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Oppo Find X10 Review: a pro-level phone disguised as a standard flagship

Oppo Find X10 review: Two-minute review

A phone against a background of yellow leaves

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)

I’ve been using a selection of Oppo phones as my daily drivers for the last two years, and in that time, I’ve always gravitated towards the higher end of the lineup. I’ve stood by my habit of choosing the ‘pro’ option where possible for several reasons — such as wanting a high-quality camera system, long battery life, a great screen, and powerful internals — but Oppo’s new baseline flagship throws that all into question.

Put simply, the Oppo Find X10 feels like a ‘pro’ phone. It blazes through multitasking, gaming, and productivity tasks. It lasts for ages thanks to an iPad-sized battery. Its three rear cameras are some of the clearest and sharpest I’ve used on a smartphone. And its mid-sized display feels bigger than it is thanks to razor-thin bezels and a super-sharp resolution.

However, the Oppo Find X10 also comes with a pro-grade price tag. While last year’s Oppo Find X9 launched at £899 / AU$1,799 (it wasn't available in the US), the Find X10 hikes that number up to £1,099 (AU$ TBC) — the same price as the Oppo Find X9 Pro.

Really, then, it makes more sense to see the Find X10 as the successor to the Find X9 Pro. This year’s actual step-up model, the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max, is in a different class altogether, with three 200MP cameras and a ludicrous £1,499 launch price.

Still, as you might expect from such an expensive handset, the Oppo Find X10 punches above its weight class as a standard flagship. Though we’ve seen other Android manufacturers like Samsung and Google release phones with triple-camera systems and fast internal components, Oppo’s latest offering has some seriously impressive specs up its sleeve, and it's a strong contender for future inclusion in TechRadar's best Android phone and best camera phone guides.

As well as the aforementioned battery — a monstrously huge 7,150mAh cell (or an even bigger 8,000mAh cell in APAC regions) — the phone comes locked and loaded with two 200MP camera sensors, one of the cleanest Android wrappers in the game, and a thin and light design that takes more than a little inspiration from Apple.

Indeed, the Find X10 makes it clearer than ever that Oppo has no plans of slowing its roll when it comes to taking, ahem, inspiration from the design and engineering teams over in Cupertino. I'll leave you to decide whether that's a help or a hindrance; the phone itself works marvelously, but it’s hardly the most original product on the market. With that said, if you’re someone who absolutely must use Android, but like the look and feel of the best iPhones, the Find X10 is about as close as you can get while keeping a hold of Google’s mobile OS.

Across the industry, phones aren’t getting any cheaper — the standard iPhone 17 is approaching the launch price of the iPhone 15 Pro, and Android phone makers are jacking prices across the board — and Oppo's latest flagships are no exception.

At £1,099, the Oppo Find X10 is very expensive for a supposed base-model flagship, but, to be real, this is a pro-level flagship in disguise. Thanks to its excellent cameras and solid performance, its standard-sounding name is not a facade that holds for long; a pro by any other name still feels as complete.

Oppo Find X10 Pro review: Price and availability

The Oppo Find X10 in a silicone case against a wall of yellow leaves

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)
  • Costs £1,099
  • Comes in a single configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage
  • Not available in the US; Australia availability TBC

The Oppo Find X10 costs £1,099 — exactly the same as last year’s Find X9 Pro at launch and £200 more than the standard Find X9. That might sound like a mighty price hike at first, but the truth is that the Find X10 is more obviously a follow-up to the Find X9 Pro than the standard Find X9, and makes a case for its price point with some properly pro-grade features.

The Find X10 comes in one configuration: 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. That is, annoyingly, less RAM and storage space than last year’s Find X9 Pro, which came with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. But with rising prices across the industry and still-excellent performance (as I'll discuss below), the Find X10 is hardly the worst offender on the market when it comes to changes in value proposition.

If you buy the phone directly from Oppo, you get your choice of the Hasselblad Teleconverter Kit or Oppo Watch X3 at no extra cost. Personally, I’d recommend the teleconverter kit — I didn’t get to test it with the Find X10, but having used last year’s version with the Find X9 Pro, I’d recommend it for any keen mobile photographers.

