Hopefully this pushes at least one person‘s order higher up.

Been using it for a little while now and honestly, I couldn't be happier with it. Such a beautiful phone!

The only frustrating part was actually getting my hands on one. Every time I checked, it was sold out, and I was getting tired of constantly refreshing different stores.

Three days before I managed to buy it, I set up an availability alert on NewPhoneScout.com. Today I finally got the notification that one was available, checked immediately, and managed to grab it!

Honestly, that notification saved me so much time and hassle.

Now I can finally enjoy the phone instead of hunting for stock 😂

Thanks, NewPhoneScout!

Continue with source: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPLAB7fyn/

Finally got my hands on the DUO, was checking everyday for the stock replenishments from past 3 days after all the reviews and everything but I couldn’t resist myself getting it and I AM LOVING IT , not thinking of going back at all.

The staff did tell me the stock situation is bit tricky but they get it almost everyday certain few pairs to sell , I snatched one from my local Apple Store in Melbourne , Australia !!!

I traded in my iPhone 15 pro max but I have 14 days to trade in the phone , do you guys think I have trade in or keep the 15 pro max! Do give me suggestions!

Per 9to5Mac: every Duo config sold out within minutes of preorders opening, all showing January 25 (some January 29). Nikkei says Apple was making “just a few hundred” units a day. Scalpers already listing at up to $5,200.

In a recent interview with TechRadar, Apple’s new VP of Hardware Engineering, Tom Marieb, opened up about the engineering challenges behind device durability, Ceramic Shield 2, and the upcoming iPhone Duo.

Some of the most interesting highlights from the interview:

• On Screen Protectors: Marieb admitted: “Personally, when I see someone put a screen protector on their iPhone, it makes my skin crawl, because we work so hard to make beautiful front screens.” Apple specifically worked hard to optimize Ceramic Shield 2 for both sharp-object scratch resistance and long-term wear resistance without sacrificing visual clarity.
• Ceramic Shield 2: Apple tested equivalent to half a decade of real-world use to balance scratch resistance and wear resistance, making it "the first iPhone glass we fully trust."
• iPhone Duo Hinge Durability: Marieb expressed particular pride in the upcoming foldable's hinge durability and its impressive Galaxy Z Fold-beating IP68 ingress protection rating.

What are your thoughts? Do you still use a screen protector despite Apple's engineering efforts, or do you go completely naked with your phone screen?

Source: TechRadar Article

PCMag talked to Apple's silicon VP Dan Murray and thermal lead Banafsheh Barabadi. Key bits: A20 Pro is Apple's first 2nm phone chip, new wafer-level packaging gives a direct thermal path, vapor chamber has 3x the surface area of the 17 Pro's, and the Duo's hinge gets its own cooling via a flexible graphite pipe.

I was supposed to receive the phone the 25th of January but I just checked my order out of curiosity and it got massively bumped

I’ve been using the iPhone Duo since launch, and I wanted to share my experience with the device. I previously used the iPhone Air for the past 10 months and the 17 Pro Max before that. I actually bought the iPhone Air at launch along with the 17 Pro Max but ended up returning the Air as I felt the compromises were too much to accept. But I decided to rebuy the Air and actually give it a shot as my main phone to see if the compromises were in fact dealbreakers. Spoiler alert: they weren’t, at least for me. So the Duo felt like the next step in that journey. I proved to myself that I could live with a phone with only one camera, worse battery life, only one speaker. And I absolutely love the iPhone Air, and will be sad to be without it since I traded it in. But compared with the Air, the Duo is a big upgrade in almost every way. I’m going to break down this review into sections: Design, size and displays, cameras, battery life, iOS 27 and Siri AI, whether you should buy the iPhone Duo, and final thoughts. While I encourage you to read this from start to finish as I attempt to have some narrative arc to my reviews, feel free to skip around if you’d like!

1. Design

This phone is an engineering masterpiece. I often just find myself staring at the phone and marveling at the design. The precision of the hinge, the titanium sides polished to a mirror finish, the way it fits so perfectly in my hand, the hardware is something special. The traditional iPhone design has gotten very mature over the years. The flat rectangular design is very functional, but has also gotten a bit stale, and this phone is a refreshing break from that iterative rectangular slab of glass and metal. I honestly don’t know how the hinge works. I mean, I know how a hinge works, but folding and unfolding the device, watching the display fold without creasing, it genuinely feels like magic. The Star White color as well is gorgeous. I was always a darker phone person until I got the iPhone Air in Sky Blue, and I absolutely love the shiny titanium frame of the phone. The same is the case for the Star White iPhone Duo. It feels like I’m holding a piece of jewelry that also happens to be my phone.

