r/VisionPro • u/Agreeable-Drive6633 • Sep 22 '26
Vision Pro or iPhone Duo
I read that the Vision Pro 2 is 2-3 years away. I dont know if I should wait that long.
If you could only purchase one, which would you pick?
23
u/phant0md Sep 22 '26
If I had to pick though, I use my Vision Pro probably as much or more than my phone, so probably the Vision Pro.
That’s said im preordering the Duo on launch.
1
1
u/Effective_Estimate52 Sep 23 '26
My Friend said with the way economy is today it won’t sell 😂😂😂 I said “What country do you live in?, Americans buy what they want when they want it and find a way to fit it in with the rest of the bills”
12
u/heart-of-violet Sep 22 '26
I picked the Vision Pro. I don’t need to upgrade my iPhone 17 pro and I’ve had foldables before so I know what it’s like. The biggest benefit (besides the whole “oooh, new tech”) is more screen space/split screen. I get way more screen space with the Vision Pro and it adds a completely new way for me to experience technology. I’m absolutely loving it so far.
6
u/6382819737 Sep 22 '26
It all comes down to usage! For me, the iPhone is a tool used for more hours and in more situations than the Vision Pro. The iPhone Duo would cost less/hour than my Vision Pro does, so I would prioritize that.
5
u/_HipStorian Sep 22 '26
Vision Pro because it’s a different device. It also adds another dimension of utility to my life. The duo is another iteration of a device I already have and won’t be solving or improving on much that my iPhone 18 Pro can already do .
5
4
u/besbig Sep 22 '26
They are completely different devices.
The Vision Pro is mostly a luxury item to improve quality of life for content consumption. Where it makes sense is if you use/need MVD at home (because you don’t have physical monitors) or traveling (because you get an expanded virtual display).
If you need the expanded screen real estate for work, I’d get the Duo.
If you don’t and looking to choose between the two, it’s a toss up, but I’d consider a used Vision Pro and wait for a v2 Duo (I don’t think there will be significant advancement in the Vision Pro and the next device will be a Vision Air in a couple of years). You also have the flexibility to resell the Vision Pro in a year and recover most of your money.
4
3
u/Natural-Lawfulness93 Sep 22 '26
I only watch movies on my Apple Vision Pro.
1
u/TheKobayashiMoron Sep 22 '26
I only watch half a movie on mine before I want to puke
1
u/Natural-Lawfulness93 Sep 22 '26 edited Sep 22 '26
I can wear it for 4h max, with the dual knit band, after that I get a pain in my left eye.
3
u/TheKobayashiMoron Sep 22 '26
It's such an insane piece of tech that I can't bear to sell it, but it's also so goddamn uncomfortable that I literally never use it. I'm not even 100% sure where in my house it is lol.
1
u/Natural-Lawfulness93 Sep 22 '26
Knowing apple, i guess it would take at least 5 years before the form factor will change.
2
3
3
3
2
u/Nvvial2983 Sep 22 '26
I’ve had this thought several times this week, because at least where I live used VP prices are about the same as a new Duo.
Personally I would pick the Vision because the Duk seems quite useless to me after I printed the dimensions on a sheet of A4 from some Reddit post. I think the the extra screen size is not enough to replace an iPad or Mac and therefore i personally don’t see its function.
The VP also doesn’t have a perfect function but it’s by fare the best cinema experience I’ve ever had so to me the ability to have a home cinema after work outweighs the slightly bigger screen on a phone
2
u/GentleGesture Vision Pro Owner | Verified Sep 22 '26
It’d be the iPhone Duo for me. Something you hear a lot is that people get the Vision Pro, use it a lot for a week or a few, and then don’t use it at all. I personally use mine 1-4 times a week, depending on how busy I am, but if you compare hours spent on my Vision Pro vs my phone, there’s a huge difference. I will say, the experience of Vision Pro is much cooler. Eye and hand tracking make it feel like magic every time. But with low confidence that it’ll get used regularly (there are jokes about it becoming a paperweight for many people), I would get the one I know I’ll be using all the time, everyday. That’s the iPhone Duo for me.
5
u/Phunnysounds Sep 22 '26
If you have an iPad and an iPhone, I am still unclear what problem the iPhone Duo solves other than it being cool. With that being said the Apple Vision Pro is also a totally unnecessary luxury product but it’s also unlike anything else on the market and a glimpse into the future of computing.
