iPhone Duo: I Haven't Felt This Way Since the iPhone 3G

Quick summary: The iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable, is the most exciting phone Apple has made for me since the iPhone 3G. It’s nearly a perfect foldable with very few shortcomings, and it could be a Trojan horse that pulls Android foldable fans like me over to Apple.

Why the 3G mattered

I had a BlackBerry before it, but the iPhone 3G was the first smartphone that truly blew me away: easy to use, an App Store, fast internet. Every iPhone since has been more or less the same phone. Android kept innovating, and that’s what pulled me over. Foldables are almost a decade old, and even the Galaxy Z Fold hasn’t changed hugely beyond more power, better cameras and battery, thinner bodies and better build quality.

Apple shipped it nearly complete

The Duo’s form factor isn’t new; it’s like the original Pixel Fold, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and an older Oppo. But unlike the original iPhone (no App Store, 2G) or the original iPad, which launched missing things, this looks complete, more like the Vision Pro. I’d be stupid not to buy one to compare against the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra.

What it gets right

• Pencil support on both the cover and main displays. I don’t care about it, but it’s huge for people who want a stylus. I think USB-C Apple Pencil support may arrive around November rather than at launch. Motorola and Oppo foldables support styluses, but they’re harder to buy in the US.
• Availability: Apple Stores everywhere, online and likely carriers, with financing, leasing or buying outright.
• Cameras: no 200MP sensor, but most people shoot at 12MP or 24MP anyway (I keep my Fold 8 Ultra at 24MP).
• Battery: Apple quotes video playback of 44 and 31 hours depending on the display. It should be all-day, with fast charging.
• A powerful chip with built-in cooling, which shouldn’t thermal throttle.
• A handholdable shape like the Fold 8.
• Bright displays, though the inner screen can look a bit film-like or matte, almost E Ink, at some angles. I usually prefer Samsung’s colors.
• AppleCare at about $20 a month, versus roughly $13 for Samsung’s Fold coverage, with far more Apple Stores than Samsung stores.

What still bugs me about iOS

No real multitasking, less customization and control, slow animations, notifications that come back after I swipe them away, and settings you can’t fully search.

The one I want

The 512GB in white or the bluish color. If not, 256GB, then 1TB. Never 2TB at $3,200 before tax. I expect 256GB to be the most popular and 1TB and 2TB to be the easiest to get.

It does almost everything the Z Fold 8 does except customization and control. If you don’t mind that, it’s equal or better in many ways.

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