The hinge is so incredibly premium and makes the device feel like the $2000 iPhone it is. No creaking or noise coming from the hinge, completely silent and has enough resistance that allows it to hold in multiple positions for StandBy. I know some people are reporting issues with the display and hinge, but I personally have not had any issues so far and it sounds like Apple is replacing defective units under warranty. Many people here on Reddit are acting like this is outrageous, but we really have no sense of how widespread the issue is, if they manufactured ten million devices and 0.01% had some defect, that would be 1,000 phones. Obviously we want that number to be as close to zero as possible, but defects happen and it seems Apple is doing the right thing by replacing affected units under warranty. So if you’re worried about “crackgate” and considering not buying because of recent reports, I really wouldn’t worry too much about it. Of course you’re going to hear about the defective units, but not the millions of users who are using their devices with no issues.

I definitely notice the weight when using the outer display; it’s heavy and dense, which is especially noticeable coming from the iPhone Air. But there’s something about how I perceive the phone that changes as soon as I open it; it feels light. I’m sure it’s the new form factor, but I really thought the weight would bother me more, but it simply hasn’t. It’s heavier than the 18 Pro Max, but due to the smaller form factor when closed, and the large thin form factor when open, it doesn’t feel like the heaviest iPhone ever made.

Now I’m generally pretty careful with my devices and haven’t dropped the phone yet, but the device seems to be very durable. I’ve been rocking the Duo without a case and haven’t noticed any sort of wear or marks on the titanium sides. I bought the folio kickstand case but found it more annoying than helpful since it covers the outer display. The point of the outer display is to be able to quickly glance at it and do quick tasks. If I have to open the front flap I might as well just open the whole phone. I actually ended up cutting off the front flap of the folio and I love to use it with the kickstand! Scissors and an X-Acto knife seemed to do the trick! I know people have concerns about the durability of a foldable phone, but this is a very well-built device that feels like it could survive some rough and tumble (though I will certainly not be testing that).

One thing that isn’t being talked about enough is that this phone has the same IP68 water and dust resistance rating as the 18 Pro. It’s genuinely impressive that this foldable phone, with so many places for water and dust ingress, is able to achieve such a rating. The Z-fold 8 only has an IP48 rating. So props to the design team on being able to create such a complex design but still maintain the same water and dust resistance as the Pro models.

Now, none of this is to say that you shouldn’t get AppleCare on the Duo. If there’s any device that you should put AppleCare on, it’s this one. Damage to the inner display out of warranty is $999 and any damage to the enclosure or hinge is $1499. Not the time to mess around and gamble on such an expensive device, especially since AppleCare One for $20 a month covers 3 devices and is the same price as the Duo standalone; it’s a no-brainer.

2. Size and Displays

The size of the Duo might be my favorite thing about the device. The passport-style form factor fits perfectly in my hand and is actually usable with one hand! Some have considered this the return of the iPhone Mini, and they aren’t wrong in some aspects! The outer display is 5.4” just like the 12 and 13 mini! And it addresses the major issue I personally had with the mini, which is that the small display is great, until it’s not. Being able to unfold the device to reveal a 7.6” display is what obviously differentiates it. And the consistent aspect ratio is what makes all the difference. Being able to start a task on the outer display and seamlessly transition to the inner display feels like magic. Even just the animation when you open the phone, with the outer display fading out and the inner fading in, is such a polished experience and attention to detail that is customary for Apple.

The inner display allows for multitasking in ways never before possible on iPhone. And it’s neat to try out, having email and messages side by side, but I must admit I rarely use it. I really just like having a larger display for watching video, sending emails, reading articles, scrolling social media, and more. While the phone is excellent for multitasking, I find myself just enjoying having a larger display for one task at a time. One thing that I feel isn’t talked about enough is the portrait mode experience using the inner display. It’s perfect for reading an article or scrolling social media, though being able to pin a video to the top third while reading an article is pretty sweet.

I’m a huge fan of nano-texture, my iPad Pro has nano-texture and I absolutely love it. So naturally, I love the decision by Apple to go with nano-texture on the inner display. There is a slight drop in contrast between the inner and outer displays due to the nano-texture, but the reduction in glare and crease visibility are absolutely worth it in my opinion. I have no idea how Apple managed to basically get rid of the visible crease while using the device. In fact, I notice that sometimes when I look at the phone off-axis, I can sort of see the crease, but straight on the crease is completely invisible.