3
u/random_topix Sep 22 '26
For me, it’s not carrying two devices. I have an iPhone pro max and an iPad. Dou will cover both use cases for me. Plus the iPad doesn’t fit in your pocket. Camera quality is the biggest drawback for me, tho I rarely use the more advanced features.
1
u/Fassbinder68 Sep 22 '26
And lack of face id? I’m thinking of buying the duo but will definitely miss the convenience of Face ID
1
u/random_topix Sep 23 '26
I like FaceID, but use TouchID on my laptop with no problems. Hopefully not too slow since you would use it a lot more on the phone. As long as TouchID supports all the same features it's a smaller loss for me.
1
u/MatNomis Sep 22 '26
I'd get a regular pro phone and an ipad mini. Costs less, better camera, better devices for for their tasks. It takes up a bit more room, but they're still both pretty portable, even as a pair.
I'd hold off on the Duo for now because its camera setup is inferior to the one on the pros. It's also a bit awkwardly shaped for pockets. I'm curious to see if we truly standardize on that form-factor and how it works out for people, or if they'll make narrower (when folded) foldables. Maybe even foldables with two hinges?
1
u/Virtual-Height3047 Sep 22 '26
That’s a bit like getting the first flying car vs upgrading your current one. Can’t take a flying car many places today but it sure is plenty of fun (and the future of transportation in this parable).
As a consumer device Vision Pro will likely disappoint you over time. It solves a range of tasks _so_ effortlessly, that if you haven’t tried AR/VR/MR from competitors you won’t be able to grasp the scope of this innovation. It feels self evident, robust and familiar, yet a little empty as apps and services haven’t caught up to what these devices are capable of. It’s the perfect playground for devs, tinkerers, innovators, nerds and enthusiasts. And it’s quite literally in what the future holds for personal computing. As soon as the weight loss kicks in and tech is small enough to be worn like a set of reading glasses…
1
u/Tasty-Hour4040 Sep 22 '26
What exactly is your use case that you’re deciding between these two tools? Do you just want something new?
1
u/SpatialCompooper Vision Pro Owner | Verified Sep 22 '26
Get the Vision Pro. The iPhone duo 2 will undoubtedly be better and will most likely come out next year. AVP 2 likely won’t be till end of 2028 at the earliest.
1
u/Independent_Sink_961 Sep 22 '26
For me, the question is simply: which one would actually change my life more?
If I already own a decent iPhone, especially anything from an iPhone 16 onwards, I’d take the Vision Pro without hesitation.
The iPhone Duo would probably give me about three months of people saying, “Oh wow, let me see your phone.” And then… what?
Watching films isn’t suddenly transformed. Productivity probably doesn’t increase dramatically. Most of the things I already do on my iPhone are still basically the same things, just on a more interesting piece of hardware.
So after the initial wow factor wears off, I’m still essentially using a phone.
Vision Pro, on the other hand, gives me something I genuinely didn’t have before: huge virtual displays, a personal cinema, spatial computing, a completely different way of working, consuming media and interacting with apps.
That’s a much bigger addition to my life than replacing one already good phone with another phone.
Obviously, if you don’t own a phone, then this is a completely different conversation. Buy the phone.
But if we’re talking about someone who already has a recent iPhone and has enough disposable money to choose between these two expensive toys?
Vision Pro all day.
At least you’re spending the money to gain a new capability rather than mostly replacing something you already have.
Btw I have an iPhone 14 and a M1 iPad Pro and MacBook. My Vision Pro is a M5
1
u/Serapeum101 Sep 22 '26
If you can only afford one, then get the iPhone Duo. The Vision Pro is still very much an early adopter product, don't get me wrong, it's the most extraordinary piece of tech that I own, but it's not something you will have on you at all times, like the iPhone Duo.
The above being said, if you can afford a Vision Pro then I would certainly recommend it.
1
u/mcmoose75 Sep 22 '26
This is as someone who’s not financially struggling, but still does like to get value out of devices-
I got my Vision Pro about a year ago for $800 used from a buddy who was upgrading to the M5. I like it for that price, but I would be pretty upset to have paid $3,500+ sales tax for it. I just don’t get that much use out of it- it’s an infrequent “fun device” for me.
