People keep stopping me to talk about the iPhone Duo. Here's what they ask
From the crease to the cracked screens, here are the questions I keep hearing — and the honest answers after two weeks with it.
It’s not certain that people actually love the iPhone Duo. But people sure love talking about the Duo. From Jason Hoff, CEO of Mercedes-Benz North America, to people waiting around in the airport, I’ve had more conversations about the device than I expected. In this way, the iPhone Duo really is a shake-up for Apple’s line of mobile phones, which had gotten so good that they became uneventful—possibly even boring.
Everyone is intrigued by the design and seems to have questions about the foldable phone. From my conversations, people seem positive and open to this type of device. But most of them aren’t so struck by the Duo that they’re ready to go all in on it yet. At least no one has said seeing it in person has convinced them that they need to go buy one.
I have my own thoughts about the iPhone Duo. But listening to other people’s quips and concerns has been fascinating too. Here are some of the questions and comments I’ve encountered.
The inside screen is always the number one question
In my first 2 weeks with the phone, using it out in the world, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the screen and whether it seems durable. The initial pictures of a select number of Duo screens cracking seem to have spread far and wide because most people voluntarily mention seeing them.
My device hasn’t had any problems with either screen. I try not to press directly on the inner display when closing it. But I have without issues. I’ve also seen a few people I let handle it intuitively do the same thing.
I’ve seen people question the crease, asking to run their finger over it. Most comment that it doesn’t seem like a concern. That’s what I tell them. It’s there. You can see it and feel it, if you look for it. But otherwise, it just disappears.
So, are the screen and hinge actually durable? CNET has been methodically testing the crease with a machine. It folded the Duo nearly 400,000 times before it encountered any degradation with the hinge.
Most people don’t mind the small, closed form factor
Since the outside screen of the iPhone Duo is shorter and wider than any iPhone before it, I’ve been trying to gauge people’s initial reactions to seeing and holding it. So far, far fewer people have commented on that aspect than I was expecting.
The outer screen is by far the hardest learning curve. I’ve used nearly every iPhone since its debut, and this change feels significant. Even more so than the iPhone X’s removal of the home button.
I’ve been waiting for people to ask about the app dock being on the right side or challenges with the width, but no one has.
So, what’s the point of the iPhone Duo?
Since I usually only have limited time to talk about the device and show it off, I’ve come up with a few select items to demonstrate. I mention things like dual apps, side by side. I open the video editing app Edits to show how it utilizes the big screen. I swing the camera around to use the main camera for selfies. Sometimes I’ll show how watching videos in laptop mode moves all the controls to the bottom and doesn’t block the video on screen.
All of these things get visible reactions, usually positive. And then, without fail, people will ask some version of the question: but why? Why would I get this one? Is it worth it?
After a few weeks with the device, it’s becoming clear that the whole point of the iPhone Duo is to have a tablet in your pocket. Are you someone consuming a lot of video? Editing Reels? Connecting a keyboard and typing out stories? If so, you’re probably a candidate for the Duo.
I haven’t minded the small, wide outer screen. But so far, I’ve put up with it for the larger inner screen. If you’re confused about whether you would like the Duo in the long run, I think that’s the primary thing to consider.
Are there times you feel like you need a bigger phone screen? Would you give up other conveniences for those times? So far, I’ve found myself using the Duo folded, with the smaller screen about 70% of the time and opening it up about 30% of the time.
I hope those numbers grow closer to 50-50 as more companies redesign their apps. But even if it doesn’t, I’ve found my 30% usage to be worth the form factor.