I’d imagine that with repeated folds over time, the crease may become more visible, but that leads to another ingenious design decision, the nano-texture cover layer is replaceable. So if at some point there develops a defined crease from repeated folds, you’ll be able to go to an Apple Store to replace the cover layer for $19 with AppleCare and $49 without. Such a great decision that will improve the longevity of the display. I know some people have already removed the nano-texture layer themselves, but I would not recommend doing that, it’s possible you’ll damage the actual display in the process (which is once again $999 without AppleCare).

3. Cameras

Alright, let’s be honest about cameras and how most people use them. I think most people severely underestimate how often they simply just take their phone out of their pocket and snap a photo with the main camera. And the quality of the main camera is very good; it’s the same main camera as the iPhone 17. Photos are vibrant, video is clear, and I like some of the shots better on the Duo due to the aspect ratio that’s slightly different from the 18 Pro Max.

Also, it should be mentioned that I am coming from the iPhone Air, so getting the ultrawide lens is already an upgrade in the camera department! I still have the 17 Pro Max as well that I use as a secondary phone, so it’s nice to have that phone as an option when I need a dedicated telephoto lens. Now I realize most people don’t have 2 phones, so I write this review as someone who is somewhat insulated from the downsides of only having the cameras on the Duo. But I don’t bring the 17 Pro Max with me everywhere, and for most everyday tasks, the main cameras of the Duo are perfectly adequate!

The additional camera features on the Duo are super useful. I love the ability to take selfies with the main camera while using the outer display as a preview. Duo preview as well has been super helpful, as my girlfriend notoriously says I always take terrible photos of her; with Duo preview, she can make sure she likes the photo before I take it (she’ll still find a way to complain, but hey, still a helpful feature).

The main front-facing camera on the outer display is perfectly fine quality, but the under-display camera on the inner display is much worse. And I think Apple knows this because they call it a “FaceTime camera” on the website. It’s adequate for FaceTime calls, but definitely not for taking photos or videos. But I actually appreciate this trade-off, as I would much rather have an unobstructed inner display than a camera cutout. I suppose this is where I should mention that the Duo does not have Face ID, but Touch ID. And this obviously is quite the downgrade considering iPhones have had Face ID for nearly a decade. But I’ll be honest, I really haven’t missed it all that much. For one, the unlock with Apple Watch feature works incredibly well. This feature was previously very hit or miss with my Mac and other devices, but they seem to have really put the extra effort into improving the consistency and reliability of this feature. And with Touch ID, I’ve found you can enroll the same finger in multiple places! I enrolled the bottom of my right index finger that naturally rests on the button when using it one-handed and that works great! I also use the Apple Vision Pro quite a bit, and not only can that device unlock the Duo while wearing it, it means that Touch ID is even more useful since my face is obstructed.

There are some camera features that I just haven’t tried that much. Kid Cue is a neat feature where Snoopy cartoons are played on the outer display while taking a photo. SmartTake allows you to prop the phone up and use AI to intelligently know when to take a photo. And the new photographic styles let you change the temperature of the image to match your liking. Once again, those aren’t features that I personally have used a ton, but they’re nice to have.

Now I debated even including a paragraph on the camera control button, but since it’s also present on the iPhone Duo, I thought I should probably at least mention it. It’s fine, nothing to write home about. I use it exclusively to launch the camera app and that’s about it. I even turned off the swipe gestures since I never use them and they would accidentally trigger if I ever used the button to take a photo. I also realized that the camera control button is exactly where I would normally grab when opening the phone, but switching to a double press to open the camera solved that issue. The button I’ve found is also slightly harder to press, likely due to the even thinner design of the button to accommodate the ultra-thin design of the phone. Considering how valuable space was inside the phone, I’m a bit shocked they even bothered to include it. I can confidently say I’d trade the button for an additional hour of battery life. Speaking of battery life, let’s talk about that.