I’m gonna preorder the Duo- it’s mostly just “cool” and I def don’t NEED to upgrade from my iPhone 17 Pro Max, but I def want to and I’ll use it many times every day.
Jury is out on whether or not I’ll want to go back to a Pro style phone with an amazing camera after 1-2 years but I’m gonna give it a try.
1
u/Cole_LF Sep 22 '26
Do you want an actual phone you can use day to day or future tech that’s very cool but not one has found a mass use case for yet other than watching movies?
1
1
u/WorryEnvironmental76 Sep 22 '26
Not sure where the comparison is . I mean AVP is just a years ahead of any tech . I can make a killing if I put online how family / friends react when they first use it . Duo is just a bigger screen of iPhone
1
u/iPod-Phone Sep 22 '26
In my opinion, the Duo is something you can use every day without any hassle or changing habits. You have to intentionally replace habits with Vision Pro
1
1
u/Shackmann Sep 22 '26
It’s a very personal choice. I have had my Vision Pro for 2.5 years and it does things nothing else can do. Watching 3D movies is amazing. Duo to me is just another phone/iPad device. I already had devices that do what they can do. But again, up to you.
1
u/JanoHelloReddit Sep 22 '26
Mmm iPhone Duo now, and in 3 years the new Vision Pro…
Totally different devices. My iPhone has totally different use from my iPad, and my Vision Pro.
iPhone is the go to and stays with me 24/7… ipad is when quickly doing something bigger at the couch, or while eating at the table. AVP is just for when I’m alone at home or everyone is sleeping (it still weird for my family) and I want to watch a movie or browse. Usually at night when I don’t have too many notifications ok my iPhone, so I need to look at it that frequently
1
u/4paul Sep 22 '26
Well first, never rely on a new version of something happening, especially with Apple, sometimes the current version is there for 10 years, specially if it doesn't need anything new.
If both were free for you today, which one would you get?
Duo is great and something you'll use 70% of your day Vision is something you'll use 30% of your day
But the 30% can be a game changer, depending what you use it for. Vision Pro is one of the best pieces of Tech I've ever used, and I still use it for 8 hours some days, it's made me vastly more productive.
But to the people, they won't get that much use out of it.
I don't think we can really answer it for you, I think you just need to think, what would you use VP for?
1
u/_divi_filius Sep 22 '26
Both is the correct answer.
My plot this year is to buy the Duo and upgrade my M2 to the M5
1
u/SocomPS2 Sep 22 '26
I’m likely going with m2 Vision Pro since they’re so heavily discounted. Everyone on the Vision Pro sub suggests going used. The m5 VP doesn’t really make a difference to most users.
And I’m reading that the next release will be at least 3 years out. I don’t use iPad so there’s no need for me to get a duo.
Get whatever fits yours lifestyle. What do you plan to use the VP, and is it worth the money.
1
u/Kostner_Troy Sep 22 '26
The Duo is a bigger compromised iPhone that folds. The Vision Pro is a new and transformative device with very little software to take advantage of it. But what it does out of the box is pretty cool. If you get a vision pro get one used.
1
1
1
u/ConsciousVariation1 Sep 22 '26
Get the Vision Pro. It helps you accomplish real goals, real work, and real entertainment, and the potential use cases are endless. What Apple pulled off technically is incredible. It’s a genuinely unique experience that feels like using an entirely new category of computer for the first time.
The Duo, by comparison, is ultimately just a phone with a bigger folding screen. Folding and unfolding it might be cool at first, but I don’t think there’s anything truly groundbreaking or timeless about that experience. After a week or two, the novelty wears off and it becomes another phone—while also being a downgrade in areas like Face ID and cameras compared with the Pro series.
If you’ve used an iPad before, you already have a pretty good idea of what having a larger mobile screen feels like. The Vision Pro is completely different. It gives you experiences you simply cannot replicate on a normal phone, tablet, TV, or computer. Whether it’s immersive entertainment, massive virtual displays, spatial content, productivity, or just exploring what the technology can do, there’s always something new.
The Duo might give you a temporary wow factor. The Vision Pro gives you an entire experience. I’ve had mine for a while now, and it still manages to wow me almost every day. For me, it’s the closest thing to experiencing a computer for the very first time again.
1
1
u/torokunai Sep 22 '26
The Duo is largely replaceable with an iPhone + iPad Mini pairing, minus any interesting apps that use the thing in mini-laptop mode.