One thing I do appreciate about Oppo is that everything you need to get started with your phone comes in the box. As well as the phone itself, my Find X10 review unit came with an 80W SuperVOOC charger and a color-matched silicone case. Considering how expensive high-power chargers can be, that’s a decent value-add.

  • Value score: 3 / 5

Oppo Find X10 review: Specs

Check out the table below for a quick overview of the Oppo Find X10's specs, or keep scrolling for detailed breakdowns of each feature.

Dimensions:

156.51 × 74.29 × 8.35mm

Weight:

216g

Display:

6.59-inch AMOLED

Resolution:

2768 x 1272 pixels

Refresh rate:

1-120Hz adaptive, boosted to 144Hz in certain games

Chipset:

MediaTek Dimensity 9500

Rear cameras:

200MP main + 50MP ultra-wide + 200MP telephoto (2.8x)

Front camera:

50MP

Storage:

256GB

RAM:

12GB

OS (at launch):

Android 17 w/ ColorOS 17

Battery:

8,000mAh (APAC) / 7,150mAh (EU)

Charging:

80W wired, 50W wireless

Oppo Find X10 review: Design

A side-on photo of the Oppo Find X10

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)
  • Comes in three colors: Glacier Blue, Glow Coral, and Mist Grey
  • The most iPhone-like Oppo phone yet
  • Simple but elegant, with beautiful details

There’s no getting around the fact that the Oppo Find X10 looks like an iPhone 17 Pro (or indeed an iPhone 18 Pro). Its aluminum frame, glass rear panel, and raised camera plateau housing a trio of rear cameras make this the most iPhone-like Oppo phone ever released — somehow, it looks even more Apple-esque than last year’s Find X9 Pro, and given the brand’s history with taking inspiration from Cupertino, that’s really saying something.

However, despite its lack of originality, I am a fan of the Find X10’s design. In typical Oppo style, the phone feels both tanky and elegant. I wasn’t concerned about it taking knocks in my pocket or at the bottom of a backpack, but I also found myself stopping to appreciate the refinement and precision in its construction. Funnily enough, that familiar-looking camera plateau is perhaps the best example of Oppo's attention to detail; it rises from a rear panel made of a single piece of glass.

It helps, too, that the Find X10 comes with some protective kit in the box — you get a color-matched silicone case at no extra charge, and the phone comes with a glass screen protector pre-installed. The phone has also been separately rated at IP66, IP68, and IP69, meaning it can take a dip in shallow fresh water without any fuss (that’s a safety net, not an invitation).

My review unit came in the Glacier Blue colorway, which is rather nice, and the phone also comes in the stylishly loud Glow Coral (read: pink) and understated Mist Grey (read: grey) color options for those who want something more or less noticeable.

In the interface department, the Find X10 comes equipped with the standard power button and volume rocker as well as the Snap Key, Oppo’s take on Apple’s Action Button. By default, it’s set to activate Mind Space (more on that in the Software section), but I tend to set it as a camera shortcut or handy flashlight button.

The USB-C port uses a USB 3.2 Gen 1 connector, meaning file transfers zip by at a speedy 10 Gbps, and the main speaker alongside it is one of the best I’ve heard on any phone, with plenty of bass and depth to the sound.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Oppo Find X10 review: Display

The display on the Oppo Find X10 phone

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)
  • 6.59-inch screen
  • 2768 x 1272 resolution
  • 800 nits of typical brightness, peaking at 3,600 nits for HDR

I’m a large guy who likes large phones, and as such, I’ve spent the last few years daily driving the biggest phone I could get my oversized mitts on. With that said, I’ve found myself really enjoying the Find X10’s slightly smaller screen. 'Slightly' is the operative word here — at 6.59 diagonal inches, the phone isn’t much smaller than the 6.78-inch screen shared by the Find X10 Pro Max and last year’s Find X9 Pro, but it’s still a noticeable, and I dare say welcome, change.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised. Oppo has long proved itself as a maker of truly excellent displays, and the Find X10 is no different. With a resolution of 2768 x 1272 and pixel density of 460 pixels per inch, the screen on the Find X10 is even sharper than that of its bigger sibling, the Find X10 Pro Max. Oppo claims 800 nits of typical brightness, rising to 2,000 nits in high brightness mode and 3,600 nits peak for HDR content. In daily use, brightness wasn’t really a concern — the display was always legible and colorful, both indoors and outside, and with such a huge battery under the hood, I was content to let auto-brightness just do its thing.

