Since the original Samsung Galaxy Z Fold launched, all I've wanted is a foldable iPhone. All along, I've said that once Apple releases one, I'd be lined up on day one to buy it.
Release one Apple did; buy one I did not.
The pre-order date came, and I even live-blogged how quickly they were selling out, all while my Apple Card stayed firmly planted in my digital wallet. Something fizzled out in my brain, and I decided this wasn't the right time — or the right phone — for me.
Why the change of heart? At first, I didn't give it much thought, but now that the dust has settled, I've had a chance to look at seven reasons I passed on the iPhone Duo. On their own, none is a true dealbreaker, but together, they were enough to get me to hold off on the phone I've waited more than five years for. At least for now.
$2,000 price tag
This is the big, obvious reason to pass on the iPhone Duo. The phone starts at $1,999 for the base model and goes up from there. I currently own an iPhone 17 Pro Max. It's hard to justify spending around $2,000 when I have a really good, one-year-old device.
Let's be real here: the iPhone 17 Pro Max is still a fantastic phone. We gave it a nearly perfect 4.5-star rating in our review, citing its durable design, stellar A19 Pro performance, fantastic 48MP 8x zoom camera, and more as reasons for the high score. And I agree with all of that after using it for a year, which makes it even harder to give up.
But I'll be honest: even if I paid the $1,100 asking price for the iPhone 17 Pro Max out of pocket, I'd still struggle to justify paying almost double for the iPhone Duo.
Let the early adopters deal with the issues
Sure, Samsung has eight iterations of the Galaxy Z Fold, but Apple hasn't. This is the company's very first crack at a folding phone, and there's bound to be some issues that pop up.
Could it be the folding screen's durability? An issue with the outside display? MagSafe woes? Issues with iOS transitioning to a larger screen?
Who knows?
But something will probably degrade the experience of the $2,000 foldable iPhone Duo, and I'll let everyone else work through it and buy the Duo 2 next year once Apple has had time to iron out the kinks.
Waiting for more optimized apps
Apple will update its own apps and make them look great on the iPhone Duo. It'll probably add useful functionality that takes advantage of the larger screen. And we've already heard about optimized third-party apps like Slack and Netflix But there's millions of iPhone apps that will take time to update, and I can see a situation where a lot of them just look like stretched out phone apps for a while.
Not sold on Nano-texture finish
I'll start by saying I haven't used the iPhone Duo yet. I've only seen videos and talked to several people who have used the phone. And based on what I've seen and heard, I don't think Nano-texture was the right choice for such a big screen.
Sure, it cuts glare and minimizes the crease, but it seems to do so at the cost of color vibrancy, which doesn't sound optimal with a massive 7.6-inch display. We'll see how it functions in the real world as more people get it into their hands, but for now, this is one of the main reasons I didn't get it on day one. If it ends up being better than expected, I might come around in a couple of months when the stock stabilizes, but for now, I'm holding off.
I like zooming in on my camera phone
One of the most expensive phones to ever hit the market doesn't have a telephoto lens. Seriously? As most other phones move to push their cameras to the absolute limit, Apple has limited the Duo by not having any kind of telephoto lens.
Now, this isn't an Apple problem alone: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn't have a telephoto lens either (presumably, the extra size required for a zoom lens is an issue in a foldable design), but I was really hoping Apple would push things forward by including one.
I like being able to zoom in at concerts, sports events and other far-away places, and not having that functionality on the camera that's always in my pocket seems like a deal breaker.
I just don't need a screen that big
This is a real clincher for me: I don't need a big screen on my phone. I sat down and looked at my most-used apps, and none of them would really see much benefit from a massive screen (which is the same reason my iPad collects dust while my iPhone and MacBook are in constant use).
I'm not an artist. I don't draw on my screen. I don't do handwritten notes. I'm not looking to set my phone on the table to take selfies (I have a portable tripod if that need arises).
All of the big selling points that made me think I wanted an iPhone Duo didn't actually sell me on the phone when it came time to throw down my hard-earned money. Sorry, iPhone Duo, but I just don't see how you fit in my life right now.
It's built like a brick
The iPhone Duo isn't light. In fact, it weighs a hefty 8.96 ounces, making it the heaviest iPhone to ever hit the market. As the first iPhone with two screens, that isn't surprising.
But I would have liked to have seen the Duo at least compete in the same weight class as Samsung's foldables. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra comes in at 7.6 ounces while the base Z Fold 8 weighs just 7.09 ounces. That's a sizable weight difference that could be quite noticeable.
This isn't a deal breaker for me — if it weren't for the other factors, I'd put up with a heavier device. But compounded with everything else, I think it seals the deal on me waiting for next year.