorld IT
No scoreOct 30, 2026A very good foldable from Apple with a standout hinge and inner display, held back by missing Face ID, no zoom camera, and immature app support.
- Excellent hinge that holds angles well
- Outstanding inner display with nanotexture reducing crease visibility
- IP68 rating, rare for foldables
- Good battery life and MagSafe support
- Thin when folded at 5.2 mm
- Heavy at 254 grams
- Face ID absent; Touch ID is slower than expected
- No zoom camera
- Some iOS choices feel awkward on the folding format
- Many apps not yet optimized for the wider layout
Tech Advisor UK
4/5Oct 23, 2026Apple's first foldable is remarkable, with a matt inner display and slick software, but Touch ID, missing Action Button and weak cameras hold it back at its high price.
- Beautifully engineered titanium design and strong hinge
- Matt nano-textured inner screen minimises crease and reflections
- Software adapts well between outer and inner displays
- Surprisingly good battery life
- IP68 rating, rare for a foldable
- Touch ID replaces Face ID
- No Action Button
- Cameras trail the iPhone 18 Pro
- Very expensive with long shipping wait
- Heavy at 254g and eSIM-only
CNET US
8.7/10CNET Editors' ChoiceOct 21, 2026A praiseworthy first-generation foldable: compact, intuitive and fun, with a few drawbacks like no Face ID and limited multitasking that don't break the deal.
- Passport-size foldable design is compact and practical
- Matte inner display reduces glare and crease visibility
- Seamless iOS integration across cover and inner screens
- IP68 rating for water and dust resistance
- Capable 48-megapixel wide and ultrawide cameras
- No Face ID; relies on Touch ID
- Limited photo features without telephoto or ProRAW
- Multitasking limited to landscape with fixed 50/50 split
- Right-side controls awkward for left-handed one-handed use
- Very expensive, starting at $1,999
TechRadar UK
4.75/5Oct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is a polished, well-engineered entry with a nearly crease-free screen. It is pricey and not a clear win over Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, but it is…
- Excellent, polished design and hinge engineering
- Flat matte inner screen that hides the crease
- Excellent performance and split-screen multitasking
- Strong main and ultra-wide cameras
- Cover screen loses space to dock placement
- No telephoto camera
- Limited third-party app support so far
- No Face ID; starts at 256GB at high price
PCMag US
4.5/5Editors' ChoiceOct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is a strong debut with a great hinge, excellent battery life and performance, though Touch ID and weight are drawbacks.
- Smooth, strong hinge that opens a full 180 degrees
- Class-leading battery life for a foldable
- Fast A20 Pro performance and fresh iOS multitasking experience
- Two large, phenomenal displays; Apple Pencil support
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- Side-mounted Touch ID button misreads frequently
- Heavy at 254 grams, noticeably weighty in pocket
- Camera Control button placement causes accidental presses
- No customizable Action Button
- eSIM-only; no SIM tray
The Verge US
7/10Oct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is risky and messy but fun for early adopters; the cover screen is too small for everyday use.
- Matte inner display looks solid and hides the crease well
- Fun to play with; an interesting new foldable idea
- Wide passport shape suits 16:9 video on the inner screen
- Apple's app ecosystem makes the foldable more cohesive than Android rivals
- Cover display is too small for regular use
- Heavier and bulkier than a standard phone
- Gets hot
- Cameras are just OK
- Many app layouts and controls feel awkward and disorienting
Engadget US
8.8/10Oct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is a polished, powerful, well-built device, held back by heavy weight, high price, and apps not yet optimized for its large screen.
- Slick, durable titanium design with a very smooth hinge
- Strong performance and battery life
- Matte nanotextured inner display hides the crease well
- IP68 dust and water resistance
- Strong camera quality
- Heavy at 254 grams
- Expensive at $1,999
- Many apps not yet optimized for the foldable screen
- Only two rear cameras
- Nanotexture layer can be peeled off easily
Apple's first foldable is polished and reliable with a nearly invisible crease, but heavy, with many apps still unoptimized and rigid multitasking.
- Polished hardware with a graceful hinge
- Nanotexture screen hides the crease well
- Multitasking is easy once apps are optimized
- Fun camera features like Duo Preview and Smart Take
- Reliable battery life
- Heavy at 254 grams
- Rigid split-screen multitasking; no resizing or floating third app
- Many apps not yet optimized for the large screen
- No dedicated telephoto zoom camera
- No native cursor support for the keyboard trackpad
Tom's Guide US
4.5/5Oct 21, 2026Apple's first foldable is the best-designed foldable the reviewer has tested, with polished build, strong software and a glare-reducing display. Trade-offs include no telephoto, no Face ID, and weak non-optimized…
- Striking, durable titanium design with IP68 rating
- Nano-texture display reduces glare and hides the crease
- Multiple modes including tabletop, tent and standby
- Intuitive split-screen multitasking
- Strong performance and optimized apps look great
- No telephoto camera or Face ID
- Non-optimized apps look bad
- Nano-texture display mutes colors versus OLED
- Heavier and thicker than Galaxy Z Fold 8
- Charging slower than Fold 8; backordered until December or January
Verdicts, pros and cons are short summaries in our words of each publisher's review; scores are as the publisher gave them. Specs are taken from the reviews' spec boxes — where they differ, we show the value most of them give; price is the US launch price of the base model. Read the originals for the full picture.
