iPhone Duo review (emotional)

The Verge's verdict on the iPhone Duo is the bluntest of the big launch reviews: most people shouldn't buy one yet, and the phone is at least another year of refinement away. Nilay Patel and Allison Johnson tested it together, and their 26-minute review went up on Oct 21, 2026. They still say they had a lot of fun with it.

What the video found

Most of the criticism is about software and screen design rather than hardware. Patel isn't convinced Apple chose the right screen sizes and aspect ratios, and he finds the 5.4-inch outer display too small to be very useful, so you end up opening the phone constantly, often into apps that aren't ready. He compares that with Android foldables, where the problem is the reverse: the inner screen isn't useful enough to bother opening. He also questions Apple's choice to keep the Duo out of the iPad app ecosystem, and how quickly developers will adapt. On the cover screen in particular, he thinks the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is nicer to use.

Battery results split between the two reviewers. Patel, working in Slack, Google Docs, Safari and video apps, needed to charge the Duo at least once to get through a workday. Johnson, mostly watching video and social media on Wi-Fi while traveling, had about 30% left after roughly six and a half hours of screen-on time. Their read is that the Duo isn't a full-day phone for heavy use, and that how often you open it makes a big difference. Compare other results in our battery life guide.

Heat came up twice. Third-party apps, Google's in particular, made the phone warm and sometimes hot. Long camera sessions were worse, especially features that use both displays at once, and with Smart Take running the phone got hot and visibly lagged. They expect app updates to help with the first problem.

The case for it is narrower. Patel thinks the Duo is a more cohesive foldable than most Android rivals because Apple has a stronger tablet app story to build on. His recommendation, though, is that only people bored with their phones who want "a very grand, very messy, very expensive adventure" should buy now. Everyone else should wait.

How it compares with other reviews

The Verge is harsher than Marques Brownlee and Mrwhosetheboss, mostly on battery: both of them came away happier with it. Its heat findings match Joanna Stern's warm-back complaints and Mrwhosetheboss's stress test. Brownlee, Mrwhosetheboss and The Verge all fault the app experience at launch, though The Verge puts the most weight on it.

What it doesn't cover

The review doesn't test durability, and it says performance and thermals need more testing than it had time for. For hinge and screen durability, see JerryRigEverything and iFixit. It also reflects apps as they were on launch week.

More on this topic

For the buy-or-wait question, see Should you buy an iPhone Duo? For the Samsung comparison The Verge keeps coming back to, see iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8. To get more out of the battery, try how to extend battery life.