I Touched the iPhone Duo. And I Have Thoughts.

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Yesterday, I spent some time with the iPhone Duo.

And the iPhone 18 Pro series, and the new Apple Watches, and the AirPods 5.

But you want to know about the iPhone Duo, don’t you? That’s why you clicked this article. I will say, however, that the rest of Apple’s autumn lineup shouldn’t be overlooked – there’s some awesome stuff in there, which I’ll be covering over the coming weeks.

Back to the Duo. And I have to be honest – my hands-on time with Apple’s foldable smartphone was relatively short. This, therefore, is absolutely not a review. It cannot be. What it can be is an opportunity for me to give you my top observations having actually touched the iPhone Duo – something very few people have done at the time of writing.

I also feel slightly more qualified to answer your most common questions, which have been gathered from the comments people have left on the iPhone Duo content I’ve published since its announcement last week.

Let’s get into it!

My top 5 observations about the iPhone Duo

During hands-on sessions with new tech products, I have to do two things simultaneously: film them, and experience them. As you might imagine, time is somewhat tight in these situations, and the pressure is on. It’s a privilege to get such access, but it’s not like unboxing your new piece of gear at home.

However, getting my mitts on the iPhone Duo did feel rather special. This is an entirely new category for Apple, and it’s one they’re entering after many years of iteration on behalf of the competition.

We’ve been here before, haven’t we?

These are the top five things I noticed immediately about the iPhone Duo.

1. It feels unlike any foldable I’ve used (including the Fold 8)

The Samsung Z Fold 8 has fast become the smartphone I turn to most often. My main SIM still sits in the iPhone Air, but the Fold 8’s form factor is so engaging, so fresh, and so enjoyable to use that I can’t keep my hands off it.

The iPhone Duo has the same allure and passport-like size and shape. Kinda. You see, that’s where the comparisons with the Fold 8 begin to thin out. The iPhone Duo looks and feels rather different. It’s small and squat like the Fold 8, but there are two important elements that separate it.

The first is those rounded corners. Closed, they’re present on only the right-hand edge of the Duo. Open, they’re of course on all four corners. I appreciate that Apple isn’t the first – and it certainly won’t be the last – to use this design, but it’s a key differentiator from Samsung’s squared-off passport foldable.

The second big difference is the internal display. Which brings me to my second observation.

Curious how the iPhone Duo compares to Apple’s other recent devices? Check out our iPhone Air review for more.

2. That nano-texture display is the right choice

Like every opinion I’m offering today, I need extended time with the iPhone Duo to give you my full thoughts, but my first impressions of the nano-texture internal display are that it is an inspired choice.

As alluded to above, it’s the second reason the iPhone Duo feels so different to the Fold 8. But, more importantly, it delivers a very uniform, flat, and premium-feeling user experience.

For some people, the important word in the last sentence will be “flat”.

For as long as I’ve been reviewing foldable smartphones, the ‘crease’ has been a significant topic of conversation. And it bores me to tears. If the world’s top brands can’t find a way to completely get rid of the crease that appears when a foldable display is opened, it ain’t gonna happen any time soon. If that annoys you, foldable phones aren’t for you.

The iPhone Duo has a crease, but it’s one of the most unobvious, unobtrusive ones I’ve come across. That’s partly down to the fancy hinge technology, but it’s also because of that nano-texture display.

3. It doesn’t feel like an iPad (or an iPhone)

Apple knew that the iPhone Duo vs iPad mini comparisons and questions would come flooding in, and that’s exactly what has happened.

The good news for Apple’s best version of the iPad is that the iPhone Duo doesn’t feel anything like an iPad. Or an iPhone, for that matter. It is, clearly, its own thing, but I need far more time with it to assess what that means for existing iPhone and iPad users.

First impressions count, though, and Apple has clearly worked hard to ensure that the iPhone Duo doesn’t immediately turn people’s attention away from similar products in the lineup.

4. Multitasking felt simple

On the Fold 8, you can open three apps, side-by-side, at the same time. On top of that, literally, you can place floating windows that can be moved around and resized.

It’s a demonstration of how far the underpinning hardware and One UI have come for Samsung’s foldables. But for me, it’s overkill. I’ve not once found a reason to open more than two apps side-by-side on any foldable.

Apple either understands this or is saving such functionality for future updates, because the iPhone Duo can only display two apps side-by-side. And, trust me – that’s enough on a screen of that size.

