iPhone Duo, Apple’s priciest phone, is missing these key features — Explained

Apple’s long-awaited foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, was revealed at the brand’s “Surprise and Shine” September event.

It’s the most expensive iPhone ever made, with its price starting at £1,999/$1,999 for 256GB of storage and going up to £3,199/$3,199 for 2TB.

It’s a lot, yes – but in some respects, the pricing seems fair enough. You’ll be getting much more iPhone for your money, with triple the display real estate. Plus, you’ll be among the first to enjoy Apple’s new technology.

Nor is the cost unexpected, given the state of the tech market. Ex-CEO Tim Cook announced price rises across the board in June, saying of the RAM crisis and its knock-on effects: “The situation has become unsustainable”. This swiftly came into being in the form of near 20% hikes on laptops and tablets.

So, you wouldn’t expect Apple’s most innovative new product to be going cheap.

What you might expect, however, is to get all of Apple’s best iPhone features. And that’s where you may be disappointed.

What’s missing?

When unfolded, the iPhone Duo is only 5.2mm thick. So, it’s perhaps not surprising that Apple has had to make some difficult decisions about what and what not to include. There are serious constraints where space is concerned and it’s expected that the phone will lack some key features.

First off, the camera array is simpler than that of 18 iPhone Pro models. The Duo doesn’t have a telephoto lens, instead only featuring 48Mp dual fusion camera system and a 12Mp Center Stage front camera. So, if you often take gig photos or scenic pictures, you may find it lacking.

What’s more, the iPhone Pro models will get variable aperture technology for the first time this year, allowing users to get genuinely professional shots – but the Duo is missing out on this tech.

But more concerning are the missing features that make iPhones among the most convenient handsets to use.

For many people, the biggest omission will be the lack of Face ID. Instead, the Duo unlocks via a fingerprint sensor on a button on the right-hand side of the phone. It’s a slower and fussier way to open your phone and it’ll be a real hassle if you need to remove your gloves to use it in winter. It’s also less than ideal for left-handed people.

Plus, anyone who’s used to unlocking secure apps with a quick face scan will find it a significant downgrade.

And, if you’ve programmed your iPhone Action button with shortcuts to your favourite apps or features, you’re in for a disappointment with the Duo. It will not feature an Action button at all.

Surprisingly, however it does feature MagSafe charging. This was anticipated to some degree as the Duo’s build is based on the iPhone Air, whose similarly large camera plateau houses camera components and the logic board to keep the rest of the chassis slim. The iPhone Air, of course, also features MagSafe.

What’s in a name?

The Duo has a completely different form factor to the classic candy bar iPhone. So, it’s natural that it has have different strengths and weaknesses. It’s likely to excel as a device to watch movies and TV shows on, and for productivity, as you can open a different app in each half of the main screen.

Price aside, part of the reason that people had specific expectations of the Duo is that, before it was announced, it was generally known as the Ultra.

In the Apple ecosystem, Ultra is the term that denotes ultra-premium products, above the Pro tier. With that name comes expectations of the highest specs. In other words, Apple’s first foldable was not being perceived as a variant – it was expected to be the best of the best in every respect.

But the Duo won’t be the best model for everyone. And those who want a phone that folds out into something like an iPad mini may not mind those compromises.

The iPhone Duo will be available to pre-order from 16 October, shipping from 23 October.

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