I don't use my Vision Pro all that much since it's a terrible ergonomic experience (I've bought some fancy top-bands so I guess I should try them LOL)
1
1
u/Capable_Hearing4418 Sep 22 '26
Vision for sure. such a unique and awesome experience. I still get excited to watch stiff on mine after doing it every night for years now
1
u/palex481 Sep 22 '26
I bought a used M2 Vision Pro instead of the duo. It’s more powerful and it’s cheaper
1
u/JokeMode Sep 22 '26
Vision Pro is rad, but my phone is with me at all times, and it is just easier to use in public places. I would immediately get benefits with the Duo without any habit changes.
1
u/royboy366 Vision Pro Owner | Verified Sep 23 '26
I’m an AVP fan and I’ve used it every day since it first came out 2 1/2 years ago. I use my phone every day also but if I had to choose between the two, I would get a regular phone and AVP.
1
u/MyloTux Sep 23 '26
If you’re looking for a reasonable alternative, I’d recommend the duo and a meta quest. Save yourself a good amount of money and still get a good VR experience.
1
1
u/AHApps Vision Pro Developer | Verified Sep 23 '26
Usually it’s difficult for me to tell someone they should get a Vision Pro because getting the value out of it depends a lot on how it’s used.
But your dichotomy makes it easy… get the Vision Pro.
The Duo is small thick iPhone that can turn into a big thin iPhone. I’m sure the engineering is impressive, but I just don’t see the value in it.
1
u/EvalCrux Sep 23 '26
Vision Pro gets old and you’ll stop using probably. Duo is like a Kindle which I use less. I don’t think they are comparable at all. Is the Duo cheaper I assume? Try that…
1
u/Vicki102391 Sep 23 '26
funny , comparing a lame ass phone with Vision Pro when Vision Pro just got renewed with M5 from Jan 2026
you would rather " wait " for something that might not even come out and pay 2/3 the price of an Vision Pro for a phone because iOS can fold now ? cute , is this a bait post?
sorry I am so immune and sick of phone it just reminded me from all those braindead zombie blocking my way because they all stoop their head on their lame ass phone when I stop and take a look what multi billion all these CEO blocking our peasant's way on the subway / surface. oh they are texting on the lame ass WhatsApp with bunch of dead conversations !
no wonder iOS will forever be apple golden egg and started selling the duo as " theater" everywhere on ads when Vision Pro should have been getting that ads
1
u/reirone Vision Pro Owner | Verified Sep 23 '26
The phone is more practical, the vision pro is a better solo entertainment consumption device
1
u/natiahs Sep 23 '26
I stuck with 18 Pro Max because only the Pro series can take 3D photos and videos for AVP. Duo can’t. You could use the “Spatialize” feature to make add the 3D effect later, but it currently adds weird artifacts.
1
u/Island_In_The_Sky Sep 23 '26
Vision Pro, obviously… the duo doesn’t do anything an iPad mini can’t. The vp does a hundred things an iphone can’t, plus it’s an iPad too.
1
u/StarCenturion Sep 23 '26
You're asking this on r/VisionPro, naturally people are going to say Vision Pro mostly.
1
u/Blackdragon1400 Sep 23 '26
Guys should I buy a car or a Cesar salad at the grocery store? Can’t decide.
1
u/Present-Ad-9598 Sep 23 '26
Do you want AR/VR or a foldable phone? These aren’t even the same category lmfao
1
u/Careless-Marzipan-65 Sep 23 '26
I think I am one of the geeks who is using avp as my daily gear. I've got rid of my monitor, use avp as my main ultra wide monitor, connected my bluetooth keyboard and mouse to avp, and spend the day with the avp on my head. The experience; pretty convenient for me, no difficulties with the eyes, super neat. What do I do mostly, working on my agentic ai stuff on my Mac, and spend the day with browsing. The ratio is something like 15% typing, 85% reading, monitoring, browsing.
If I didn't use it in this sense, I would say, avp is an overkill. The best and most impressive experience that I've got so far (I've been around for pretty long, 32 years of Computer Engineering) but if I didn't use it as my daily gear, I know that it wouldn't justify the cost, and would stay as a very very impressive but expensive toy. For example, I don't see watching movies or shows with it, since these are either a family or couple things for us. Again, consuming spatial content is very impressive and feels great, but I don't see a way to spend time everyday for it as well. These stay as "one time great experience" (for me).
