I'd pick the Oppo wide foldable over the iPhone Duo since I'm allergic to cracked displays

The iPhone Duo is famous for all the wrong reasons right now—scalpers have been abusing the pre-orders (although they're losing money) and the phone itself (or at least "a number" of the total units) is prone to severe damage without extra abuse.

Yet, I think daily about the iPhone Duo and its fate from the distance of my Android camp. I don't ridicule it too much: I want to know precisely what Apple has messed up. And, more importantly, how many units are affected and how to spot them.

Apple has acknowledged the problem but so far hasn't addressed any of the questions I posted above.

It's cool

First-generation devices ought to be treated with care, extreme prejudice and a ten-foot pole: yes, they're exotic and cool, but they're prone to all kinds of issues (both hardware and software). The iPhone Duo is a first-gen device for Apple, it's the first-ever foldable iPhone.

If we turn a blind eye to the cracked screen epidemic (just for a moment), the Duo is a surprisingly refined device. It's got great animations, it feels sturdy and it's sleek and premium enough for the $2,000 price tag.

That's nice and all, but it's not a breakthrough for the industry. Apple is seven years late to the party and I'm sure it has paid great attention to whatever Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and the rest of the gang have been doing. Particularly to the mistakes the companies were making in the dawn of the foldables. One can learn many things from observing others' mistakes.

I really like it, but don't ask me to put my money where my mouth is

In short, I like the iPhone Duo: I think Apple should've made its foldable move years ago, but better late than never, right? I like more competition, more foldables, more variants, more hinges, more everything—I'm a big believer in foldables.

Once their price goes down, we'll adopt them en masse. If we survive the decade, that is, since some people are desperately trying to start another global brawl (but with nukes).

So would I get the iPhone Duo right now? No. Not even at half the price.

Why? Well, because I don't want to risk even half of the $2,000 price tag for a device that may get a cracked screen after two, three (or 300) days of use.

This is where I'd put my money

I'd take my money from my left pocket and I'd put it in my right pocket. Quite the financial operation, right? That's because the foldable I'm after hasn't been made yet. But it will be soon enough.

Basically, I'm after the rumored Oppo Find N7, which is a pretty mysterious device. It's been months since it was last mentioned by the rumor mill and nothing can be said about it with certainty, other than it would also be wider than taller.

But I'm sure Oppo—like Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, Vivo and the rest of the gang—will come up with such a foldable soon. OK, Huawei was chronologically first in 2026 with the Pura X Max, but Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Apple's iPhone Duo really made the wide foldable genre explode in popularity.

But why Oppo?

If I have to choose now, I'd choose the Find N6

Yes, it's not a typo: I just said I'm very interested in the wider-than-taller foldable aspect ratio of the iPhone Duo and the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Yes, but I'm also concerned about durability. And I like to have potent cameras on my phone (which automatically disqualifies the Z Fold 8).

The Find N6 is more durable than the Find N5, and that thing was a beast. Yes, the Find N6 comes with the "traditional" book-style aspect ratio like that of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but if I'm paying top dollar for a foldable, I want it to last.

Here's what the Find N5 was capable of almost two years ago:

• Thinnest foldable Oppo Find N5 is tough as nails as it swings 45-pound kettlebell for us

So, yeah, I'd go with extra durability for extra peace of mind.

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