My iPhone Duo arrived last Thursday, so I had a week to use it as my everyday carry. My first experiences have been mixed, so I keep asking myself an important question: Is this the future of the iPhone and I just need to adapt, or is the Duo simply not for everyone?
iPhone Duo: Sorting through a mixed experience
After a week of using the iPhone Duo, in some respects I have a lot of clarity about the product, in others my thinking is very clouded.
To put it simply: I’m not having much fun with the Duo, which makes me wonder if the problem is me, or not him.
I’ve seen countless posts on social media from Duo owners proclaiming how much they love the product. And I absolutely believe it. The iPhone Duo is a notable innovation for the iPhone. It’s beautiful and strange and wonderful in all ways. But for me and my needs (preferences?), it was more frustrating than fun.
And that frustration mostly boils down to one thing: I almost never want to open it.
I would estimate that at least 90% of my iPhone Duo usage involves the front display. And when I open it the other 10% of the time, it’s often because I force myself to do so in hopes of finding out what I’m missing. Like, I know I should explain it more, so I do. But for me it adds no real value.
Since I rarely want to open the iPhone Duo, I always have to use the external display. In this mode, the Duo is too heavy for extended use, too wide to reach comfortably, and the UI in most apps is a hack.
Are these the deal breakers? No. If I had to, I could live with the Duo’s external display, but it’s definitely an inferior experience to that of my iPhone 18 Pro.
Using the iPhone one-handed is not what the Duo is intended for
If I opened up the iPhone Duo more and actually took advantage of the key value proposition of foldables, which is that you can open them, I doubt the external screen would bother me much.
But what I’ve discovered, at least so far, is that using the iPhone one-handed, which excludes using the internal display, is very important to me. I use my iPhone mostly for quick interactions and often with a child in one hand (I have three very young children). In situations where I have two hands free to open Duo, I’m probably sitting in front of my iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard connected and would prefer to use the iPad instead.
So once again: is the problem with the Duo or with me?
I think it’s the latter, but I’m not sure “problem” is the right word. I just don’t find myself using it the way it should be used. And that’s fine.
I want to love the iPhone Duo, because I see how much fun other people have with it. And maybe, with more time, something will work and I’ll start using it “as intended”.
If iPhone Duo is the future of the iPhone, I will adapt and move on with my life. But after a week, I think it’s probably not for me. And if it weren’t for me, perhaps there are many people who will continue to prefer non-foldable iPhones for many years to come.
How was your experience with the iPhone Duo? Do you love it or are you struggling? Let us know in the comments.
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