I picked up my iPhone Duo at Apple Fifth Avenue yesterday and it has been a miracle to use. Obviously the phone isn’t perfect, but after the first day of use I can’t wait to use it every day, even if it has a couple of quirks.
When talking about the iPhone Duo, most people will talk about the under-display FaceTime camera, Touch ID, and app support as compromises. Sure, these are features that make it a lesser experience than a typical iPhone, but I personally don’t find them to ruin the experience at all.
Apple impressed many last year with the iPhone Air. It was incredibly thin and certainly an engineering marvel to pack everything into that form factor. You could feel it though: the speaker quality was poor, you only had a single rear camera, and the battery life was poor compared to any other iPhone. It wasn’t unusable by any means, but you had to make compromises.
iPhone Duo feels like a complete experience
For me, with the iPhone Duo I don’t feel like I’m giving up anything that really matters. Touch ID is a learning curve, but it doesn’t feel like a struggle. The FaceTime camera under the display is worse than if it weren’t under the display, but in good lighting it looks perfectly fine, especially during video calls.
As far as app support goes, I think the whole situation was overblown. Many early reviewers were quick to point out the fact that many apps are not yet updated for the iPhone Duo, ignoring the fact that they had the phone early and most developers were planning their releases for when consumers started having devices, not reviewers. In the last couple of days alone, many more iPhone Duo apps have been updated.
The external screen also seems like something worth using, not just an afterthought. It’s a smaller screen and you definitely read less than you might otherwise read on a taller screen. For me, though, the screen feels really nice to use. The keyboard is still full width, you just don’t need to understand as much background context at once. He seems more focused.
That said, there are two things I really felt with the iPhone Duo that I would like to see improved. Fortunately, these are mostly software improvements.
Software Tips
On the first day of using my iPhone Duo, I noticed two things about the device that seem a little strange to me. For one thing, iOS still only lets you swipe back from the left edge of the device. This seems to conflict a bit with the fact that the navigation elements are on the right side of the device.
When I got my iPhone Duo, I naturally found myself trying to swipe back from the right edge many times. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t let you do this. This certainly isn’t a plus for the phone, and I’ve gotten used to reaching around the left edge of the device, but given the fact that this form factor is otherwise incredibly reachable, I think it would be a nice adjustment.
Another thing I’d like to see improved is Apple Watch unlocking. The feature itself works great and makes losing Face ID less painful. That said, it means that if you pass your device to someone else, they can simply unlock it. I think having basic camera-based facial recognition combined with Apple Watch unlocking would be a nice improvement.
Wrap
Beyond that, though, I’m incredibly happy with the iPhone Duo and look forward to using the device more and more over time and sharing my experience with you all. Anecdotally, I’ve never had so many people stop me in public and ask me about my iPhone, so the Duo seems to excite people in a way I haven’t seen in ages. It’s a fun phone.
One last thing to note: Apple’s official Folio case for the iPhone Duo doesn’t seem like a useful product. At $129, the kickstand doesn’t feel very durable, and the front flap creates an awkward situation when taking photos using the external display. You can’t turn it on its back, as that would cover the camera, so you just have to let it float. I would avoid purchasing it and instead wait for third-party solutions to fill the gap.
Have you purchased an iPhone Duo or are you still waiting for future iterations? Let us know in the comments.
My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:
Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram
FTC: We use automatic affiliate links that generate income. Moreover.
