Should You Buy the iPhone Duo Now or Wait?
Cracked screens, letterboxed apps and no telephoto lens. An honest look at who should buy Apple's $1,999 foldable today and who should hold off.
The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable, and early reviews love the unfolded screen for reading, video and multitasking. But the first two weeks have also brought cracked screens and a lot of apps that aren't ready.
So, buy now or wait? Here's how I'd decide.
What's going well
- The big screen is great for reading, video and running two apps side by side
- iOS 27.2 added Apple Pencil support for the Duo (Apple Pencil Pro isn't supported)
- Apple says early feedback is "incredibly positive", and developers are updating apps quickly
What's not
Some inner screens are cracking
Apple has confirmed an issue with the inner display on a small number of units. The crack runs along the hinge, and an out-of-warranty fix is $999. Details in iPhone Duo inner screen cracked? What to do.
Many apps aren't optimised yet
Lots of apps still show black bars on the inner screen. See why iPhone Duo apps have black bars.
It runs warm
Owners report the phone gets hot with light use, especially in the first days. See iPhone Duo getting hot?
The camera is a step down from the Pro
There's a 48MP main camera and an ultra-wide, but no telephoto, and zoom gets weak past 2x. If you're coming from an iPhone Pro, you'll notice.
Buy now if…
- You really want the big screen and use it every day for reading, work or video
- You're buying AppleCare+ anyway
- You're happy to return it inside the window if anything goes wrong
- You mostly use apps that are already optimised, or Safari
Wait if…
- Camera zoom matters to you
- You'd be stuck paying $999 if the screen fails after warranty
- You rely on banking or work apps that aren't updated yet
- You can wait for a later production batch once Apple has dealt with the hinge issue
Cheaper ways to get a big screen
- iPhone + iPad mini: the new OLED iPad mini starts at $699. Together with a regular iPhone you get two screens for about the same money. See iPhone Duo vs iPad mini.
- Samsung's foldables have been through several generations. See iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8.
My take
If you have the money and want it, buying now is fine as long as you get AppleCare+ and treat the return window as a trial. If you're stretching your budget, waiting a couple of months costs you nothing, and the apps will be better by then.