The display also sports razor-thin bezels that measure a uniform 1.15mm around its entire edge. In practical use, they’re basically unnoticeable, which helps the slightly smaller display feel as immersive as a larger premium flagship. An adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate keeps things feeling smooth in motion, while certain games can bump that figure up to 144Hz.

As usual, you get a choice of color profiles in the settings app — I like the ‘vivid’ look for its richer, poppier colors, though there are warmer, cooler, or more muted options to match other tastes. As is now typical for high-end phones, the Find X10's display uses an OLED panel to deliver deep blacks and excellent contrast, and I found it perfect for watching videos, playing games, and everyday browsing alike.

  • Display score: 5 / 5

Oppo Find X10 review: Cameras

A close up of the Oppo Find X10's camera system

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)
  • 200MP main camera
  • 200MP 2.8x telephoto camera
  • 50MP ultra-wide camera
  • 50MP selfie camera

The Find X10 makes its strongest case for a high price tag with its camera system.

With two 200MP sensors powering the main and telephoto cameras, respectively, as well as 50MP ultra-wide and selfie cameras, the Find X10 is a performant and reliable camera phone that excels at taking detailed snaps in a variety of lighting conditions.

I was impressed by just how sharp and colorful photos looked, and Oppo seems to have toned down the AI-flavored image signal processing common to its last generation of phones.

The name of the game here is consistency — no matter which lens you pick for your shot, Oppo’s hardware and software teams have clearly worked together to make the photography experience feel reliable, with similar colors, detail, and sharpness offered across the three cameras. The best synergy comes between the main and 2.8x telephoto cameras, both of which have a 200MP sensor at 1/1.4-inches and 1/1.56 inches, respectively. Both take excellent photos and offer superb detail in low light, and while neither can work miracles in pure darkness, the automatic long-exposure feature can garner impressive results.

The ultra-wide camera is smaller, with a 1/2.75-inch 50MP sensor, but it still performs well in bright situations, and serviceably in darker climes.

As standard, the Find X10 bins photos to 26MP JPEGs, but you also have the option to shoot JPEG-XL or RAW files at native resolution. The huge telephoto resolution means the Find X10 can take losslessly cropped 12MP photos at 12.4x zoom. The optional Hasselblad Teleconverter kit affixes a zoom lens to the telephoto camera, increasing the base zoom to 10x — alas, I didn’t get to test it with my review unit, but it’s worth mentioning that buying the phone from Oppo directly gives you the option of getting the kit or an Oppo Watch X3 at no extra cost.

The Oppo Find X10's camera app

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)

I do, however, miss the Quick Button (Oppo’s version of the iPhone’s Camera Control) introduced with the Find X8 Pro and carried over to the Find X9 Pro. I appreciate that opinions on smartphone shutter buttons are mixed — I’ve got plenty of friends who never touch them, and TechRadar's Phones Editor, Axel Metz, has debated their value with me on more than one occasion — but I personally used the Quick Button almost every time I took a photo with the Find X9 Pro, and I loved swiping across it to access that high-quality telephoto lens.

That said, the Quick Button’s absence on the Find X10 isn’t a dealbreaker by any means, as the camera app is still one of the smoothest and best-featured I’ve used on any phone. The handset’s smaller frame also makes it easy to grab for quick snaps and videos.

