In a review published by Nine newspapers, technology editor David Swan described the iPhone Duo as a genuine 'oh wow' device that is the most exciting iPhone since the iPhone X dropped the home button in 2017. But he concluded most people would be perfectly happy with a regular iPhone for a lot less money.
The Duo starts at $3499 for 256GB in Australia, making it $1200 more than the equivalent iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $2699. Storage options run to 2TB at $5899.
Swan noted that the device feels dense in the pocket at 254 grams and lacks Face ID, reverting to Touch ID in the power button. The 7.6-inch inner screen has a matte finish to reduce glare and hide the crease, but the reviewer said he barely used it: on a typical day he opened the Duo four or five times versus about 100 closed uses.
A key concern is app optimisation. Apple sorts apps into three tiers: fully optimised apps stretch the whole inner screen, a middle tier fills most of the screen, and older apps float with black borders. During Swan's week with the phone, Facebook, Instagram and Threads were updated to work well on the big screen, but news apps, the AFL app, banking apps and public transport apps were not. Multitasking is also limited to two apps side by side, whereas Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 runs three plus floating windows.
The phone's strengths include excellent battery life -- about a day and a half between charges -- and a compact folded size described as 'more like a passport than a phone'. The reviewer found it ideal for travel, citing a three-hour flight where the inner screen was vivid and the battery dropped only 10 percent.
The camera is good but not on par with the Pro models, with zoom topping out at 2x and no variable-aperture main camera. A new feature called Kid Cue plays animations on the outer screen to attract children's attention for photos.
Production yields are reported at about 60 percent, meaning four in 10 devices failed quality checks. Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman reported that Apple knew supply would be constrained but went ahead with a global launch anyway. Apple chief executive John Ternus faces a three-month wait for customers.
Swan recommended waiting for a second generation when most apps should be optimised and rough edges sanded down. He described the Duo as a brilliant support act, but said the regular iPhone remains the headliner.