Key takeaways
- The first iPhone Duo reviews are out ahead of Friday’s launch. 9to5Mac calls it “the future” of the iPhone, The Verge calls it expensive, compromised and “incredibly frustrating,” but fun.
- Reviewers praise the hinge, the 7.6-inch inner display and the A20 Pro chip. They criticize Touch ID instead of Face ID, no telephoto camera, letterboxed apps, weaker speakers and battery life well below the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
- My view: in my opinion, everyone is wearing pink glasses. For the $1,999 starting price, you can buy a MacBook Air and still have about $900 left.
The first iPhone Duo reviews landed today, two days before Apple’s first foldable goes on sale on October 23 starting at $1,999. 9to5Mac, The Verge, WIRED, CNET, Gizmodo, Tom’s Guide, PetaPixel, The Wall Street Journal and Marques Brownlee all spent about a week with it.
The verdict is almost the same everywhere: incredible hardware, a first-generation product, and a lot of trade-offs. 9to5Mac’s Chance Miller wrote that “the future is foldable” and called the Duo “an incredible piece of engineering.” The Verge’s Nilay Patel and Allison Johnson wrote that it is “expensive,” “full of compromises” and “can be incredibly frustrating to use,” and that switching back to a normal phone “often felt like a relief.” In Tom’s Guide’s battery test, the Duo lasted 13 hours and 20 minutes, against 17 hours and 31 minutes for the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 10 hours and 6 minutes for the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Most reviewers still say a regular iPhone is the practical choice for most people.
In this article: Pink glasses: reviews that read like ads · You can’t compare the Duo with a Pro Max · The matte screen hides the crease. For how long? · Benchmarks won’t impress anyone anymore · Two batteries, and still four hours less · Split View in 2026? Samsung had it in 2012 · The one thing I like: selfies with the main camera · $1,999 for a worse camera and Touch ID · Apps: the developers are waiting too · Ternus did not win the crease battle · For $2,000, get a MacBook Air · Cancelled pre-orders? Anyone can write anything · My verdict · FAQ
Pink glasses: reviews that read like ads
I really don’t like it when people use words like “an incredible piece of engineering” today. What exactly is incredible? As far as I remember, almost every foldable can be opened halfway. Samsung has had its Flex Mode since 2020. Or did I miss something? Maybe they added more positions, but that is just Apple working on details. The words around Apple are really too exaggerated.
Honestly, many of these reviews feel to me more like an ad video, articles or posts for social media. By the way, 9to5Mac’s review is sponsored, and the sponsor is written right in the article. Why don’t they say how thick the phone is when it is closed? It is 11.3 mm, about 29% thicker than the iPhone 18 Pro. Why do they talk only about the good things?
Yes, unfolded it is an iPad mini, and it really is thinner than even the iPhone Air. In my eyes, that is a plus. But when you close it, it is a really thick thing in your pocket. Saying it is comfortable in your pocket? I definitely don’t agree with that.
You can’t compare the Duo with a Pro Max
Yes, the 7.6-inch inner display is big. But it is normal that unfolded it will be bigger. Did you not know that until now? How can you compare an iPhone Pro Max with the Duo? These are different form factors. Or do you just want to lure people with your “wow”?
I don’t want to be aggressive, but I don’t even know how else to say it: you keep showing off how big it is, but why don’t you write how uncomfortable such a big thing will be when you are walking somewhere and in a hurry? In that moment, the Pro or any other model is more comfortable.
I have a feeling you wear pink glasses and jump on anything when everyone around you talks only about the pluses. And then we wonder where the cult comes from, the cult of getting a new iPhone at any price. I am talking about every new model now. That really fascinates me.
| iPhone Duo | iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1,999 | $1,199 / $1,299 |
| Thickness | 11.3 mm closed, 5.2 mm open | Duo closed is about 29% thicker |
| Weight | 254 g | Pro Max: 249 g |
| Unlock | Touch ID | Face ID |
| Telephoto camera | No | 48MP 4x |
| Battery (Tom’s Guide test) | 13 h 20 min | Pro Max: 17 h 31 min |
The matte screen hides the crease. For how long?
