Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Apple's iPhone Duo Revives Microsoft's Surface Duo Naming Controversy
Apple has released a new foldable phone called the iPhone Duo.
Microsoft used the name Surface Duo for a two-screen phone in 2020.
Many people online think Apple copied Microsoft’s naming choice.
Some also say Apple’s phone resembles Microsoft’s earlier device.
Other people point out that Apple used the word Duo for products long before Microsoft did.
The Surface Duo was criticized because it did not sell or perform well enough.
However, some fans believe its hardware was excellent.
They think Microsoft stopped improving it before the software could catch up.
Apple has not explained why it chose the name.
Apple has launched its long-rumoured foldable phone under the name iPhone Duo.
Microsoft used the Duo name for its 2020 dual-screen Surface Duo device.
Online critics accused Apple of borrowing Microsoft’s name and possibly its foldable design.
Some commenters noted Apple previously used Duo for its PowerBook Duo laptops and MagSafe Duo charger.
Supporters of the Surface Duo argued that Microsoft abandoned promising hardware before its software matured.
- Who
- Apple, Microsoft, Surface Duo fans, and online commentators.
- What
- Apple launched a foldable phone called the iPhone Duo, prompting accusations that it reused Microsoft’s Duo branding.
- When
- The iPhone Duo’s launch date is not specified; Microsoft introduced the Surface Duo in 2020.
- Where
- The reaction appeared on X, MacRumors forums, and other technology discussions online.
- Why
- The name recalls Microsoft’s Surface Duo, while critics also see similarities in the devices’ form factors.
Critics of Apple's Naming
Defenders of the Choice
Whether Apple copied Microsoft
Critics of Apple's Naming
Critics argue that Apple’s iPhone Duo name recalls Microsoft’s Surface Duo too closely, and some believe Apple also borrowed the device’s form factor.
Defenders of the Choice
Others note that Apple used Duo for its PowerBook Duo laptops before Microsoft and has also used the name for products such as the MagSafe Duo charger.
The Surface Duo’s legacy
Critics of Apple's Naming
Some commentators describe the Surface Duo as a failed or poorly received Android phone whose name Apple should not have reused.
Defenders of the Choice
Surface Duo supporters say Microsoft’s hardware was excellent, including its thin design and 360-degree hinge, but its software was not given enough time to improve.
Apple’s originality
Critics of Apple's Naming
Critics call Duo an unoriginal choice for a flagship product and suggest Apple could have used the name Fold instead.
Defenders of the Choice
The name has precedent in Apple’s own product history, so the overlap does not necessarily prove that Apple copied Microsoft.
- New product
- Apple’s first long-rumoured foldable phone is called the iPhone Duo.
- Earlier product
- Microsoft launched the dual-screen Surface Duo in 2020.
- Online reaction
- Commentators described Apple’s choice as amusing, unoriginal, or copied.
- Microsoft history
- Microsoft released only one follow-up Surface Duo model and did not give the Neo a full release, according to Zac Bowden’s comments.
- Alternative explanation
- Apple previously used Duo in the PowerBook Duo laptop line and for the MagSafe Duo charger.
- Positive assessment
- Windows Latest praised the Surface Duo’s thin design and 360-degree hinge.
- Apple’s response
- Apple has not commented on the naming overlap.