The iPhone Duo has certainly got people talking (read: feverishly debating). While some are already forming an orderly line to pre-order Apple’s first foldable phone, others have been vocal in their criticism of Apple's first foldable phone and what you don't get for $2,000.
Tom’s Guide’s global editor-in-chief Mark Spoonauer broke down some of the trade-offs of the Duo in this YouTube video, pulling out the Duo’s camera, lack of Face ID, weight, battery life and price as areas of concern. In response, 329 viewers left comments on the video, and 176 commented on our related Reddit post.
For some, certain specs seem to be dealbreakers, while others expressed they’re excited to become day one adopters of the new tech regardless.
Let’s dig into the crowd reaction – and please do leave your thoughts in the comments and poll below.
“Just because it's $2k doesn't mean it needs top shelf cameras”
Mark pointed out the Duo doesn’t have a telephoto camera, so zoomed photos will look blurrier than those from the iPhone 18 Pro Max (which by the way costs $800 less and also has the new variable aperture). The price-to-camera quality equation is definitely one that feels a little off, and it was this point that attracted the most opinions from our YouTube viewers and Redditors.
“I kinda like the Duo. But I’m not paying top dollar for a worse camera. That’s the biggest issue.”
Throwtheamiibosaway
@EricK-vw5wh was one viewer who wasn’t too concerned by the camera, writing, “I think people need to remember that these things are smartphones, not dedicated cameras. Nowadays people act like these are digital cameras that just happen to have cellular phone feature if you want it. Just because it's $2k doesn't mean it needs top shelf cameras. You want that, get the Pros, that's what they are made for. Folding phones are meant for productivity and content consumption.”
But @FairchildV countered that the camera was an issue for them, replying, “It doesn’t need ‘top shelf’ cameras. But, I fully expect a pro camera for $2,000… For people that actually care about their photo and video quality, this could be a huge deal breaker unfortunately.”
Over on Reddit, FarBack5807 wrote, “For anyone who zooms in on things, the lack of telephoto means the duo is considerably worse at 25% the resolving power of the 17 Pro, and even worse than 14 Pro at 66% of its resolving power.”
Similarly, Throwtheamiibosaway wrote, “I kinda like the Duo. But I’m not paying top dollar for a worse camera. That’s the biggest issue.”
Rounding off the camera debate, I found this comment from @itsacookie1 on YouTube a very sensible reality check: “I think we all want the security of having the best cameras in our pocket but most of us just don't take photography seriously or post to social media enough that it matters. It's a hard choice or trade-off because we all have been conditioned to more money = better cameras as this is how ‘pro’ or bigger phones have been marketed for decades.”
It's worth mentioning at this point that when asked simply 'Would you buy the iPhone Duo?', some 63% of respondents (or 3,429 people) replied that yes, they would. Are you tempted by the Duo, or one of the other new iPhones?
Is Touch ID even a downgrade, really?
The Duo lacks Face ID as there wasn’t physically space in the form factor for the required sensors. Instead, users need to use Touch ID to unlock the phone — a tech that was phased out with the advent of the iPhone X. But is the older tech necessarily a downgrade?
@Tejae504 posted a comment that I can relate to, “I [would rather have] Touch ID when I get up at 6am my phone doesn’t recognize me 😂”
Indeed, if you’ve ever had a bad hair day, dabbled in a new makeup look or dared to try unlocking your phone while wearing sunglasses, you’ll know that Face ID isn’t always seamless. Then again, as we approach gloves season I remember that neither was Touch ID.
“I [would rather have] Touch ID when I get up at 6am my phone doesn’t recognize me 😂”
@Tejae504
Another viewer unperturbed by the manual unlocking was @chocoloco9985, who said, “For lack of Face ID, yeah it sucks, but if I can unlock it with my Apple Watch I don’t think it will be that big of an issue.”
Many commenters pointed out that Apple Watch wearers will barely notice the "downgrade," as their watches will unlock the phone automatically anyway.
On the other hand, @g0nk wrote, “No FaceID is my dealbreaker. My arthritic fingers can't touch that sensor every single time.”
Nobody needs 45-hour battery life anyway
Looking into the battery life, Mark pointed out that Apple estimates the iPhone Duo is good for 24 hours of ‘normal use’ vs the Pro Max’s 30 hours.
This gap widens when it comes to video playback, when the Duo’s stamina is rated at 31 hours vs the 18 Pro Max’s 45.
“Anyone with a job or that needs rest is never going to use the phone for a video playback for that many hours."
@dlsme
Could this become an irritation for some users, especially as this is a phone marketed for multitasking?
@dlsme wrote on this point, “Anyone with a job or that needs rest is never going to use the phone for a video playback for that many hours. It’s a superficial first world problem, people are just looking for something to be upset about.”
2 for the price of 1
A lot of viewers really did take the trouble to use our advice to help weigh up their next upgrade decision. One thoughtful comment from @Heartlessgamer_3242 said, “Unless you take pictures all the time, especially zoomed in, or are some kind of photographer using the Apple iPhone, the iPhone Duo is not a downgrade as a whole compared to the Pro/Pro Max.
"If you care only about the camera, then yes. But for someone like me that multitasks on the device and watches a lot of content and movies, I prefer the bigger screen and dual screen. And if not using the dual screen, I can close it and still have an active screen to use on the fly. I also don’t want an iPad and iPhone if now we have both in one.”
Whether the compromises are worth it for a device that can potentially replace two for the price of one is, in a nutshell, the decision facing iPhone Duo purchasers.
As Apple’s first foray into foldables, it’s not perfect, but as @out_of_focus_foto simply said, “I regret not buying the first iPhone when it was released. First gen isn’t that big of a deal.”
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
