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Apple’s iPhone Duo impresses on hardware but falters with foldable software
Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, competes well with Android rivals on build quality and screen hardware, but its software makes the folding experience less polished. After a week and a half of use, the reviewer found that iOS’s layout choices can make apps feel cramped on the cover display, leading to the view that Android is currently better suited to foldable phones.
The Duo has a smooth hinge, a matte inner screen that helps disguise its crease, and an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. It is also heavier than its rivals, and its short, wide shape can make one-handed use and reaching across the open screen awkward. At $2,000, it remains a first-generation device, with reports of screen failures that are unusual among modern Android foldables, though their prevalence is unclear.
In short
- The Duo’s hardware impresses, but iOS is less suited to folding screens.
- Its matte display helps hide the crease.
- The heavy $2,000 phone has some reported screen failures.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The iPhone Duo shows Apple can deliver a foldable with strong build quality, a smooth hinge, a crease-disguising inner screen and robust water and dust resistance. As a first-generation device, it may still appeal to buyers who value that hardware and expect software refinements to follow, despite its weight, awkward proportions and high price.
The case against
A foldable’s software is central to whether its larger screen is useful, and the reported cramped cover-screen layouts and less polished transitions weaken the case for the Duo. At $2,000, buyers can reasonably expect a cohesive experience from the outset; its weight, awkward reach and reports of screen failures add to the concern, even though the failures’ prevalence is unclear.
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Originally published by The Verge as “I’ve reviewed almost every Android foldable this year — here’s how the iPhone Duo compares”.