iPhone Duo review: The thrill of the unknown

As an iPhone user for well over 15 years, I bank on a certain familiarity. A foldable iPhone is not something I am used to, and that is exactly why I wanted to check it out, like millions of others. But is the thrill of the unknown big enough to forsake familiarity? This was the question I grappled with as I used the iPhone Duo over the past week.

The moment you hold the Duo, it feels different. This is not my first foldable, nor even my first passport-size one, given that I recently reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8. Still, this phone feels different. Though it weighs the same as the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Duo is 25% heavier than the Fold 8. You feel that in your hand, especially since this is a phone you keep opening and closing, if possible with one hand.

The moment I peeled off the packaging, I could see something different. There is no crease to be seen, though the matte screen protector is clearly there, and even more visible at certain angles. This is Apple’s genius: taking out the biggest pain point of a foldable by doing something unprecedented. Cupertino knows this is about perception, and not showing users the crease makes the Duo stand out in the foldable segment. Everyone who checked out the phone wanted to see this first, and they agreed.

When I powered on the phone, the front screen stood out. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

Compared to other first-generation foldables I have used, the Duo has a more robust design and a more durable-feeling hinge. The folding screen does not seem like something that will crack on its own if you don’t abuse it. That said, you still have to be doubly careful with any foldable, especially one that could cost as much to fix as to buy.

When I powered on the phone, the front screen stood out. This was new territory for me, both as an Apple user and as a foldable user. Unlike the Fold 8, and despite the similar passport-size format, the front screen here has two curved corners. They make the phone easy to hold, but it is. not often that you use a phone with curved corners on one side and sharp ones on the other. This hits you when you start browsing, along with the sidebar.

The orientation is so fluid that after a point you don’t realise how you are holding the Duo. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

Apple has moved the familiar app dock from the bottom of the screen to the side, between the two curved corners. On the plus side, this makes the dock apps easy to reach with your thumb when you are using the closed Duo with one hand. However, it also constricts the front screen a lot and makes browsing a bit odd. Reading the Indian Express website, I felt I had far less real estate than I am used to on any phone. This makes you open up the Duo more often than you would any other foldable.

And this is where some magic happens. I have not used a foldable screen that is more fluid and tablet-like than this. It feels like an iPad Mini in every sense. The screen is also stunning and great for consuming content. On a long-haul flight back from San Francisco, I spent over eight hours watching shows on it, holding it in my hand, propping it against a bottle on the food tray, or just resting it on my lap. I call the experience fluid because it works well in both orientations, and you can switch to vertical to read a website or browse social media.

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The Duo lasts a day on a full charge. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

This presents another problem, though. The orientation is so fluid that after a point you don’t realise how you are holding the Duo, and you find yourself probing with your fingers for the volume or power button. Within a couple of days, I figured out a fix: using the camera bump to anchor myself. Also, depending on the app, the orientation can confuse both the UX and the UI unless the app has been optimised for this experience. A lot of apps, including commonly used ones like LinkedIn, just run as normal on this screen, leaving so much unused real estate that it feels weird. Even if you blow up the app, the way we once ran iPhone apps on the iPad, the sidebar stays put and stops you from using the entire screen. Thankfully, the sidebar goes away when you are watching video. I suspect it will take a while for developers to update their apps for these screen sizes.

The Duo has a more robust design and a more durable-feeling hinge. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

Talking about familiarity, there is one big challenge on the Duo. I am so used to Face ID unlocking my phone or authenticating payments and access. This is something the Duo simply could not accommodate. So you have to find the power button, which has Touch ID, to unlock. Because I initially set it up with just one finger, this proved to be a problem depending on which hand I held the phone in and the orientation of the device.

Being a foldable, the Duo opens up a lot of unfamiliar ways to use an iPhone. With the camera, for instance, you can now click selfies with the main camera while seeing the composition on the front screen. There is even a Kid Cue that entertains toddlers so you can click natural photos. Some iOS developers have really had fun with the screen and launched apps that use it half-folded at a 90-degree angle. I loved what Battlefleet Duo and MD Vinyl have done. Many more apps, like 24me, Timepage and Delta, really tap into the potential of the extra real estate. Some are just having fun, while others are practical. But for this to make sense, we need more high-use apps to embrace the experience, like Netflix has.

No other foldable has managed the handover of content from one screen to the other this well. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

I was impressed by how much work Apple itself has put into the transitions and animations. No other foldable has managed the handover of content from one screen to the other this well. You can also add your own customisations using the Shortcuts app, which lets you trigger actions when you open or close the phone.

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The camera on the Duo is good, but not at the level of the Pro Max devices. It is still a classic iPhone camera, with some extra help from the dual screens for composition and unique angles. But don’t assume you are getting the best iPhone camera just because you are paying more. There are compromises you make for the convenience of this form factor.

Battery life on a foldable is usually a compromise. But the Duo does surprisingly well here and lasts a day on a full charge. I also loved how MagSafe charging works, holding the phone firmly on stands too. I haven’t seen this before on foldables.

The camera on the Duo is good, but not at the level of the Pro Max devices. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

The iPhone Duo is arguably the most desired phone right now, but despite the early hype, it too suffers from some first-generation pangs. I sense Cupertino will fix what it can through software updates over the next few weeks, but some of the quirks will need you to wait for the second generation.

For now, I would recommend the iPhone Duo to Apple fanbois who buy everything the company launches, to those who relish a large-screen experience on the move, and to those who love the thrill of the unknown. For regular users, it would be best to hold on for now and see how the future unfolds.