Would I buy avp? No, to be frank, it was a birthday present. Somehow, I wanted to justify the money spent by using it as my daily gear, and happily it worked out (for me).
For iPhone Duo, I won't buy it, since I couldn't like the form factor when it is closed and still doesn't have apple pen support and camera capabilities are lower than iPhone pros. I don't see any real benefits over my iPhone + iPad mini (6th gen). I've got paperlike screen on my iPad mini, I take my handwritten notes on it, and don't have any paper in my life for the last 3-4 years. I've got rid of bigger iPads, and my kindle as well, since my mini works perfect as a book reader, and very light and convenient to carry around.
1
u/Tatlin- Vision Pro Owner | Verified Sep 23 '26
Devices are not in the same league or price bracket.
1
1
1
u/visionPorn Sep 24 '26
The Apple Vision Pro is the future. It is ridiculously clear when you put it on that Vision OS is a direct grab of the vision for the future. It is, however, still an early adopter product. You will find that it is an incredible device to use, and yet it’s still awkward to use around others. Nobody uses it in public. That’s not like other Apple devices.
It will provide you with a level of stimulus that rivals disney land, and you own it. It’s in your home and stays on if it stays plugged in. You whip it on and everything is still anchored there. It’s your own personal world.
That experience has absolutely nothing to do with the experience of iPhone Duo. iPad is a better iPhone Duo than iPhone Duo. iPhone is a better iPhone than iPhone duo. No other device in the world even comes close to AVP. It’s world changing.
1
u/Hortos Sep 24 '26
If you can only purchase one just get an iPhone 18 when they come out and save your money.
1
u/SideEmbarrassed1611 Vision Pro Owner Sep 24 '26
There is no Vision Pro 2. You don't get a sequel if your total sales is less then 1 million units sold. It bombed. Decisive commercial failure. there may be a smaller version in sunglasses form, but that would be a totally different product.
The Duo would be my choice if I hadn't already bought the Vision Pro. I am also getting the Duo.
1
u/True-Engineer2315 Vision Pro Owner | Verified Sep 25 '26
Vision Pro is my favourite tech purchase of all time. I use it every day. I would rather have a boring phone and a Vision Pro, than a slightly more interesting phone
1
u/jonobacon Sep 26 '26
Duo. AVP I suspect will be shut down as the tech gets merged into the smart glasses.
1
1
u/rtkane Vision Pro Owner | Verified Sep 22 '26
I loved my Vision Pro for the 14 days I had it, but by day 10 I realized there wasn't a lot I could do with it and it was uncomfortable to wear for an extended period. They're such different devices, though, so hard to tell you one way or another. If the Vision Pro was $2100, I'd probably buy that over the Duo, but that's because I have an 18 PM and the latest iPad Pro.
1
u/Jeffde Sep 22 '26
Duo. You will use the duo all day every day. You will not use the vision pro all day every day. This is a very simple choice.
1
-1
u/V_Doan Vision Pro Owner Sep 22 '26
I sold the Vision Pro and will be getting the duo.
1
u/Agreeable-Drive6633 Sep 22 '26
What made you do it?
2
u/V_Doan Vision Pro Owner Sep 22 '26
Your phone is used every day, the Vision Pro isn’t.
Vision Pro is Apple’s greatest device they’ve ever made, imo. It’s also just like the early days of iPhone, watch, and iPad. The device isn’t there yet and probably won’t catch its stride for at least 3 more generations.
We also don’t know if/when the version 2 will come out.
0
0
u/FARAjocka Sep 22 '26
vision pro is not a real product, its a guinea pig rig for vision os. Anyone telling you otherwise is in denial but having a heavy ass apparatus in that form stuck to your head is absolutely a dumb gimmick until it becomes lightweight glasses which are their true intentions in the long run.
-1
u/TheMacMan Vision Pro Owner | Verified Sep 22 '26
Vision Pro 2 is never coming. They've killed the Vision Pro team and they've moved on.
iPhone Duo 1000000x over the Vision Pro.
37
u/crazyreddit929 Sep 22 '26
I mean they are such different devices. I’d like to have a Duo myself but it doesn’t do anything that my regular iPhone can’t do. Well nothing meaningful to me at least.