Yes, the matte nano-texture finish hides the crease. But we don’t know how fast that nano-texture will wear out, and then it may be even worse than on the others. Apple says the cover layer can be replaced for a low price, but that only tells me it can get damaged. And I haven’t seen Apple say anywhere how many openings and closings it can take. That fascinates me.
At the same time, it is true that the crease looks better than on the others. But when I went to look at it in an Apple Store, I said right away that you can feel it like on all the others. I don’t know about you, but that deformation is what bothers me most on all foldables, and I am not talking only about the Duo now. Then it is better to get an iPad mini and an iPhone, and it even comes out cheaper. What can I say? Everyone has their own market. People talk about gadgets.
Benchmarks won’t impress anyone anymore
Please, you won’t impress anyone with these numbers anymore. In Gizmodo’s test, the Duo’s graphics were 71% faster than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. OK, maybe in some tests you concluded that. But Samsung is also good, and it has not been bad for a long time. A normal user won’t feel it.
A normal user who watches content doesn’t care about these numbers, in my opinion. And what does a user care about, Mr. Ternus? Only the price, which will swallow your wallet.
Two batteries, and still four hours less
And why don’t the fans say now that in such a huge body they could have made more room for the battery? The Duo even has two batteries, one in each half, and it still lasted over four hours less than the iPhone 18 Pro Max in Tom’s Guide’s test. I am not saying Samsung has less. But when you are such cool engineers, why didn’t you work on the biggest pain, the battery?
We all know the iPhone is not famous for good battery life. And then the iPhone 18 Pro has a better battery. I think a lot of people will stay with the good old iPhone form factor.
Split View in 2026? Samsung had it in 2012
Oh God, talking about this is already embarrassing. Reviewers celebrate that the Duo is the first iPhone with Split View, two apps side by side. Samsung has had split screen since 2012, and it works fantastically well. Saying it is a first in iPhone history is really embarrassing.
I don’t know who falls for all of it. It is cool, but the technology is really, really old, and promoting it in 2026 only shows that it is just another foldable phone. Hats off, it is one of the best, but it is still not news. In my opinion, I already know how the “wow” is made: you buy ads from the big names who hated it at the beginning and then become the voice of the future. That is only my assumption.
The one thing I like: selfies with the main camera
The only thing that is cool is that you can take selfies with the 48MP main camera, using the outer display as a viewfinder. I like that. But we also don’t know how much it will be used. It is more for people who film themselves a lot. But there are enough bloggers too, so in the end this feature can sell quite well.
$1,999 for a worse camera and Touch ID
Is it OK that the most expensive iPhone has no telephoto camera, a worse 12MP selfie camera and weaker speakers than the cheaper iPhone 18 Pro? No, it is not OK. When you think about it, they gave you the selfie camera trick where you see yourself on the outer display, but at the same time they gave you a worse camera for the highest price. So what is it? Just a futuristic phone you overpay for?
Touch ID instead of Face ID? I once defended it: when the phone is open, it makes no sense to put Face ID there. But when I look at this price, I already understand people’s frustration. It is really very hard to understand. Or maybe it is more marketing.
Apps: the developers are waiting too
Many third-party apps still run with black bars on the inner display, and WIRED says to wait a few months for developers. In my opinion, it is more a question of time for developers. They are probably waiting to see how it sells, and then they will start optimizing. Because if it turns out it doesn’t sell as well as Apple is showing us now, it makes no sense to do more optimization. I understand the app developers.
And a few months of waiting? Apple probably doesn’t care about logistics at all. People have been talking about it for a long time, they should have found some solution, but we see they are not in a hurry, or they don’t deal with it that much. Buyers are already waiting. One word: embarrassing.
Ternus did not win the crease battle
Not long ago, Apple’s CEO John Ternus called rival foldables “cheap and crappy”. Did Apple win the crease battle? Definitely not. More and more people just don’t like Ternus. The more people say the Duo is fabulous, the more I see that, in my opinion, he hasn’t shown anything as CEO yet that he could brag about. He is just good at PR.
For $2,000, get a MacBook Air
The Verge compares the Duo to the first MacBook Air, which took a redesign to take over the industry. Sorry, but I think a redesign won’t help here. Why don’t people see that for $2,000 it is really cheaper to get a MacBook Air? The MacBook Air with M5 starts at $1,099. You get a huge display and one of the most powerful computers you can buy, and you still have about $900 left.
The Duo is just too expensive. A redesign won’t help. In my opinion, only a lower price will, and then it will go. And I am not even talking about the biggest iPhone Duo configuration: 2 TB costs $3,199. For that price, you really get a MacBook Air and an iPhone 18 Pro, which together cost $2,298, and you still have about $900 left.
Cancelled pre-orders? Anyone can write anything
The top comment under MacRumors’ review roundup says: “Just canceled my pre-order. Money down the drain for a test product.” Others write that they will wait for the second or third generation. At the same time, Apple talks about “extraordinary” demand and says the Duo will sell out quickly on Friday.
Who is right? God, we can’t judge that. Maybe people decided they don’t want to pay at least $2,000 for a first generation now. And maybe it is just speculation from people who never even had a pre-order and are just babbling. Let’s not forget, everyone can write anything, and we won’t find out whether it is true or just babbling.
My verdict
Is the future foldable, as 9to5Mac says? Not surely, and not with certainty. But we can’t just deny it either. I think it will sell well, because Apple enthusiasts can’t wait to unbox it.
As I wrote in my article on Samsung’s six foldables, I never buy the first generation. The reviews changed nothing.
Also on Evolt News: iPhone Duo and the Apple Store walk-in problem · the iPhone Duo case with adhesive tape
Images: Apple.
This article is opinion.
iPhone Duo reviews: FAQ
When does the iPhone Duo go on sale?
The iPhone Duo launches on Friday, October 23, 2026. Apple says walk-in availability at Apple Stores will be limited, and supply is expected to sell out quickly.
How much does the iPhone Duo cost?
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB in the U.S. The 512GB model costs $2,199, 1TB costs $2,599 and 2TB costs $3,199.
What do reviewers criticize about the iPhone Duo?
Reviewers point to Touch ID instead of Face ID, no telephoto camera, a 12MP outer selfie camera, weaker speakers, many third-party apps that are not yet optimized for the inner display, and its 254-gram weight.
How good is the iPhone Duo battery life?
In Tom’s Guide’s web-browsing test, the iPhone Duo lasted 13 hours and 20 minutes, compared with 17 hours and 31 minutes for the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 10 hours and 6 minutes for the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
How thick is the iPhone Duo?
The iPhone Duo is 11.3 mm thick when closed, about 29% thicker than the iPhone 18 Pro, and 5.2 mm thick when unfolded, thinner than the iPhone Air.
Does the iPhone Duo have a visible crease?
Reviewers say the crease is not invisible but is hard to notice head-on thanks to the matte nano-texture finish. It is most visible in bright light on dark screens, and you can feel it when scrolling.
Sources: 9to5Mac, MacRumors, The Verge, WIRED, CNET, Gizmodo, Tom’s Guide, Engadget, Apple.
Our Take
In my opinion, the iPhone Duo reviews are wearing pink glasses: they talk about the “wow” and stay quiet about the thickness, the battery and the price. Split View and a half-open screen are not news in 2026.
The Duo will sell, because fans can’t wait. But for $1,999 you can buy a MacBook Air and still have about $900 left. I never buy the first generation, and the reviews changed nothing.