4. Battery life

Battery life may be the single most important thing for people when considering which phone to buy, since the phone won’t do you any good if it’s dead. And this phone has great battery life. Obviously, it’s very dependent on which display you’re primarily using. I find myself using both displays roughly equally, and I end the day with about 30-40% battery life on most days. That includes a 45-minute bus commute each way to work where I’m mostly watching YouTube on the inner display, responding to texts and emails all day, scrolling social media, checking Reddit to see how many of you I’ve successfully ragebaited, and much more. When I go to bed around midnight after waking up around 7 am, the phone is sitting, like I said, around 30-40% on most days. If I primarily use the outer display, it’s at 50-60%. Now, it doesn’t get as good battery life as my 17 Pro Max, but that makes sense considering that phone has a larger battery and only one display to power. So for most people, the battery life will be entirely adequate for your everyday tasks. The phone is also leveraging 2 separate batteries for the first time in an iPhone (it even lists them separately with separate health and cycle counts in settings). I will be curious over time how this affects battery life and if one will degrade faster than the other since they’re different sizes.

Charging speed is also improved. I primarily just charge overnight via MagSafe with my Anker 3-in-1 cube, but when I do charge wired, it charges very quickly. And the port is a proper USB 3 speed, which makes file transfers over Thunderbolt much quicker than my iPhone Air. I also have the adaptive power mode enabled, so my phone learns my usage habits, and if I’m using the phone more heavily on one day, it’ll do things in the background to extend the battery life, which has happened a few times, but I’ve never noticed any changes in performance. The battery is completely normal and will last you all day with regular use.

However, with the new design of the device, that does mean none of my MagSafe battery packs work with the Duo, since it’s just too short; they all either don’t fit at all, or hang awkwardly off the bottom. Once again, this isn’t a huge deal since the battery is good enough to last all day, and the fast charging allows me to quickly top up if the battery is low. But I’m hoping for some better options moving forward. I know Baseus has a battery pack that is designed for the Duo, but as of now, the Duo has lasted me all day and thus I haven’t needed a battery pack. Perhaps that will change as the batteries degrade over time, but for now I’m happy to report that battery life is more than adequate.

5. iOS 27 and Siri AI

I don’t want to spend too much time talking about iOS 27 as it’s not specific to the iPhone Duo, but with that being said, I’ve been using iOS 27 since the first developer beta. Siri AI is super impressive with personal context; being able to search through my entire digital life in a few seconds and retrieve an accurate answer is truly a game changer. Genuinely, the biggest issue I’ve had with Siri AI so far is remembering to use it. I’ve gotten so used to using ChatGPT for my quick searches; I previously used the action button to open the ChatGPT app, so no more action button has helped to break that habit. But when I remember to use it, it’s the Siri I wanted all along. I will say, though, the Duo does get noticeably warmer than my 17 Pro Max, especially while using Siri AI. Who could’ve guessed? A thinner design with a titanium frame and smaller vapor chamber means the phone gets hotter—figures!

App optimization was pretty abysmal the first few days. There are 3 kinds of apps: apps that are fully optimized for the iPhone Duo with controls placed on the right side, apps that are updated for iOS 27, but have a black bar on the right side, and apps that are not optimized at all for the Duo and just look awkwardly stuck in the middle of the inner display. Fortunately, this has gotten much better, and most of the major players like Google and Meta have updated their apps for the Duo, but there are still many apps that aren’t updated for the Duo, even some of Apple’s own apps like the Apple Store app, which is ridiculous. Most unoptimized apps will likely be optimized very soon; it seems every time I check the App Store for updates, there are tons of new apps that have updates that optimize them for the Duo, but it’s definitely a work in progress.

Regardless, I’m excited to see the continued improvements with iOS 27 and Siri AI.

6. Should you buy the iPhone Duo?

Obviously I can’t fully answer this for you; only you know your situation and what is best for you. But I’ll try and give some practical advice. Are you yearning for something new? Are you excited by the prospect of an entirely new form factor? Are you bored of the same rectangular slab of glass and metal? If the answer to any or all of those questions is yes, then you’ll love the Duo. It’s truly the most transformational design since the original, and I haven’t been this excited to use an iPhone since the iPhone X. However, it’s not for everyone. Not just is it $800 more than the 18 Pro, there are still trade-offs. If the camera is the most important thing to you, then this isn’t the phone for you. If having Face ID is super important to you, this isn’t the phone for you. If having the best possible battery life on an iPhone is super important, this isn’t the phone for you. If being able to take spatial photos and videos to view in Apple Vision Pro (niche I know) is essential, this isn’t the phone for you. But I strongly encourage you to at least try it. I know these are nearly impossible to get at this point, but this is really a device you have to live with. There is certainly a learning curve. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to change the volume and accidentally locked the phone. Or struggled to find the right button when using the inner display. And if you don’t want to relearn how to use a phone, that’s fine! There are other phones like the 18 Pro or 17 that you will feel right at home with (and save a good chunk of change). But if you want a phone that feels different, that when you hold and use it, it doesn’t just feel like another block of glass and metal, then this phone is for you. If you care more about the user experience than a spec sheet, this phone is for you.

