Testing iPhone Duo: Apple nearly solved my biggest concerns

I had three major questions about the form factor of Apple's new iPhone Duo, and wondered if it would work for me. After some time with it, I have my answers.

There are a lot of ways Apple could have approached the first folding iPhone. I've tested a lot of the other popular folding smartphones and while I loved the idea, none had me sold.

While I was debating if I should switch to the iPhone Duo, I had hesitation. My concerns weren't about the crease or battery life.

Instead, I was worried about three things I considered critical: MagSafe, Face ID, and the software.

MagSafe

My MagSafe fears started even before iPhone Duo was announced. A lot of rumors said there would be no MagSafe, which we were skeptical about here at AppleInsider.

Fortunately, those rumors turned out to be wrong. Still, we didn't know how iPhone Duo would work with accessories.

I haven't plugged my iPhone in to charge for years now, so I wanted all my stands to still work. Fortunately, they're mostly fine.

When closed, iPhone Duo perches right onto all the different docks I had. If you place it on horizontally, it goes into StandBy mode.

As we've seen, iPhone Duo will tilt on MagSafe stands when unfolded. Physics are remorseless.

Others issues start to crop up when you move to other accessories, like battery packs and wallets. The phone is just too compact for most of what's out there.

These will all be short-term issues. New accessories are already hitting the market. Moft, ESR, and others have MagSafe wallets that are more compact to fit the Duo's stature.

There are new chargers, too, that hold up the iPhone Duo better while open. So far none of these are shipping yet.

Finally, companies have released battery packs that fit the form factor. For instance, the BMX SolidSafe Duo has a built-in stand and display with a 5KmAh capacity that fits right on the back of iPhone Duo.

It even charges wirelessly faster than the similarly-slim iPhone Air, reaching 25W instead of 22W. Even though I may need to buy a new wallet or battery, MagSafe won't be an issue.

Software

The reason I was worried about software was Apple history in neglecting larger screen sizes. With the "pro max" iPhones, Apple doesn't do much more than increase the size of everything on the screen.

The larger iPads have the same issue. There's no good utilization of the 13-inch iPad Pro or iPad Air other than just making things larger and having more space.

Even though I got to try the iPhone Duo at its launch, Apple was still trying to keep some of the experience under wraps until it became available. Since then, I've been thinking about the software and what Apple would need to do to sell me on it.

In my testing the last few days, I've been focusing on this software. There are certainly areas that could use some polish, but I think Apple exceeded my expectations here.

StandBy mode has been an early favorite. There are new StandBy options like weather with live animations, a new calendar view, and the great Modular face.

StandBy mode works not only when placed landscape on a charger, but any time you prop it up. It can be standing or in tent mode and it doesn't need to be plugged in.

It's a solid desktop companion, showing me my news feed, the time, and my calendar. Notifications also slide in elegantly so I don't miss anything.

Split screen apps are flawless. The gesture feels second-nature already to pin apps to the sides and lock them into place.

And then, there's that clever animation when you open and close the phone. I've still not gotten tired of it and I doubt I ever will.

Kid Cue, Dual Display, and Smart Take are incredible camera features. I'm going to be using all of these a lot.

The side-aligned dock is very comfortable to use, but it does stick out a bit on unupdated apps.

When apps get updated, they will support this extra space. Until they do, it'll be very "early iPad" with just larger screens and black bars. It's promising so far, and will only get better.

Face ID

MagSafe and the software are non-issues, but the lack of Face ID is still going to bother me.

Without Face ID, Apple chose to revert to Touch ID instead. So far, my fingers don't always work with Touch ID, so I don't think I could use it full time.

Apple tried to make it easier to use by leveraging a feature first found on the Mac. If you wear an Apple Watch, you can automatically unlock your phone when you swipe.

The Apple Watch must be unlocked and detect the heart rate on your wrist. It also has to be in close proximity to your phone, and when the phone unlocks, it taps your wrist.

Pro tip: if you disable "rest to unlock" it goes faster, too. For me, it's worked reliably.

It's super-fast and most of the time, I forgot I wasn't using Face ID. But there are those times that it unlocks accidentally, like a few times in my pocket.

And, periodically, the phone will require you to unlock with Touch ID instead.

Touch ID as an authentication method feels like a step back, and I think it would be an important addition to the second-generation. That seems probable to us.

If I didn't have an Apple Watch, I'm not sure I'd be able to use iPhone Duo. The lack of Touch ID would bother me that much.

A tough sell for some

If you get the opportunity to try an iPhone Duo, I'm confident you'll love it. The new foldable feels premium, clever, and is a joy to use.

Just like it did for iPad, Apple will iterate on software and the user interface as it sees how people are using it. That's part of the experience of being an early adopter.

I'm happy that my biggest concerns are largely non-issues, and I'll happily use iPhone Duo as my daily driver. But even if you ignore the price, that doesn't mean the phone is for everyone. Most average users will be happy holding off for a polished second-generation unit, or sticking with the conventional design.