My iPhone Duo arrived Friday. I was one of the lucky ones who ordered at launch and got an October 23rd arrival date. Yes, it was expensive, and yes, I am very privileged to be able to afford this device. I migrated from my iPhone 17 Pro Friday afternoon/evening. I used device-to-device migration, and it went flawlessly and pretty quickly.
I went with the 512 GB model in Night Sky, which is pretty close to the same color as the Pro phone I was replacing. I also purchased the iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand in Taupe. More about my case choice/strategy later.
This is not intended to be a full review of this device. I would probably not do a good job of that. This is a collection of my observations from a couple of days of use. I am enthusiastic about this device, but it has flaws too. I don’t think any of these flaws are deal breakers for me.
One thing that I’ve found annoying this week is the tenor of the conversation between some members of the Android community and the Apple fans. Yes, there have been foldables on Android for years. I actually came close to buying one several times over the past few years. I have stuck with a regular Pixel as my Android. Some people in that community seem to want so badly for the Apple device to be flawed. Every first-generation device is flawed at launch. Some Apple fans seem convinced that everything before this device had to be shit. I wish that both groups would just let it go and direct all this energy toward something constructive.
Going from a candy bar iPhone 17 Pro to the single squat front screen on this device was a big transition, and not necessarily a pleasant one at first. About a day in, I was convinced that this was bad enough, from my point of view, that I might return this phone. Two days later, I am completely flipped around on this. I don’t think it’s “the worst iPhone Apple has ever made”, as per John Gruber, but that might be a defensible position. The more I have used it, the more my affinity for it has increased. I’m right-handed and have pretty big hands, so it’s very comfortable for me. Your mileage will definitely vary. I’m also loving having that little front screen as a photo frame on my desk in tabletop standby mode.
This phone is heavy. I’ve seen lots of complaints about the weight in various reviews. For me, this hasn’t been an issue. The device fits comfortably in my front left pocket, where I have kept all my phones. I’m a 5’11” loose-pants guy, so those pockets have some room. I won’t be able to keep it in my shirt pocket like my iPhone Pros because of the weight, but I don’t do it that often.
I’m definitely a photo guy. I love taking pictures. I will miss the third lens a little, but I also own a few nice cameras I should be using more anyway. The iPhone Duo Folio case is awkward for grabbing a quick picture of something because of the front flap. I may end up using another case some of the time. I do love this case. It is too expensive, but it’s a really great way to wrap the phone up safely and to have a stand for the unfolded usage. It feels premium and really well thought out. I haven’t paired this device with a keyboard yet, but I think it will end up being a great small on-the-go work device paired with a folding keyboard.
The lack of Face ID is annoying for sure, but not for the outside screen. I’ve already been using an iPad mini around the house that only has Touch ID, so that aspect in general doesn’t bother me. What makes this a challenge is actually all the different ways that I use the large inner screen. You can hold this device a number of ways when open. I don’t always instantly know where the Touch ID sensor is without looking for it or feeling around. An orange dot or some other visual indicator on the Touch ID button would have been a welcome addition to make it easier to see at a glance. They have included a software affordance for this, but it’s not reliably there. This is also true for taking screenshots. I find myself searching for the buttons depending on how I am holding the device.
The apps that are already updated, like NotePlan, Overcast, CARROT Weather, and Bear, are stellar to use. On the other hand, I was super disappointed to discover that the Amazon Kindle team didn’t even do basic bug fixing on the Kindle app. It didn’t work well at launch. I rely on this app daily, so this wasn’t great. Many other apps that I use on a regular basis work, but haven’t been updated for the new inner screen. This is probably just a patience thing. These apps work fine, and I can wait. A single iPhone app-sized window in the middle of the big screen just feels bad. Being able to run two apps side by side is great, but I also would love to have even more flexibility.
I have no regrets about buying this device at this point. I am definitely the target demographic for it, and it will be amazing for work travel. I will add additional thoughts in posts as I think I have something worth sharing.