Some Buyers Return $2,000 iPhone Duo Over Weight, Usability Concerns
Some early iPhone Duo buyers have returned the $2,000 foldable after trying it for about two weeks. Owners cited its weight, a small outer screen, camera limitations and the interruptions that come with combining a phone and tablet in one device.
Some day-one buyers have returned Apple’s $2,000 iPhone Duo after about two weeks, as early users weigh the foldable’s tablet-sized screen against its weight and everyday usability. Not everyone loving iPhone Duo is finding the device a fit for daily life.
Buyers described several reasons for switching back to slab-style iPhones, including a small outer screen, camera limitations and the friction of using one device as both phone and tablet. Apple’s customary 14-day return window had closed for the first buyers as they made their decisions.
One device, different interruptions
Ben Seligson, a content creator and photographer, said he had expected the Duo to work like an iPad he could carry in his pocket. Instead, combining the devices made routine phone use more disruptive.
With a separate tablet, Seligson said, he could leave a video or podcast playing while cooking and keep his phone available for messages or timers. With the Duo serving as the screen on the counter, answering a text became more of an interruption.
“If I can have an iPad in my pocket, that would be great,” Seligson said. He ultimately returned to a traditional iPhone rather than trying an Android foldable.
Weight and a cracked screen
Art director Fayethe Vongsouvanh planned to use the Duo for photo editing and wedding planning. The screen cracked on the second day, while Vongsouvanh was recovering at home from hand surgery.
Apple replaced the phone quickly, Vongsouvanh said, but other drawbacks led to the replacement being returned too. Weight was the biggest factor: “The phone is just too heavy and bulky for my daily use.”
Vongsouvanh had enjoyed writing and drawing on the inner screen with an Apple Pencil. The experience also prompted renewed interest in using an older iPad Pro.
Apple ecosystem kept buyers on iPhone
Some former Duo owners considered Android foldables but said their ties to Apple’s ecosystem made switching unattractive. Michael Hayes said his family uses FaceTime and that he also owns a Mac and an iPad.
“Unless something massive changes, I’m locked into the ecosystem now,” Hayes said. He and Seligson both returned to slab-style iPhones instead of choosing another foldable.
Despite the returns and reports of first-generation hinge problems, Apple appeared to be selling the Duo well, with new online orders projected to ship in January. Seligson said he missed the device’s distinctive feel: “There’s a specialness that the Duo has that I kind of miss.”
