iPhone Duo Isn't First But It's Far From Alone | Tech News

0:00On September 9th Apple just dropped their first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo. But here's the kicker. It's not the first foldable on the market, and it's not even the first Apple product to rock the Duo name. We've seen foldables from Samsung and Google already, so Apple stepping into a crowded space. The big question is, will their custom screen tech and marketing push be enough to make us forget the other Duo's that came before? Before the iPhone Duo, there was the Apple PowerBook Duo back in 1992. This was an ultra portable laptop for its time, but like MacBooks today, it ditched built-in ports, forcing users to rely on docs. Then there was the MagSafe Duo charger, which came out in 2020, wirelessly powering up an iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously, though it. Was discontinued just a few years later. It's not just Apple though. Microsoft had their Surface Duo in 2020, a dual screen phone that, despite its unique design, struggled with software and camera.

1:00It issues. Even gaming laptops got in on the act with the ASUS ROG's EFORUS Duo and then both Pro Duo, both featuring multiple screens for enhanced productivity and gaming. And the Duo trend goes way back. Remember the NEC Turbo Duo, a gaming console from 1993 that combined two systems into one? Even Google had a video calling app called Duo, which eventually merged into Google Meet. Plus, there's the new Pebble 2 Duo Smartwatch, and even a concept robot vacuum called the iRobot Roomba Duo. So, while the iPhone Duo is Apple's latest innovation, the name and concept of dual functionality have a long and varied history across different, tech companies and product categories. It's a reminder that even seemingly new ideas often have roots in what came before. That's your tech news today update, AI powered and always on.