Oppo Find X10 Camera Samples

A puppy chewing a stick
Jamie Richards / Future
A phone box surrounded by Lime Bikes
Jamie Richards / Future
An EV charger with graffiti in the background
Jamie Richards / Future
Leaves of a tree with sky in the background
Jamie Richards / Future
A record store facade
Jamie Richards / Future
A child and woman with a dog chasing birds
Jamie Richards / Future
A house with sunlight pouring over the rooftop
Jamie Richards / Future
 A view of London from a park
Ultra-wide lensJamie Richards / Future
A view of London from a park
Main lensJamie Richards / Future
A view of London from a park
2.8x lensJamie Richards / Future
A view of London from a park
5.6x lossless 12MP cropJamie Richards / Future
A view of London from a park
Jamie Richards / Future
A view of London from a park
Jamie Richards / Future
A silhouetted tree at night
Jamie Richards / Future
A view of Canary Wharf at night
Jamie Richards / Future
An apartment complex
Jamie Richards / Future
A Forest Bike at night
No long-exposureJamie Richards / Future
A Forest Bike at night
With long-exposureJamie Richards / Future
A fox in a front garden
In low light, the Find X10's AI-tinged post-processing is a bit more noticeableJamie Richards / Future
A wall with vines. Written text reads: Please give strawberries a drink if they look thirsty!
Jamie Richards / Future
  • Camera score: 5 / 5

Oppo Find X10 review: Software

The Oppo Find X10 settings app

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)
  • Android 17 with ColorOS 17
  • Fast and reliable, though thoroughly unoriginal
  • Bloatware is infuriating at this price point

ColorOS 17, Oppo’s take on Android 17, remains one of my favorite Android wrappers; it’s fast, fluid, well animated, and aesthetically clean. It’s also a clear and shameless dupe of iOS 27, right down to the Control Center-esque menus and Liquid Glass-like transparency effects. If you’re a die-hard Android user who just happens to like the look and feel of Apple phones, it’s a genuinely fantastic option, but those who want something a little more original should look elsewhere.

Debates around originality aside, I can’t overstate how much I enjoy using ColorOS. Its UI strikes the best balance between fluidity and stability of any mobile OS I’ve used. Oppo continues to use parallel animation processing, which runs each UI animation as its own task independent of other on-screen motion, and makes getting to the apps and content you need to access effortlessly fast.

Finally, ColorOS knows when to stay out of the way and when to suggest useful features like Smart Sidebar, which adds a floating dock for apps and files. It’s an impressive bit of software.

Less impressive is Oppo’s continued insistence on shipping incredibly expensive phones loaded with bloatware. On setup, I found my Find X10 review unit stuffed with apps I don’t and won’t use — TEMU, ChatGPT, BIGO LIVE, and Booking.com, among others. It is fundamentally unacceptable to ship a phone at £1,099 while patronizing users by pre-installing this nonsense, and Oppo needs to cut it out immediately.

The Find X10 also offers a few neat features for AI fans. The Snap Key on the left side of the phone is set by default to trigger Mind Space, which is sort of like a self-organizing junk drawer for your digital bits and bobs. Screenshots, notes, and reminders all end up here, processed and categorized into a searchable database. And as an upper-tier Android, the Find X10 is absolutely riddled with Gemini and first-party Oppo AI features like Circle to Search, image generation tools, and audio transcription.

  • Software score: 3 / 5

Oppo Find X10 review: Performance

The Oppo Find X10 playing Call of Duty Mobile

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)
  • MediaTek 9600M chipset
  • 12GB of RAM
  • Fast and fluid in all scenarios

Looking only at benchmarks, the Oppo Find X10 is a reasonable performer that runs in the middle of the pack for its price range, neither lagging behind nor pulling ahead.

As a daily driver, though, I found the Find X10 to be a perfect performer in all kinds of everyday scenarios. I suspect Oppo has optimized the heck out of this thing, as I just couldn’t get it to slow down, no matter how many apps I left open or how high I cranked the graphics settings on Call of Duty: Mobile.

The Find X10 comes with a MediaTek 9600M chipset and 12GB of RAM, both of which are fine for a phone in this price point. The iPhone 18 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, respectively, have the A20 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite chipsets, which are a bit faster, and many of the best phones give you 16GB of RAM for smoother multitasking and on-device AI. But as mentioned, I couldn’t get the Find X10 to stutter in my varied usage, so I’m not really concerned.

I did run some benchmarks to see what the Find X10’s internal hardware is capable of. Geekbench 7 returned a single-core score of 2466 and a multi-core score of 7759, while Geekbench AI gave a quantized score of 3119. This is on track with previous- and current-gen flagships from Samsung and Apple, and a fair bit ahead of Google — but at this price point, power users might want a little more oomph.

