Tom's Guide's reviewer swapped an iPhone 17 Pro Max for Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, for two weeks to judge whether the $2,000 device could serve as a daily driver. The verdict: the foldable is mostly well designed and at times impressive, but it still feels unfinished in some areas.
The design's versatility stood out. The hinge holds multiple angles well and the software adapts as the device bends, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 8, according to the reviewer. Tent mode turned the Duo into a Standby alarm clock on a business trip, and tabletop mode was useful for FaceTime calls. The 7.6-inch main display (1,878 x 2,670) made in-flight Netflix viewing enjoyable, and the YouTube TV app allowed a four-channel grid. Split View multitasking was welcome for running Gmail alongside Google Calendar and for dragging photos from Photos into Slack; tapping the middle of the split view saves an app pair.
Media consumption and cameras also earned praise. The reviewer found TikTok and Instagram more immersive on the large screen, especially with comments visible in landscape. The cameras impressed despite lacking a telephoto lens, producing a detailed post-sunset Los Angeles skyline and a pumpkin cornucopia shot with shadow detail. The Duo's specs include a 5.4-inch outer display (1,398 x 2,034), A20 Pro chipset, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, two 24MP front cameras and 48MP main and ultrawide rear cameras. T-Mobile is offering up to $1,200 off with trade-in or switching, and Verizon and AT&T also list $1,200 off, according to the article.
The drawbacks were practical. At 254 grams, the Duo is only 31 grams heavier than the 233-gram iPhone 17 Pro Max, but the reviewer found it weighed down a front pocket and sometimes moved it to a back pocket. Rotating from landscape to portrait breaks the app pair in Split View; Samsung's Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra preserve it, and portrait multitasking is limited to a video window over another app. Taking photos felt awkward because the Duo captures portrait photos in landscape mode and landscape photos in portrait mode. The top-mounted volume buttons were a stretch to reach with the main display open, and the reviewer would rather relocate the Camera Control button.
The baffling part was software. Many apps are not optimized: Google Calendar and Google Drive show large black bars on the left and right, Gmail fills the screen but lacks the two-column layout found on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and LinkedIn had not been updated. The right-side dock and in-app menus also waste space on the 5.4-inch cover display. Instagram is optimized, but the right-hand strip leaves less room for video than on the Fold 8; TikTok has a black bar on the right, and some apps' menus cover content while scrolling. The reviewer suggested Apple could move controls to the bottom and let developers hide them until a swipe or tap.
After two weeks, the reviewer liked having a large display that folds into a compact shape, describing it as comparable to carrying a small tablet in a pocket despite the weight. The cameras, Split View and vertical-video experience were positives, but the reviewer was surprised that prominent developers had not fully updated their apps and disagreed with some Apple design and UI choices. The iPhone Duo is compelling, but the reviewer might wait for Apple and partners to address early kinks before spending $2,000; waiting for an iPhone Duo 2 is not necessarily required.
Sources: Tom's Guide.