Gear Live’s Andru Edwards spent a week with the foldable iPhone Duo. His review describes the appeal of its larger display for watching, reading and working, alongside what he calls real compromises at a $2,000 price. He joined Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on the Oct. 22 Power On episode to discuss the phone’s design, software, cameras, battery life and shortcomings.
Edwards calls the hinge “fantastic” and the crease a “non-issue” in his review. He describes using two apps side by side with a floating video window, though the 5.4-inch outer display initially felt cramped to him after years with a Pro Max. On Power On, he says apps not optimized for the Duo can leave screen space unused. Touch ID frustrated him, too: fingerprint misses made it feel like “a huge step back” from Face ID.
The difficulty may begin before a buyer gets the phone. Bloomberg’s episode description calls the pre-order rollout troubled and says it has left many customers waiting months for their devices. The description gives no customer count or reason for the waits.
Looking ahead, Gurman reported that Apple has tested under-display Face ID on the Duo 2’s front screen and an Action Button. In the Power On discussion, he describes Duo 2 prototypes with under-display Face ID on the outside screen as something “we could see,” not a feature Apple has committed to shipping.
The Vergecast is weighing the verdict itself. David Pierce writes that The Verge’s 7/10 rating was not always the score it planned and “might not be the right score forever.” He and Nilay debate the rating and whether the Duo would make more sense as an iPad than as an iPhone.
Comments