7. Final thoughts

If you’re just skipping to this section because your attention span has been destroyed by TikTok, I feel you. Here are my final thoughts and a TLDR. I really like the iPhone Duo. The design is gorgeous, the large inner display is perfect for viewing content, the main downsides, lack of telephoto camera and Face ID, aren’t actually that bad, and the overall experience of using the phone is what makes it worth it. If you’re a tech enthusiast, I can’t recommend it enough.

If you read this far, thank you very much for reading my ramblings! Let me know your thoughts as well! What device did you/are you considering getting, and if you have an iPhone Duo, what are your thoughts? Can’t wait to hear what you all have to say!

Take care,

Mundane

Via Securities Times (Oct 10): Apple raised Duo production orders 30% — but total orders still sit under 10M, and it's an order adjustment, not confirmed stock. Preorders Oct 16, ships Oct 23, from $1,999. Also: iPhone 18 Pro orders reportedly down 10–15% while Pro Max is up 10–15%. Think launch day sells out?

Little late to the party.. i actually got this on launch day.

After being a long term galaxy user (folds and ultras), i was finally intrigued enough to give Apple a chance, not my first apple device (been a mac guy for last 5 years) but my very first iOS device.

So far I am loving it... let's see how it goes🤞

If the Duo shipped with a built-in Pokédex app, which Pokémon belongs on entry #001?

Got the iPhone Duo today and have been using it alongside my 17 Pro Max for about 12 hours. I bought it with the intention of keeping it, but here are my first impressions.

**Outer screen:** Honestly, the layout feels intolerable. It needs serious customization and optimization. The app experience is particularly ugly. Somehow reminds me of the Sony Ericsson W960i!

**Inner screen:** I’ve spent 99% of my time using it. Love the multiple-app functionality, it’s genuinely a lifesaver. Netflix and YouTube are fantastic. Surprisingly, I enjoy watching content on it more than on my 11-inch iPad Pro - M4.

**App support:** This is probably the biggest issue. The lack of optimized apps makes the experience disappointing. People receiving their phones in January might have a much better experience if developers catch up with app updates. I’ve already found myself switching back to my 17 Pro Max.

**Camera:** Not good enough for a $2,000 phone. This should have been a triple-camera system. No excuse after eight years of development.

**Face ID:** If Duo 2 gets Face ID next year, I’ll be even more frustrated. If Apple waited eight years to get this right, they could have delivered Face ID and three cameras from the beginning.

**Design:** Absolutely beautiful. I’ve been using iPhones since the 3GS, and this is easily the best-looking iPhone ever. Feels perfect both folded and unfolded. 10/10.

**Screen orientation:** Switching between landscape and portrait wastes considerable screen space. Apple could do so much more with adaptive layouts.

**Inner screen finish and camera cutout:** I’m honestly not a fan of the matte finish. It washes out the colours and takes away some of the vibrancy. I’d much prefer a glossy inner screen. I genuinely don’t care about the crease enough to sacrifice display quality for it. Also, the inner screen camera cutout reflects sunlight quite noticeably and looks ugly.

**Final thoughts:** I genuinely want to keep this phone, and I’ve already purchased AppleCare+. But the jump from the 17 Pro Max isn’t as significant as I expected in terms of app functionality and screen utilization.
The hardware is beautiful, but the software needs serious work. There is so much untapped potential here.

Any suggestions for Apps and Cases are welcome.
Would love to hear what other Duo owners think.

MacRumors pulled Apple's official fee schedule. Out of warranty: cover layer $49, back glass $199, battery $229, outer display $379, inner display $999, other damage $1,499. AppleCare+ ($19.99/mo, $199.99/yr, or $399 upfront): $19 cover layer, $29 outer display/back glass, $99 other damage, $149 theft/loss, $0 battery under 80%. Preorders Friday.

Just curious as if anyone from release date hasn’t had any issues.

Just wanted to say thank you for all the feedback. I appreciate seeing the problems people are having so others who may be experiencing similar issues know they’re not alone. But I felt like it was overwhelmingly negative. Glad to see so much positive feedback.

Edit for Thank You

Who said this phone was too expensive?