The incomplete history of Duo devices
Apple introduced the iPhone Duo as its first handset with a folding display, but the name and concept have long precedents across gaming, computing, software, and consumer devices. Products called “Duo” have appeared from companies including NEC, Google, Microsoft, Asus, Pebble, iRobot, and others over the past three decades.
Why It Matters
The debut highlights how Apple is entering an established market and adopting a name with existing associations — a reminder that product names and form factors are often iterative rather than wholly original. Understanding prior “Duo” products gives context for how consumers may receive Apple’s new foldable and how the company might differentiate it.
Key Facts
- Apple's new product: iPhone Duo is Apple’s first device with a folding screen and uses a custom nano-texture display material to reduce crease visibility.
- Market context: Foldable phones were previously brought to market by companies such as Samsung and Google.
- NEC TurboDuo: Launched in North America in 1993 after debuting in Japan as the PC Engine Duo; developed by NEC and Hudson Soft; production ended on December 25, 1995.
- Google Duo: Released in 2016 as a VoIP video-calling service; merged into Google Meet in 2022; supported Android, iOS, and web and was optimized for slow mobile networks.
- PowerBook Duo: Introduced by Apple in 1992 as an ultraportable PowerBook that weighed over 4 pounds and relied on optional docks instead of built-in expansion ports.
Apple’s iPhone Duo is notable within the company’s lineup for introducing a folding display, but it is neither the first foldable phone nor the first product to carry the “Duo” name. The phone’s display uses a custom nano-texture material that Apple says helps hide the screen crease, but several rivals brought foldable formats to market earlier and many other products across industries have used the Duo label over the years. The Duo name stretches back to gaming hardware: NEC’s TurboDuo combined the TurboGrafx-16 console with CD-ROM functionality and launched in North America in 1993 after appearing in Japan as the PC Engine Duo. That console was produced under a joint venture with Hudson Soft and had a relatively brief commercial life, ending production on December 25, 1995. Software and computing products have also borne the Duo name. Google’s Duo debuted in 2016 as a cross-platform video-calling service optimized for lower-bandwidth mobile conditions and later folded into Google Meet in 2022. Apple itself previously used Duo for hardware: the PowerBook Duo ultraportable arrived in 1992 as the smallest and lightest PowerBook of its time but required dock accessories for expansion, and the MagSafe Duo charger—announced years later—could charge an iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously before being discontinued in late 2023. Other firms have used Duo for dual-screen or multi-device designs. Microsoft’s Surface Duo launched in 2020 with two separate 5.6-inch OLED panels and a visible hinge rather than a flexible screen; software limitations, camera performance, and dated specifications hampered its reception despite a follow-up Duo 2. Asus produced dual-screen laptops under the Duo name with the ZenBook Pro Duo and the ROG Zephyrus Duo offering secondary displays in different layouts, while newer and niche devices such as the Pebble 2 Duo smartwatch revival, iRobot’s Roomba Duo prototype (unveiled at IFA 2026), and the Retroid Pocket Duo handheld continue to demonstrate the name’s spread across product categories.
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