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Marques Brownlee - iPhone Duo: What We Missed!

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Author: Marques Brownlee
Categories: Technology Productivity Education
Tags: technology, productivity, education
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 08:09 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: The iPhone Duo is a niche foldable for people who already want to try a foldable, want to stay in the Apple ecosystem, and have spare budget, but it is not worth buying if you already own an iPhone and iPad mini or if you prioritize the best cameras. The reviewer frames it as "an iPhone when it's closed, and like a small iPad when it's open," priced at a starting $2,000 in a category making up about 1% of smartphone sales.

Key Points

  • The Duo sits in the gap between the iPhone and iPad, a space Apple has long avoided blurring, and it gets full Apple Pencil support.
  • Apple's Craig Federighi said people will naturally use it for different tasks, such as reading or deeper content browsing, while the Mac and iPad remain the right tools for other work.
  • The reviewer uses foldables closed about 70% of the time and opens them for focused work like writing emails or reading.
  • Apple did not fully explain why buyers need one, which is why many people are asking whether they should buy it over their current phone.
  • Overseas prices are roughly 10% higher than US pricing across Apple's line, including the new Pros and older phones, and Apple announced a financing program the reviewer jokes feels like it costs about $35 a month.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: The reviewer gives no step-by-step setup, but offers a buying checklist. Skip the Duo if you already own an iPhone and iPad mini you like, or if you prioritize top camera hardware. Consider it if you have been curious about foldables for years, want to try one without leaving the iPhone ecosystem, and have disposable income to experiment.
  • Price examples cited: Canada CA$2,999 (about US$2,160), Taiwan NT$74,900 (about US$2,370), UK £1,999 (about US$2,700 equivalent) — figures he noted as approximate, double-checking 'Am I reading that right?'
  • Software design: The reviewer notes the open layout is not an exact iPad layout. Settings uses a dual-column view similar to the iPad, Photos is similar with a different home screen to keep paginated continuity, and the Camera app is notably different.
  • Developers will have room to create special Duo-specific versions of their apps rather than simply shipping iPhone or iPad versions.
  • The reviewer plans a full review around October, when the device first starts to show up.

Bottom Line

The Duo is a fun, thoughtfully designed experiment rather than a must-buy, and its appeal depends on whether you want a foldable badly enough to pay a premium for the experience.