Seventy-five percent. That's the share of Matt Talks Tech's first 48 hours with the iPhone Duo spent on the 7.6-inch inner screen, by the channel's estimate, with the 5.4-inch cover screen kept for notifications and one-line replies. Anything longer than a sentence got typed with the phone open. The channel's verdict is that the Duo stays as its daily phone, with an iPhone 18 Pro Max kept around for ProRes footage.

Folded, in the pocket

  • Size is the surprise. Over 11 mm thick folded, it's thicker than an iPhone 18 Pro Max, yet the shape reminded the channel of the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini it used to carry.
  • Touch ID is the adjustment. A light touch isn't enough, since the side button wants a press to confirm, and Face ID is what the channel says it misses most.
  • Apple's folio case covers the cover screen, so getting to the inner display means opening the case and then the phone.

Opened up

  • The crease never showed for the channel in use, dark movies included. It appears only with the screen off and held up to a light, and the channel credits the nano-texture in part.
  • Split screen got used about three times in two days, mostly Safari beside Notes. The bigger win, for Matt Talks Tech, is that pages stop reloading when you switch between apps.
  • Optimized apps move their controls to the right edge and keep them there when the phone opens. Fine for right-handers, awkward for left-handers, and the iPhone Duo app optimization list was short at launch: Geekbench ran letterboxed.
  • Half-folded tricks include a shutter that waits until everyone in frame is ready, Snoopy on the cover screen to catch a kid's eye, and a preview so the subject can see the shot.

What to know

  • Geekbench and 3DMark put the A20 Pro level with the 18 Pro and Pro Max, but long gaming or benchmark sessions warm the phone up.
  • Battery life felt like an iPhone 17 Pro Max to the channel: short of the 18 Pro Max, ahead of a 15 Pro Max or 16 Pro Max.
  • A 45W to 65W USB-C charger took it from empty to full in about 50 minutes, and Apple's 50 percent in roughly 20 minutes held up.
  • The main camera sits nearer an iPhone 17 than the Pro Max, in the channel's view. Its 10x zoom and low-light shots come out grainier, and it's comfortable up to 3x or 4x.

The right-edge layout is the complaint I'd expect to last longest, because it's Apple's own design rather than a missing update. I'd expect the app gaps to close as developers catch up, so buyers who sat out the January pre-order backlog should meet more of them fixed.