Still, I was always happy with the Find X10 in daily use. It nails the basics, with clear calls and phenomenal haptics, while delivering enough power for all but the most demanding users.

  • Performance score: 4 / 5

Oppo Find X10 review: Battery

The Oppo Find X10 smartphone's USB-C port

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)
  • Battery capacity varies by region
  • 8,000mAh in Asia-Pacific, 7150mAh in EU
  • 80W wired charging
  • 50W wireless charging

Oppo has long been a leader in the global phone market when it comes to battery life, and the Find X10 offers a serious upgrade over last year’s models… as long as you live in the Asia-Pacific region.

You see, the Find X10 comes in two regional variants: one for the aforementioned APAC region and one for the EU and the rest of the world. The former gets an 8,000mAh battery, up from the Find X9 Pro’s 7,500mAh cell, while the EU version sees a downgrade to 7,150mAh.

My review unit came with the larger 8,000mAh cell, so I can only speak to how well this version’s battery performs — and as you’d expect from a phone with a larger battery than a base-model iPad, it is truly excellent. I found it almost impossible to kill the Find X10 in a single day. I could easily get a day and a half or two days of use on a single full charge, and with cautious use, I reckon three days would be possible.

Again, I haven’t used the 7,150mAh version of the Find X10, but this is still larger than any battery an Apple, Samsung, or Google phone can offer, so expect great battery life at a minimum.

These fantastic results are due to Oppo’s use of silicon-carbon batteries, a technology the brand has long championed and continues to push forward. Silicon-carbon isn’t without its controversies, and some commentators doubt its long-term durability versus the typical lithium-ion batteries you’ll find in the best iPhones and many of the best Android phones — but for those who want all-day battery life with plenty of power to spare, the benefits are obvious.

When it comes to charging, the Find X10 benefits from Oppo’s proprietary SuperVOOC charging tech, with support for up to 80W wired charging or 50W wireless charging. The bundled wired charger hits that 80W mark, and charging is therefore relatively speedy; the sheer size of the Find X10’s battery means this isn’t the fastest-charging phone on the market, but its heft also means that a charge to 50% goes further than it would with Western competitors. It took me around 1:15h to charge from empty to full.

  • Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Oppo Find X10?

Oppo Find X10 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Oppo Find X10 isn't cheap by any means. It's certainly a lot of phone, but the era of Oppo undercutting the competition is over.

3 / 5

Design

Undeniably beautiful, but completely indebted to Apple's design language. Sturdy with great color options.

4 / 5

Display

The Find X10 is a little smaller than its Pro Max sibling, but still feels immersive thanks to a sharp resolution, vivid colors, and thin bezels.

5 / 5

Software

One of the best deployments of Android, inexcusably marred by the presence of bloatware. Once you clear the crap, it's terrific.

3 / 5

Camera

A truly superb camera system with subtler post-processing than prior generations. The 200MP main and telephoto cameras are class-leading.

5 / 5

Performance

The Find X10 runs with the pack performance-wise. It's what we'd expect to see from a phone of this price.

4 / 5

Battery

Truly ludicrous battery life meets phenomenally quick charging. A battery champ by any measure.

5 / 5

Buy it if

You want a great camera phone

With three powerful cameras and superbly balanced post-processing, the Find X10 is a reliable pick for photos and videos. Lossless crops up to 12.6x and 200MP main and telephoto cameras make this one of the best camera phones I've used.View Deal

You want fantastic battery life

Whichever regional variant of the Find X10 you get, its battery is one of the largest in any smartphone. Add in rapid charging from the bundled wired charger and you’re unlikely to ever see it power down.View Deal

You want Apple-like looks with Android power

Originality isn’t Oppo’s strong suit, but if you’re a committed Googler who enjoys the simplicity and subtlety of Apple’s aesthetics, ColorOS is a solid alternative that runs smoothly in all kinds of scenarios.View Deal

Don't buy it if

You’re on a budget

Though prices have risen across the industry, the Find X10 is still both relatively and absolutely expensive — £1,099 is a lot of money, close to the price of an older phone plus a tablet or an entry-level laptop.View Deal

You hate bloatware

Oppo, if you’re reading this, I’m never going to let you off the hook for shoving bloatware nonsense onto a four-figure phone. Yes, these apps can be removed, but if you’re the type of person who likes a clean setup experience, the random apps and recommendations built into the Find X10 could be a serious turnoff.View Deal

Also consider

Google Pixel 11

If you want a fast and flexible Android phone that keeps the simple things simple while pushing new software and AI tools, the Google Pixel 11 gets you access to the latest Google features before anyone else while still sporting a triple-camera setup and modern design.