5. People need to get their hands on it

As new, exciting, and potentially game-changing as the iPhone Duo is for the category in which it sits, it’s still a foldable smartphone. And, as I’ve always said, foldable smartphones need extremely careful consideration.

Apple is the best out there at creating those initial “wow” moments when you first pick up its products. This will certainly be the case for most people with the iPhone Duo. However, the reality of owning a foldable isn’t for everyone.

It’s an expensive phone – all foldables are. Therefore, it’s more essential than perhaps with any other smartphone that you make the most of such a purchase. That means finding a reason to continually open and use that internal display, and not everyone has that reason.

If you’re tempted by the Duo, I urge you to go and try it out at an Apple Store and ask as many questions as you can. Seek advice from people who already own foldables or those who have decided they’re not the right fit.

Switching from a regular smartphone to a foldable could be the best thing you do, but it could also be the worst.

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Answering your questions

Since publishing my reaction video to the Apple event last week, I’ve received countless questions from my audience about the iPhone Duo. So, I asked AI to ingest all of them and give me the five most common queries about Apple’s foldable.

1. Who is the iPhone Duo actually for?

No surprise that this is the most common question people are asking. Also, no surprise that it’s often linked to another question: “Will this replace my iPad mini?”.

If your iPhone is due for an upgrade and you’re also a heavy iPad mini user, there absolutely is an argument to say that you could replace both with the iPhone Duo. You’d lose iPadOS (which might be problematic for specific use cases and apps), and the Apple Pencil Pro (although there’s an answer for that, which I’ll get to soon), but you would end up with just one device.

The iPhone Duo is also for people who have been waiting for Apple’s foldable. It’s here. Go buy it when you can.

For everyone else, see my fifth point above. And wait for my full reviews.

2. Why is it so expensive?

Speaking for the UK and US markets, I’d argue that the iPhone Duo could have been quite a bit more expensive than it turned out to be . It is expensive, but that’s because it’s a foldable, and I’m afraid that’s just the way it is.

I’m acutely aware that certain countries are being asked to pay considerably more for the iPhone Duo. I feel your pain, but I’m afraid that’s obviously something I’m unable to offer any insight into.

Let’s hope some very tempting carrier deals start making their way into the various markets once the Duo is fully available.

3. Does it work with the Apple Pencil, MagSafe and wireless charging?

The iPhone Duo will be compatible with the USB-C Apple Pencil, which is lovely news. It won’t happen until later this year for some reason, but it is coming, and it means this is the first iPhone to technically have stylus support.

We don’t know exactly what that will look like in terms of functionality and compatibility, but it’s a great addition to the iPhone Duo, and it’s something Apple has over Samsung.

I can also confirm that it has MagSafe and wireless charging support (up to 25W). Although there’s no Action Button, therefore you’ll need to find another way of quickly switching your Duo to mute. Or whatever it is you’ve assigned the Action Button to on your regular iPhone.

Wondering how Apple’s foldable stacks up against the competition? Read our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 review for more.

4. Why did Apple go with Touch ID instead of Face ID?

I believe this is because there simply isn’t the depth required for the Face ID Gubbins. The iPhone Duo, when opened, is the thinnest phone Apple has ever made, you see.

Is that a problem? I’ll let you know when I’ve tested it. What I will say is that, for some reason, I’ve always gravitated towards fingerprint unlocking on Samsung’s foldables, despite them having facial recognition. I have no idea why, but it has never felt annoying. Quite the opposite – it feels like the most natural way to unlock these devices.

5. How well will the hinge and inner screen hold up over time?

This is, obviously, a question for a later time. As always, I will deliver my first round of reviews and comparisons for the iPhone Duo over the next couple of months and then longer-term reviews thereafter.

Apple’s foldable will become my main device for the foreseeable future; therefore, if you’re holding off on this first generation because of concerns over durability, you’ll want to stay tuned.

Final thoughts (for now)

The iPhone Duo feels like a huge release for Apple. It’s not for everyone, and I have no doubt that some people will rush into buying it in a fit of excitement only to realise, a couple of months down the line, that it really isn’t for them.

That’s what excites me, though. What has Apple done with the Duo to make it a more acceptable form factor for more people? I’m ready for foldables to move away from edge cases and become more widely used.

Whether or not that’s going to happen soon will come down to just how good the iPhone Duo is.

I will return with my full, first review next month.