‘Different’ and ‘new’ is relatively easy. Doing something that’s genuinely better is very hard.
— Jony Ive
It's day one of the iPhone Duo, and I made a visit to the Apple Store in Covent Garden to try it out.
I have chosen not to buy the new iPhone Duo for a variety of reasons, but I'm fascinated by the device. Please don't consider this a review — rather, it's a few notes and impressions from a geeky and interested observer.
The Duo is, in my opinion, the most interesting iPhone since the original was unveiled some nineteen years ago. Apple has rolled iteratively with an ever better version of the original idea in 2007. Until the Duo.
When unveiled, the device looked stunning, so I have been very keen to see if, in practice, the hype is real.
Craft
Apple has done a phenomenal job with the integration of the software and the hardware. Obviously, this is to be expected, and it's a line Apple themselves has touted since they were making computers in a garage.
But with the Duo, you just can't help but appreciate how much Apple cares about this stuff. Look at the Duo next to any other foldable device on the market and the level of care and craft is night and day.
The thing feels high-end. Luxurious. Futuristic. Clever. And in many ways, obvious. There are so many thoughtful details that are truly delightful. It's clearly a device that has had a lot of care and love poured into it by many incredibly talented people.
Compromise
Every year, when Apple introduces their new Pro models, they inevitably tout "this is the best iPhone we've ever made."
Before the Duo was unveiled, many rumours circulated about it being called the "iPhone Ultra".
Ultra implies something more than pro: the ultimate. The best.
The iPhone Duo is categorically not the best iPhone Apple has ever made.
In fact, I'd argue it's the most compromised iPhone Apple has ever made.
While I find it exciting to see Apple breaking free from the standard "candy bar" iPhone shape they've had since day one, there is no denying that to make a phone foldable involves making some difficult choices.
Cameras
The cameras on the iPhone Duo are clearly not as good as the best and latest Pro iPhone models.
To begin with, from a distance you can already see there are only two lenses on the iPhone Duo compared to three on the Pro. In addition to that, the cameras themselves are not as good as the latest Pro models in terms of the quality of the lenses, the image quality, pixel count, and more.
While I may not be able to always perceive those differences, I find it very reassuring when getting a new iPhone to know that I have the absolute best camera I could possibly have on me at any one time.
Having said that, the Duo has some features that make it unique. Notably, the seemingly magic auto capture mode that can automatically take snaps of you and friends once you're all in frame. I tried it and it really did Just Work. It was great.
The clever use of the front and rear screens means the Duo has a "Kids mode" which shows Snoopy on the front screen while you're taking a snap with the device open. This may seem like a gimmick to some, but I suspect it will assist countless parents with getting better photos of their children.
The inside selfie camera, that is magically hidden under the screen, is quite obviously poor compared to any iPhone Pro selfie camera I've tried in years. It is, however, usable. And I'd think is passable for a team video call while on the go.
Fragility
Nothing beats the robustness and trustworthiness of the standard iPhone design — one solid piece of metal and glass that has as few moving parts as possible.
As soon as you introduce a hinge, you inevitably introduce complexity. And with complexity comes opportunities for things to break.
I'm not saying the iPhone Duo feels flimsy in any way — in fact, quite the opposite. But for me, my phone goes with me everywhere — on my commute, around the house, dropped in the dog's bowl, and occasionally to the beach.
I never feel good about dropping my iPhone. I don't tend to keep it in a case, but I have never broken it. And Apple seems to have relentless pursued making the iPhone stronger and more resilient over the years.
With the Duo, though, I feel like I need to keep it in cotton wool continuously. While that might be something I'm happy to do for my MacBook or other precious items in my life, I don't want that from my phone. No, my phone is an instrument that I can rely on in any situation. And the Pro has only become more aligned with this philosophy: a robust tool that can withstand almost anything you throw at it. The Duo is not that device.
Form factor
Finally, I'm not sold on the fundamental form factor Apple has chosen.
I'm skeptical of how often I would actually use the device in its open, large screen orientation, like an iPad. This use of the device is by far and away the most incredible experience — the matte display is amazing and everything looks great on it.
However, I'm just not convinced I would be using it in its open orientation very much in daily life. I already feel uncomfortable getting my phone out on the street anywhere in London. I'm always paranoid it'll instantly be stolen. The idea of even attempting to open the Duo while out and about fills me with dread.
So that leaves me with the assumption I'd primarily use the iPhone Duo in its closed state, which is a tremendous compromise versus the standard iPhone.
Using the device, I really appreciated the width of the display, giving a little bit more room. It almost felt like using a stubby iPhone Pro Max. However, the stubbiness of the device severely limits the amount of content that can be on the display.
And beyond that, the user interface compromises that Apple has so clearly had to make to ensure this device works: toolbars lined up along the right-hand side, "..." menus, the completely spatially broken back button, the asymmetrical state every screen is put in, and more .
There's just no way this is a better interface for a phone. If it were a genuinely better interface, I would be excited to see this experience on every iPhone. Instead, it appears to be the least bad solution. And that's saying something — Apple has some of the best designers and engineers in the world, and this is what they have come up with. There is beauty and magic in so many areas (the open and close transitions of course are the highlight), but the overall general user experience is not a compromise I'm willing to make today. And from my minimal experience so far, I can't see myself ever being terribly thrilled at changing to this layout.
The iPhone Duo isn't for me
I look forward to the iPhone Duo we'll get after a few revisions — one that is even thinner, even lighter, and perhaps with many layout and interface adjustments. One that feels more like a candy bar iPhone when it’s closed and even more like a great iPad when it's open.
But today, the iPhone Duo is the iPhone of a few too many compromises for me.
The standard iPhone may be boring, but it's clear why most phones now follow the exact same form factor.
It seems that new and different are not always a guarantee of better.