Read our hands-on Google Pixel 11 review

iPhone 18 Pro

The Oppo Find X10 looks and feels like an iPhone, but for some users, only the real thing will do. The iPhone 18 Pro is smaller than the Find X10, with lower-res cameras and a smaller battery, but it does give you access to Apple’s ecosystem and still has its Camera Control shutter button.

Read our full iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max review

OnePlus 15

With the OnePlus 16 stuck in China for now, the latest globally available flagship from Oppo’s sister brand remains the OnePlus 15. No complaints from us, though — the OnePlus 15 still reigns as the best Android phone in our rankings, thanks to its huge battery, excellent cameras, and large, high-resolution display.

Read our full OnePlus 15 review

How I tested the Oppo Find X10

Why you can trust TechRadar

☑️ 100s of smartphones reviewed
☑️ 15 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech

I used the Oppo Find X10 in a variety of everyday and test situations for this review. I used it as a daily driver for calls, texts, and social media, took it on dedicated photo walks, played games, and ran benchmarks to stress-test the CPU and AI abilities. I left as many apps open as I could to see how it held up to multitasking, and monitored battery life over the course of days and nights out.

I then applied my experience reviewing phones and journalistic training to provide an assessment of the phone's capabilities and value offering.

Read more about how we test

First tested October 2026

  •  

The iPhone Duo lacks Face ID, a telephoto camera, and the Action Button, but I still want it more than every Android foldable I've ever tested — here's why

Apple has announced the iPhone Duo, its first-ever folding phone, calling it “the most transformational iPhone experience since the original.” Like every other tech fan in the world right now, I want one.

As detailed in our Apple Event 2026 recap, Apple has decked out its first foldable with a range of high-spec specs befitting the phone’s Duo branding and new ‘Intelligent Personal Hub’ concept.

It gets a 5.4-inch cover display, a 7.6-inch inner display, and an A20 Pro chipset. It also comes with a 48MP wide-angle camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, a 12MP selfie camera on the cover screen, and an under-display camera under the inner screen. Apple also claims the iPhone Duo lasts up to 24 hours on a single charge when both screens are used equally. Put simply, this thing is a beast.

I’ll say it right now — I want the iPhone Duo more than I’ve ever wanted a folding phone. I’ve used plenty of the best folding phones in my time as a tech journalist, penning TechRadar’s Honor Magic V5 review and Oppo Find N5 review, but the iPhone Duo’s combination of Apple finesse and futuristic form factor has put it squarely at the top of my shopping list — now all I need is a spare $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499.

Screenshot from Apple's September 2026 event

(Image credit: Apple)

However, the iPhone Duo comes with some caveats that could upset long-time Apple fans. It lacks Face ID, a staple since 2017. It also loses the Action Button, which you'll find on all but a few iPhones released since the iPhone 15 Pro launched in 2023. And it misses out on the telephoto camera boasted by its sibling, the iPhone 18 Pro, and similar zoom lenses sported by competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Even if you don’t use these features much, some Apple fans are bound to feel let down by the fact that the iPhone Duo misses out on key hardware found on cheaper models. But I’m not one of these people — here are five reasons why I still want the iPhone Duo more than any other folding phone.

Ecosystem and software

Screenshot from Apple's September 2026 event

(Image credit: Apple)

It’s been said a million times, but I’ll say it once more — Apple’s ecosystem prowess is not to be underestimated. Despite a few wobbles with the launch of iOS 26 last year, the Apple ecosystem is still the cleanest, least ad-infested, and most seamless software environment on the consumer tech market.

