It's chic. It's trendy. And if you could buy it now, you absolutely would. But the longer Apple delays the foldable iPhone Duo, the more time you have to realize you are better off without it.
Hardware lapses
Too wide and heavy for one-handed use? | Image by @gizmodojapan
Despite its $2,000 starting price, the Duo lags behind the $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro. It has a smaller battery, a less capable camera system, and lacks Face ID. That shouldn't be a dealbreaker, as foldable phones struggle to fit top-tier specs due to their intricate design. However, the Duo doesn't just trail the iPhone 18 Pro.
It's heavier and thicker than Samsung's foldable phones, making one-handed use feel awkward. Apple still hasn't embraced silicon-carbon batteries, which means you'll need to juice it up more often.
However faint it may be, the crease hasn't been eliminated. | Image by @raywongy
The matte screen might mask the crease, but make no mistake, it's very much still there.
What's a good reason to buy the iPhone Duo?
27 Votes
Software limits
Apple has the lion's share of the tablet market. | Image by Omdia
The iPhone Duo caps you at two side-by-side apps. Competing foldable phones run up to three with extra floating windows. That limit feels deliberate. Despite its iPad-like shape, the Duo is very much a phone. Apple wouldn't want it eating into iPad sales.
All this engineering to be limited to two apps? | Image by @planetofgori
Someone has ported the Duo's headline-making unfolding animations to the Galaxy Z Fold 8! That was easily one of the top three reasons to get the Duo for many people.
Do you really need it?
Just what we didn't need more of. | Image by Memezar
As if it wasn't enough that a constant stream of notifications was hollowing out our attention span, ChatGPT and other AI bots are now frying our brains. Add to that twice the scrolling, and you can already feel mental fatigue settling in.
Sure, Samsung and others have been selling foldables for far longer, but market share remains a drop in the bucket. The iPhone Duo is expected to make a dent and normalize the form factor.
Apple isn't an innovator anymore. It lets others take risks and weed out issues before sweeping in with a few touches here and there and software finesse to steal the spotlight.
Still, waiting nearly a decade to enter the market doesn't inspire confidence in the Duo. Durability was a priority, and while the device looks sturdy and offers IP68 protection, that says nothing about how it will hold up with years of use. What if Apple rushed the Duo because it felt like a laggard before it was ready?
And if the device isn't sturdy enough, you will be paying for two broken screens instead of one when you accidentally drop it.
Then, there's the cynic's view. Maybe Apple intentionally held back on the cameras just to sell you an upgrade next year. And who knows what the crease will look like after a thousand folds? Nothing like a $2,000 phone with a screen that looks no better than smushed-up plastic after all.
For a phone years in the making, Apple's staggered launch only erodes confidence.
The bottom line
With its neat software tricks and good enough hardware, the iPhone Duo is unmistakably an Apple device. Die-hards will pull the trigger come launch day, but for everyone else, the charm will wear off long before the first batch ships.
This could have been an impulse buy if only Apple hadn't dragged its feet.
Switch flash sale! Limited time offer!
Save $20 on Switch consoles from Back Market. Discount automatically applied at checkout. Offer ends 13 September 2026 at 23:59.
Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: