Salsa Gadgets
After months of leaks, Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, is finally official. While foldable phones have been around for years, this is Apple’s first major new iPhone form factor since the original iPhone, making its arrival a significant moment for the company.
However, Apple’s entry into the foldable market does not mean the technology’s biggest problems have disappeared. Anyone considering switching from a regular iPhone to the Duo should be aware of several compromises that still come with the foldable design.
Price
The $2,000 price tag has become common among flagship foldables, and Apple has followed the same trend. Seven years after the first Galaxy Fold, the high price of foldables still appears difficult to justify for many buyers.
Paying almost twice the price of a typical flagship smartphone is difficult to justify, even for customers willing to spend heavily on their phones. Many buyers have instead chosen conventional flagship devices because they offer better value.
Apple has historically been able to command premium prices because of its brand, but recent products such as the Apple Vision Pro and iPhone Air show that even Apple can struggle when prices become too high. While the $2,000 starting price of the iPhone Duo is lower than some previous predictions, it remains a substantial amount for a smartphone.
The 2 in 1 phone and tablet idea remains questionable
Book style foldables are often marketed as having a smartphone and tablet in one device. In reality, the experience is not always as straightforward. Tablets offer considerably more usable space for viewing content, working, drawing and browsing, while also generally providing excellent battery life.
Foldable displays are larger when opened, but they are not always significantly more useful because many apps are still not properly optimized for the wider screen. Watching videos can also feel surprisingly similar to using the outer display, especially when both screens have similar widths in landscape orientation.
The phone side of the experience also comes with compromises. Foldables tend to be thicker and heavier, while often offering weaker cameras, battery life, thermal performance and protection against water and dust. The iPhone Duo is no exception.
Worse cameras
A foldable phone effectively puts two halves of a smartphone together, creating strict limits on how much space can be dedicated to the cameras. The thinner each half becomes, the harder it is to accommodate large camera hardware.
The iPhone Duo features a wide and an ultra wide camera on the rear. While the ultra wide camera may be shared with the iPhone 18 Pro, the main camera is not comparable, and there is no telephoto camera. Considering the Duo costs significantly more than the iPhone 18 Pro, this represents a major compromise.
Worse battery life
The battery is another area affected by the foldable design. There is limited internal space, and the battery itself needs to be split between the two halves of the device, making the available space less efficient.
Based on Apple’s own testing, the iPhone Duo offers lower battery life than the iPhone 18 Pro Max when using the outer display and considerably lower endurance when using the inner screen for video streaming. The difference can also affect activities unrelated to the display, such as phone calls. The Duo also charges more slowly.
Worse thermal performance
The thin design of each half can also hurt thermal performance. With less thickness and material available to spread heat, the processor can reach its thermal limits sooner and throttle more aggressively.
This means the iPhone Duo could lose peak performance faster under sustained workloads than the iPhone 18 Pro, despite both devices using the same chipset.
Worse durability
Foldable phones are also more complicated than conventional smartphones because of their moving hinges and flexible displays. More moving parts mean additional potential points of failure, while the sensitive inner display adds another vulnerability.
Modern smartphones have become considerably more durable, and Apple has given the Duo an IP68 rating. However, the large hinge and flexible glass still leave the device more vulnerable to damage than a conventional iPhone. Cases also cannot completely solve the problem because foldable cases are restricted by the design of the device.
The awkward fingerprint sensor
The iPhone Duo is the first iPhone in years to bring back Touch ID. While fingerprint authentication can be useful, it may feel like a downgrade for users accustomed to the convenience of Face ID.
Apple has placed the fingerprint sensor on the right side of the device, following a common approach among foldables. Side mounted fingerprint sensors can be less convenient, particularly for left handed users, who may need to use their right hand to unlock the phone comfortably.
The smaller sensor area can also result in more failed registrations or unlock attempts. The placement of the volume buttons on the top edge could make the device even more awkward to handle.
The crease is still there
The crease has remained one of the most recognizable drawbacks of foldable displays. Manufacturers have made major improvements over the years, and the iPhone Duo appears to have one of the least noticeable creases yet.
Apple uses a matte nano coating on the inner display to reduce glare and reflections, which are among the easiest ways to notice the crease. With the display appearing flatter and reflections reduced, the crease becomes considerably harder to see.
However, the Duo is not completely crease free. The crease is still visible in early hands on videos, so users who strongly dislike the feature may still want to avoid foldables.
Despite these limitations, the iPhone Duo does improve on several areas where Android foldables have struggled.
Native app support
One of the biggest problems with Android foldables is the lack of properly optimized applications for large inner displays. Many apps simply stretch across the wider screen rather than providing an interface designed specifically for the larger canvas.
Apple already demonstrated several applications that have been adapted for the Duo’s two displays. Given Apple’s control over the iPhone platform and the popularity of its devices, major applications are likely to receive optimized experiences for the Duo much faster than many Android foldables have managed.
Smooth transition between displays
Supporting two displays with different aspect ratios, resolutions and refresh rates can be difficult for developers. Some Android applications and games still struggle when moving between the outer and inner screens, sometimes requiring a restart.
Apple appears to have handled this transition more effectively. Games demonstrated on the Duo can move from the outer screen to the inner display smoothly, without pausing or restarting. The interface can also adjust when the device is rotated.
Half folded modes
Android foldables have supported partially folded positions for years, but Apple appears to have placed greater emphasis on making this a central part of the Duo experience.
Applications can split their interfaces between the two halves of the screen, while the keyboard can divide into two sections depending on the device’s orientation. Video players can place controls on the lower half, while games can use the lower section for controls.
The Duo can also stand on its edges in a nightstand mode, with dedicated widgets available in this position. This gives the folding design more practical uses beyond simply providing a larger screen.
Speakers
Stereo audio can be complicated on foldables because the position of the left and right speakers changes depending on how the device is held. Samsung, for example, places the Galaxy Z Fold8 speakers on one side, which can affect the stereo experience.
Apple’s solution is to place one speaker in one corner and the other diagonally opposite. Software determines how the device is being held and adjusts the audio accordingly, helping maintain a consistent stereo experience.
Overall, Apple has made meaningful progress in making foldables more practical, but the iPhone Duo does not eliminate the fundamental compromises of the form factor. Buyers still have to accept higher pricing, weaker battery life, camera limitations, thermal compromises and durability concerns.
At more than $2,000, the iPhone Duo remains a significant investment, so buyers should carefully consider whether the advantages of its foldable design outweigh the compromises that still come with the technology.
