How good is the iPhone Duo?

{"text":[[{"start":4.76,"text":"Smartphone launches seldom raise eyebrows. We expect processor power to nudge upwards, cameras to become more professional, software more sophisticated, aesthetics a little more refined – and an ascending price tag to match. These expectations are invariably met. But their general appearance, their proportions and their feel in the hand have remained fairly static in recent years. Apple’s rollout of its new smartphone range has been no exception: all the major surprises have come under the hood. And that’s fine. It’s not as if anyone has been demanding wholesale changes to the form."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":38.2,"text":"The foldable iPhone Duo bucks that trend. In smartphone terms it looks radically different to its iPhone predecessors and, along with Samsung’s recent Galaxy Z Fold 8, it establishes a new approach to folding designs that makes a great deal of functional sense. Thus far, most foldables have looked like standard smartphones when closed, opening out to reveal a square-ish screen that most apps aren’t designed to handle (full-screen YouTube videos are left with massive black bars at the top and bottom). The Duo is approximately the size of a passport and it has a screen aspect ratio of 1.4:1 (or 7:5) when closed, and the same when opened out."}],[{"start":76.36,"text":"As a result there’s no cognitive jolt when moving between the two, and thanks to some neat modifications to iOS, app controls and tab bars have their own dedicated space at the side of the screen. When the phone is closed, your thumb can reach everything. When opened, two apps can run side by side very happily – verging on ecstatically – one on each panel. I adore this Split View feature."}],[{"start":99.04,"text":"It’s immediately apparent that the Duo is shorter, wider and, when folded, thicker than other modern smartphones. It’s heavier, too, at 254g. It’s not designed for a front trouser pocket, but this is offset by some dashes of supreme elegance: two gently rounded corners, barely a hint of a crease on the opened screen (perfectly flat, beautifully matt) and a hinge that opens and closes with a wonderfully satisfying tactility. Its form allows it to enter StandBy mode (ie, become a high-end desk clock or photo album) when stood up like an open book or on its “leaves” as an inverted V."}],[{"start":133.96,"text":"The form comes with a couple of trade-offs. The Duo won’t be the first choice for upgrade-hungry camera buffs and videographers: they’ll opt for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, as the Duo has no telephoto lens on the rear (just a main camera and an ultrawide), while the front camera is 12MP rather than Apple’s more standard 18MP. But the more jarring difference for the average iPhone user is the lack of FaceID for unlocking and making payments. Biometric authentication comes via fingerprint only, and if you’re used to FaceID it’s surprising how disruptive that feels in the first couple of days. But thereafter the new reality is fine – indeed, in many situations it’s easier to place your finger on a sensor than crane your head."}],[{"start":178.72,"text":"All foldable devices seem to have an inherent fragility; that’s partly down to our wariness of folding screens and partly down to reality (there have already been reports of a handful of Duos with damaged screens and crunching hinges, which Apple has agreed to replace). But my perfectly behaved test unit is by far the most beautiful foldable device I’ve seen; an exceptional piece of hardware and software engineering radiating grace and refinement. You’ll probably want to buy a case for it."}],[{"start":206.74,"text":"iPhone Duo, from £1,999; apple.com"}],[{"start":213.68,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1793155988_2047.mp3"}