With the iPhone Duo now a reality, Apple has finally entered the foldable smartphone market. In an interview with new CEO John Ternus and Senior Vice President of Marketing — Greg “Joz” Joswiak — something was said that made me pause and then let out a laugh.
Joz calls iPhone Duo alternatives uninspiring
It's different, but I wouldn't call it novel. | Image by Apple
Greg Joswiak has been at Apple for a ridiculously long time — over 40 years — and whatever he says about the company’s products, he genuinely believes. In an interview with him and Ternus, Joz says that Apple knew it was time to enter the foldable market because whatever the competition was doing “wasn’t particularly inspiring”.
How is the iPhone Duo more inspired than its alternatives?
Apple CEO John Ternus and Senior Vice President of Marketing Greg Joswiak talk iPhone Duo. | Video by Tom's Guide and TechRadar
What Joz said was building upon something that Apple touched on during the event when the phone was being shown off. The company believes that the way that rival foldables are designed is awkward, like two phones stuck together.
Apple came up with a different solution, something that allegedly feels better for a foldable smartphone. Something that feels like it was designed to be better than a normal smartphone experience, rather than just provide users with a larger display that can be folded to be stored in a standard pocket.
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There’s some truth to it, but not much
Holding the iPhone Duo like this reminds me of the Huawei Pura X. | Image by Apple
To be fair, Apple has done some things pretty well with the Duo. The passport layout is definitely catching on, seeing how well the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has sold, and people are generally quite impressed with the phone.
Some people still aren't used to the shorter and stubbier front display. | Image by Reddit
In addition, the application of the “nano-texture coating” beneath the screen is a stroke of genius. It gives the display an almost matte-like look by scattering the light that is hitting the display.
Apple was unable to source a panel without a crease so it decided to eliminate the glare and reflections that make it obvious. But the iPhone Duo still isn’t something novel or unique.
It’s not as special as Joz thinks it is
Apple also has the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to contend with. | Image by PhoneArena
Don’t get me wrong, Apple’s entry into the foldable market is a great thing for the entire industry. However, even if it wasn’t exactly like the iPhone Duo, the Huawei Pura X did feature a similar form factor first. Before Samsung and Apple decided to make similar foldables.
And, other than that, there really isn’t much new that Apple has done here, in my opinion. The company is seven years late to the party and has had its rivals’ market research to go off of.
Sure, the iPhone Duo looks a little different to how most foldables have done throughout the years, but give the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold some credit, Apple.
Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
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