Apple iPhone Duo Review: First Foldable Smartphone Impresses Despite High Price

Apple enters the foldable smartphone market with the release of the iPhone Duo, hitting store shelves on Friday, October 23. Featuring a starting price of $1,999, the device combines the portability of a traditional smartphone with a much larger screen, offering a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display. Reviewers have tested the hardware for a week, highlighting both its engineering achievements and the typical growing pains of a first-generation product.

Critical reception has been generally positive, with publications like Engadget awarding the device 8.8 out of 10 stars and Cnet giving it 8.7 stars. Reviewers commended the phone's exquisite design, durable titanium frame, solid battery life, and smooth transitions between screens. TechRadar awarded the device 4.5 out of five stars, noting that Apple smartly observed the foldable category as it evolved before introducing a virtually crease-free screen.

The hardware specs include a Super Retina OLED outer display and a Super Retina XDR OLED inner screen with a matte nano-texture finish and variable refresh rates up to 120Hz. The device runs on the A20 Pro chip, paired with up to 2TB of storage, and features an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. Instead of Face ID, Apple integrated a Touch ID fingerprint sensor into the side button, a decision reviewers noted requires some adjustment.

Despite the high praise for its form factor and visual appeal, the device faces notable criticisms. Weighing 254 grams, the iPhone Duo is heavier than several competing foldable models. Reviewers like Mashable and Bloomberg noted that using the device in phone mode with one hand can cause hand fatigue due to its thickness and weight, requiring two hands or a table surface for many tasks.

Another major hurdle involves software optimization for third-party applications. Reviewers across multiple publications observed that numerous apps have not yet been updated for the sprawling 7.6-inch display. As one Engadget reviewer pointed out, unoptimized apps often appear as a phone-sized window flanked by thick black bars on the large screen, though first-party apps and a growing number of services like Netflix and Google have been adapted to use the expanded canvas.

Multitasking capabilities received praise for allowing split-screen views and drag-and-drop features between apps like Messages and Mail. However, reviewers agree that deciding whether the iPhone Duo is worth its steep $2,000 price tag depends largely on user preference for a pocketable tablet hybrid. Publications currently advise prospective buyers to wait until developers fully optimize their applications for the new dual-screen ecosystem.