At IFA 2026, while wandering through a sea of new gadgets, one little trend kept popping up in the charging and power-bank aisle. Several brands had suddenly embraced wider, squarer magnetic power banks. At the time, it made perfect sense. The iPhone Duo was coming, the leaks had done a pretty good job of spoiling the surprise, and accessory makers clearly weren’t waiting around.
I initially thought, “Well, that’s just foldables.” I’ve used the Galaxy Fold 8, and a squarer power bank for a squarer phone isn’t exactly rocket science. Then Apple actually launched the Duo, I dug a little deeper, and realised there was a rather annoying catch.
The iPhone Duo absolutely supports MagSafe, including wireless charging up to 25W, just like the newer iPhone 16, 17 and 18 Pro models. The problem is that MagSafe isn’t just about charging. It’s also about everything you stick to the back of your phone.
For years, upgrading from one iPhone to the next was blissfully boring in this regard. Your old MagSafe wallet? Fine. Your magnetic power bank? Fine. Your stand? Probably fine. Even when charging speeds changed — the iPhone 15 topped out at 15W MagSafe, while the iPhone 16 moved to 25W — the basic accessory ecosystem remained intact.
The Duo changes that because its closed body is just 84.1mm wide and 117.8mm tall, making it dramatically wider and squatter than a regular iPhone. Suddenly, an accessory can be magnetically compatible but physically all wrong.
Power banks are the easiest example. Some older magnetic batteries may still attach, but their proportions can look hilariously awkward on the Duo, while others may need to be shifted around to avoid the camera area. That’s precisely why accessory makers at IFA were already showing wider, squarer designs.
Then there’s the wallet. Apple’s current FineWoven MagSafe Wallet is still prominently listed for the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, conveniently skipping out on the iPhone Duo. It’s the same way for multiple other products as well. In other words, don’t assume that the wallet you’ve been carrying since your previous iPhone is automatically invited to the Duo party.
And this extends beyond wallets and batteries. MagSafe stands, grips, and other accessories depend on their physical footprint and how they align with the phone. A simple MagSafe charging puck? You’re golden. The polishing cloth? Weirdly, also fine.
But if you’re planning to spend roughly $2,000 on Apple’s first foldable, here’s the tiny PSA: budget for more than the phone itself. Your MagSafe drawer might need an upgrade too.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.