I Returned My iPhone Duo After Six Days
A longtime iPhone user swaps his iPhone Duo for an iPhone 18 Pro Max after six days, despite loving the folding form factor. He praises the matte inner screen, the pocketable size, and the fun of building his app Personal Best for the device, but the missing Face ID, cramped outer screen, half-adapted apps, and the constant choice between screens made him feel he was compromising on a £2,000 phone.
The Duo is a great phone. It feels solid. It's fun to use, like getting an iPhone for the first time again. But it's just not for me in its current form.
- jamesponddotco
I got a Duo, coming from the Google Pixel Fold and an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and got to say I agree with the Touch ID issue, but mostly because I got so used to Face ID. I keep finding myself looking at the screen and then remembering this one uses Touch ID, not Face ID.
Aside from that, I'm ditching the Pixel Fold and the other iPhone, and going only with the Duo. Love the form factor, got used to it really fast, and reading books and mangas, which is what I use a foldable for, has been a delight.
If only we got a Tachiyomi kind of application for iOS. I'm making it do with Panels[1] and an OPDS-compatible proxy for a manga website[2], but it sucks in comparison to Tachiyomi-like applications.
[2]: Which I still have to open source, but I want to finish the plugin system first.
- Retr0id
This article made me realize I'd never consider returning a non-defective product, I wonder why that is.
- devttyeu
I have a Duo:
* TouchID (as implemented on Duo specifically) sucks, really hope next gen has FaceID
* Screen ratios make reels-like addictive content less appealing which is great for me
* Inner screen is a game changer for using Agents on the go, absurdly better than a normal phone
I’m keeping mine, the big screen on the go is a completely different level of productivity.
- mmahemoff
I contemplated returning my Duo for the first 12 hours. A week later, I wouldn’t dream of it.
In closed form, it’s tiny, especially with keyboard active. Not something I’d want to be using for more than two minutes, let alone reading or watching videos on. This was my main concern, but I soon realized closed form is “pocket mode” since in my pocket is just about the only time the phone is closed. Occasionally I’ll pull it out and, keeping it closed, select some audio, set up a call, or emoji-react, then put it back. The rest of the time the phone is open, whether I’m out or at home, charging or not.
Another problem is what OP mentions, touch ID. It seemingly jumps around like whack-a-mole because of the 8 possible combinations of (open/closed state) x (orientation). There’s even more dimensions to hammer your muscle memory if you also consider which hand you’re using or whether you’re using it with one versus two hands.
I’m gradually getting used to guessing where the Touch ID is though. I do prefer it for wallet payments since the finger is already on the button. I’ve learned to double-click and verify before making any attempt to tap the phone.
The keyboard in open mode is full-width, and that’s not fun to swipe-type on. I think Apple overlooked this since they omitted the iPad setting to reduce the keyboard size. I expect that’s coming eventually.
As for apps, many third-party apps are still using un-responsive layouts like the early iPad days. Some, e.g., Kindle, are out […]
- yzydserd
The author's first two reasons for return are not liking Touch ID or the outer screen. These are two of my favourite aspects. Each to their own. I like the short screen in particular, having always consciously felt that my focus zone was only a fraction of the slab format.