I Returned My iPhone Duo

by Mira Azkia 30 October 2026 7 min read 324x views

29 Oct 2026

Last week I got an iPhone Duo. Six days later, I exchanged it for an iPhone 18 Pro Max. Here’s my assessment of the Duo, and why I ultimately decided it wasn’t for me.

I’ve had iPhones since the iPhone 3G in 2008 – almost twenty years now. In that period we’ve seen the display size addition a lot and the elimination of the residence button, but the form aspect has alternatively stayed the same.

I used to think this was a bit boring. I’d get a new phone, reconstruct it from a backup, and afterward think “what now?” It wasn’t normally appreciably distinct than my former phone, and I felt akin I missed the pre-iPhone days whenever I’d toggle form factors all the period to try new things: a Sony Ericsson slab phone, a Samsung flip phone, a Nokia alongside a really bonkers keypad layout. I equal tried a Windows Mobile phone for a spell.

Because of this I was really enthusiastic to get the Duo. The idea of a phone that was new and distinct echoed great; particularly the way it could rotate into a tablet whenever needed.

However, there were a few downsides for me which I couldn’t really overcome. Ultimately I felt that I could study to live alongside them, but if I’m going to autumn £2,000 on item I don’t desire to awareness akin I’m making a compromise.

What I liked concerning it

I really enjoyed it as a developer. I spent a lengthy period getting my app Personal Best prepared for the Duo, and it was a lot of fun. My favorite part was Replays, anywhere the interface changes depending on the stance (closed, open landscape, open portrait, laptop, or partially closed). The archetypal period I got to try it out on a genuine Duo it felt akin the archetypal period I made an app all complete again. Plus, it was fun selling tips and techniques alongside allies to get our apps ready.

The big inner display is lovely, and I particularly affection the matte finish. It looks nearly akin magic; a living part of paper. When I was on the pipe current in London it was so nice to have a tablet on me at all times.

The compact form whenever closed meant that it effortlessly fit into my pocket. After years of Max-sized phones, this was a big positive. I was additionally concerned that I’d battle to use it because of being remaining handed, but I never encountered any problems alongside that.

StandBy manner was a fun extra. While operating I’d prop it up on my array showing the weather, photos, and a clock.

The external display is amazingly nice to category on as it’s so wide. It’s the ideal width for a fine typing experience.

What I didn’t akin concerning it

Touch ID

I really, really missed Face ID. It does specified a fine job of operating seamlessly that I lone realised how fine it was formerly I no longer had it. I did get additional used to Touch ID as the week went on, but it never stopped emotion akin a downgrade. It was particularly annoying whenever the Duo was unfolded as you never fairly cognize what border the Touch ID sensor is on.

The external screen

The small display wasn’t really for me, either. It felt cramped, which seems silly as it’s not that much shorter than a regular iPhone, but I felt constrained all period I used it. And whenever closed it feels fairly compact and heavy, so my fingers would awareness fatigued following holding it for a while.

Apps

A lot of apps have been updated to activity fine alongside the Duo, but many of them motionless felt subpar. Some examples of this are Instagram, which plant fine but doesn’t create fine use of the area at all. X uses a tradition tab bar (sigh) which doesn’t move into the horizontal harmless area, so you fair get a stretched phone layout.

Some of Apple’s own apps modify to the size really well. Clock is a fine example – it switches from a catalog of alarms to a grid, and tapping on one opens the alert settings in a popover alternatively of a new view. Other apps akin Messages and Mail toggle to a sidebar + item layout which inhabit the display but don’t awareness appreciably improved than the compact layout. I don’t regard this an indictment of the Duo, additional a commendation of how simple-to-use these apps are on compact screens.

Even alongside time, I’m not convinced that most apps volition modify fine to the Duo. It’s a tricky form aspect and you need to go through Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines carefully to get everything fair right. I spent a lot of period adapting Personal Best, but I’m not assured that your average app volition annoy to do the work. Can you ideate the likes of Reddit or your average banking app taking the period to do it properly? Not fair moving the tab bar to the side, but additionally the crease avoidance, selectively putting backdrop satisfied into the harmless area, and those another small nuances. I fair don’t see it happening, but I extremely much anticipation to be proven wrong.

I do amazement if iOS changing so drastically for the Duo volition be to its detriment in the lengthy term. It never stopped emotion akin a slightly worse type of iOS. Moving controls to the sidebar fair didn’t awareness as natural as having them at the top/bottom of the screen.

Cameras

I missed the telephoto lens.

Choosing

Every period you choice it up you have to decide if you’re going to battle through using the external screen, or open it up and use the bigger one. If you’re using the bigger display you’re committing to using it alongside two hands, which makes it a small additional cumbersome for abbreviated tasks anywhere you choice it up to inspect a notification or dispatch a quick answer to a text.

Is this a small thing? Of course, and it’s a awesome issue to have. But I have adequate anxiety in my existence and I didn’t akin having an additional origin of it, no matter how small it was.

Conclusion

The Duo is a awesome phone. It feels solid. It’s fun to use, akin getting an iPhone for the archetypal period again. But it’s fair not for me in its current form. With Face ID and several application tweaks, I think it’ll be additional compelling and I’d certainly regard it again.

Also as a counterpoint, my partner additionally got a Duo and loves it, so obtain my opinion alongside a compression of salt. Just since it wasn’t for me, doesn’t average you won’t affection it.

Finally, whether or not you have a Duo, you should inspect out Personal Best.