Having a folding phone join the fray gives Apple the opportunity to merge the function of the iPhone and iPad in new ways, bringing together the company’s experience across mobile and tablet development. We saw this during the Duo's announcement — Apple has created a fluid transition between folded and open states with a seamless Liquid Glass animation; it's moved core controls to the right side of the screen for easier access; and it's optimized all of its own apps for the Duo's new form factor. And, of course, the Duo is still keyed in to AirDrop, AirPlay, and other Apple conveniences.

If Apple is sensible enough to equip the Duo with the iPad versions of productivity and creative apps like Pages and Final Cut Pro, the new device could be a genuine portable workstation like nothing Samsung or Google have ever released. Apple simply has access to better software than Android folding phones; it just has to leverage it.

The iPad legacy

Screenshot from Apple's September 2026 event

(Image credit: Apple)

On the subject of iPads, Apple has the best track record of any small tablet maker, bar none, thanks to the quality of the iPad mini, so the iPhone Duo already has a model of success to follow. Our list of the best tablets highlights the iPad mini as the best compact tablet, and has done so for years.

We saw the iPhone Duo used in split-screen mode during the keynote, with Apple showing off optimized apps from Netflix, Slack, and Detail, and telling us all about the performance of the A20 Pro mobile chipset. Considering the MacBook Neo, a full-on laptop, runs on an A18 chipset from two generations back, I’m pretty confident that the iPhone Duo will be as powerful as any true tablet bar the M-series iPads.

I’ve used and reviewed tablets from other manufacturers, and while I’ve been impressed on occasion, these devices typically come nowhere close to the iPad’s smooth performance and software optimization. And other folding phones have to contend with some jank as phone makers try to make the Android and off-the-shelf chipsets play ball with their specific screen size, resolution, and processing requirements.

Apple's display pedigree

The iPhone Duo being held in the hand

(Image credit: Apple)

What good is software without decent hardware to experience it on?

The iPhone Duo comes with two screens that share the same 10:14 aspect ratio, offering more consistency than taller foldables, with a nano-textured upper layer laser-lithographed to create a lens for each pixel. Apple also claims that the screen “doesn’t degrade over time” due to a system of layered polymers that slide over one another as the screen moves.

As folding phone screens are known to peel and wear down, I won't pass judgment on the folding inner screen until I see it in person, but the excellence of Apple's previous iPhone and iPad displays gives me faith (at least when it comes to quality).

Build quality

Screenshot from Apple's September 2026 event
Apple
Screenshot from Apple's September 2026 event
Apple
Screenshot from Apple's September 2026 event
Apple
Screenshot from Apple's September 2026 event
Apple

Apple spent plenty of time in the keynote talking about iPhone Duo’s durability. The phone is made of glass, ceramic inserts, and grade 5 titanium, and achieves the IP68 dust and water resistance that Samsung and Google only recently achieved with their foldable devices. Also, its larger vapor chamber means it offers 35% better sustained performance than iPhone 18 Pro, by Apple’s own metrics.

In fairness, Samsung and Google build folding phones exceptionally well too — but even at the sky-high prices foldables command, this isn’t a given. I’ve used some folding phones that wobble around when partially opened, don’t stay fully shut, or show signs of screen peeling after just a few weeks of use. Apple will still have to earn my trust with the iPhone Duo, but the keynote suggests its engineering teams are on top form.

The missing features aren't *that* important

Screenshot from Apple's September 2026 event

The iPhone Duo uses Touch ID, not Face ID (Image credit: Apple)

Comment section debaters, get ready. Part of the reason I still want the iPhone Duo is that its missing features just don’t matter that much — at least to me.

While the iPhone Duo does lose Face ID, I’ve always preferred in-button fingerprint scanners to any other kind of biometric security — they’re faster, easier to use, and won’t get blocked by a scarf or sunglasses. I love the scanner on my Oppo Find N6, for example.

I think I’d miss the Action Button and telephoto camera, but these don’t preclude the iPhone Duo’s software potential. With the iPhone Duo’s wide unfolded form factor, I can see why Apple ditched the button, as it may not be useful when the phone is unfolded.

