Apple faced widespread online ridicule after introducing its first folding smartphone, the two thousand dollar iPhone Duo with dual screens, at an autumn presentation.
Social media users quickly targeted the high price and dual display setup of the device, creating viral memes following the product announcement on September 9.
Russian news website Lenta.ru reported that commentators across social networks poked fun at the hardware design shortly after the corporate showcase. Apple traditionally hosts its major hardware unveiling every September, introducing its newest flagship devices to global audiences.
One user on the social network X, posting under the account name @vampipe, published a photograph showing two separate mobile phones fastened together with painter tape. The user joked that they already possessed the new iPhone Duo.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, best known for designing consumer electronics including the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers. Smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, Google, and Huawei have released foldable mobile handsets in recent years, but the iPhone Duo represents Apple's first entry into the foldable device market.
The new handset features two separate displays, including a 5.4-inch external screen and a 7.6-inch internal display. Software on the phone allows content to scale automatically between the screens. Apple suggested multiple ways to use the dual displays, such as folding the device into a tent shape to view videos on the outer screen or using the inner screen to type text.
Multitasking memes and dual screen reactions
Online users focused heavily on the multitasking possibilities offered by two screens, creating memes about managing contrasting tasks simultaneously. A screenshot shared by the account @EnhancedMarket depicted a user monitoring financial stock charts on one display while actively searching for job vacancies on the second display at the same time.
Other commentators joked that the dual screens would allow users to consume content across multiple platforms simultaneously, such as watching short videos on TikTok and Instagram at the same time. Several social media posts labeled the dual-screen smartphone an ADHD phone, referring to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, and Instagram, operated by Meta Platforms, are major short video and image sharing services. Apple's new two thousand dollar folding handset is entering a premium mobile market where consumers will weigh its dual-screen multitasking features against its price tag.