And TechRadar Phones Editor Axel Metz made peace with the iPhone Air’s single camera, so I’m sure the iPhone Duo’s dual camera system would be perfectly usable, even without the reach of the zoom lenses found on competing foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

So, for me, Apple's first foldable iPhone was worth the wait — at least on paper. I can't wait to get my hands on one and put it through its paces.

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'Who came up with this idea?' ExpressVPN continues to drop its 30-day money-back guarantee in favour of raffles — and users aren't happy about it

ExpressVPN has kept its 30-day money-back guarantee on pause after launching a new promotion to follow its previous World Cup promotion.

The ExpressVPN Summer Tech Competition / Sweepstakes will see the company give away 30 new iPhone 17 Pros, with the caveat that users are not covered by ExpressVPN’s usual 30-day money-back guarantee.

The promotion runs from 11 July 2026 to 11:59 pm BST on 9 August 2026, directly following the ExpressVPN FIFA World Cup 2026 Ticket Giveaway event, which ran from 10 June 2026 to 11 July 2026.

During the promotion, each new sign-up gains 10 entries into the iPhone 17 Pro raffle, with the caveat that all sales are final during this period.

This means that ExpressVPN will not have offered its usual 30-day money-back guarantee for 60 days by the time the Summer Tech Sweepstakes promotion concludes.

Mixed reactions

ExpressVPN app shown on two mac laptops on green hued background

As one of the best VPNs, ExpressVPN is available on a variety of platforms (Image credit: ExpressVPN)

On the surface, it might seem like ExpressVPN’s decision to remove the money-back guarantee during these promotional periods is logical.

After all, if the option for a refund were still available after entering a raffle for World Cup tickets or a new iPhone, users might attempt to game the system by entering the contest and then cancelling their ExpressVPN plan if they win.

However, ExpressVPN electing to deny users a money-back guarantee for two consecutive months has worried some users, representing a break from industry-standard practice.

Feedback to the decision has been mixed at best, with multiple commenters in the r/Express_VPN speaking out. User QueenBe12 warned others to “be careful” while user rockyyguy called the move “predatory business”, asking "who came up with this idea?"

new scamy tactics: Express VPN does not offer money back guarantee/ no refunds but offers you to enter the raffle to win an iPhone from r/Express_VPN

In a statement given to TechRadar, ExpressVPN said: "ExpressVPN sometimes runs optional, limited-time promotions — such as the current prize draw — which customers can choose to join.

These promotional plans are clearly identified and disclosed at the point of purchase, including that they offer additional benefits, such as prize-draw entry, in place of the 30-day money-back guarantee. This allows customers to make an informed choice about which option best suits them before they subscribe.

Whether a money-back guarantee is offered or not, customers' statutory rights are unaffected. Anyone on a promotional plan can also contact ExpressVPN Support to request a refund, and each request is considered on its merits."

Why are money-back guarantees important for VPNs?

ExpressVPN server locations on Windows

A money-back guarantee gives you the chance to test out a VPN before committing to it long-term. (Image credit: ExpressVPN )

Like most software services, VPNs can be paid for as monthly subscriptions – but almost all VPNs offer huge discounts for signing up to one- or two-year-long plans.

In the case of ExpressVPN, a two-year plan offers an 84 per cent discount versus renewing monthly, and you get four extra months free of charge.

As such, when we talk about VPN pricing here at TechRadar, we’re usually referring to the price of one of these extended plans. It’s typically the most economical choice for most users.

However, our price-based recommendations are usually made in the context of money-back guarantees, which protect users from long payment plans if they sign up to the wrong option or realize that a certain VPN isn’t for them.

These guarantees are offered by many of the best VPNs, and many smaller and mid-tier brands will provide them as well. NordVPN and Surfshark VPN both offer 30 days; CyberGhost bumps this up to 45 days, and Norton VPN gives users a full 60 days.

This is all to say that ExpressVPN removing its money-back guarantee, even for a promotion, is a pretty big deal and a genuine reason to consider avoiding a longer plan until the promotional period concludes.

So, if you’re still keen on picking up ExpressVPN, consider picking up a monthly plan or waiting until 10 August for a longer plan, and be sure to check out our ExpressVPN review for an in-depth breakdown of its features and performance.

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