I Returned My iPhone Duo
codakuma.com
codakuma.com
Hard to do otherwise when everything from reviewers to reddit comments are astroturfed.
I switch Android/iOS (and once Windows Mobile) every time I get a new phone (which is when it breaks, usually after 5-6 years), it's always a bit of pain, like now I really miss some iOS features (iPhone mini 12 did not survive the humid jungles of Malaysia), but my Pixel 10 with GrapheneOS has some cool things, like a desktop mode! I'm beginning to appreciate the (in screen) fingerprint reader, but indeed, at first I really missed face-id. Overal Android (at least GrapheneOS) is more like a full computer than iOS. Which has pros and cons. And, hooray for LibrePods ;) (AirPods work without it, but it adds some nice things.)
I also feel a switch to KDE/Konveyor coming up after years of vanilla Gnome...
If you use it in a way that results in visible wear, the seller is allowed to deduct depreciation when you return it; that rarely happens.
meanwhile, my ability to not waste devices is poor. They tend to grow old in a box somewhere in my house until their utility is zilch.
Also, there is a wide range of attachments to money people have. I have seen lots of poor people give money to homeless people, and well-off people who use coupons/gift cards and return things in ways that would make me uncomfortable.
Although it is interesting how amazon treats returns and I wonder if seeing how the sausage is made might affects how people view returns. Oh, and things like grocery stores - they have to throw out returns.
* TouchID (as implemented on Duo specifically) sucks, really hope next gen has FaceID
* Screen ratios make reels-like addictive content less appealing which is great for me
* Inner screen is a game changer for using Agents on the go, absurdly better than a normal phone
I’m keeping mine, the big screen on the go is a completely different level of productivity.
Usually they require a very specific state of the fingers, not too clean (don't work after washing and drying hands usually) and not too dirty, not too damaged, not too oily etc. Winter zero degree weather causing invisible condensation or wetness on a screen? Nope. Rain or drizzle? Nada. Also Samsung specifically on their S-line has some obvious software glitches I've confirmed on my phone. For example - in normal conditions, inside apartment, with reasonably clean hands, try to unlock and fail 5 times in a row, input password, then immediately lock the phone and try scanner once again and it will work realiably. It seems that having phone initially in "sleep/hibernation" causes its scaner brains to freeze and glitch, and only fully operational OS causes it to start working properly.
I can totally see why Apple would opt for a better user experience, even if it's not as hyped or flashy on a shop display.
I don't think you've used one in the last 10 years based on your comment.
>>Usually they require a very specific state of the fingers, not too clean (don't work after washing and drying hands usually) and not too dirty, not too damaged, not too oily etc. Winter zero degree weather causing invisible condensation or wetness on a screen? Nope. Rain or drizzle? Nada.
Literally never had any of these problems and I unlock my phone 50+ times a day in all conditions. Again, try a modern phone and come back.
The oldest phones with underdisplay scanners are from 2018, so 8 years ago max, just saying :) .
My current Oneplus is 3 years old and my current Samsung is also 3 years old. That's not that old by my standards. Maybe something magically improved specifically in the last two years, but I will believe it when I see it. I remember EXACTLY the same phrases in 2020 with new Samsung flagship and newest scanner tech. Then there were EXACTLY the same claims next year in 2021, with yet another Samsung flagship. And fast forward to 2023 and the scanners were still subpar. I don't know, we'll see if they will every improve to the level of standalone scanners.
I'm really hoping they will add face id next gen. I choose the installment purchase just to get the next phone after 11 months offer.
> to using the larger screen instead of Mac
> Screen ratios make reels-like addictive content less appealing which is great for me
Love the device. The inner screen is awesome, glad to finally have a foldable in the Apple ecosystem.
In closed form, it’s tiny, especially with keyboard active. Not something I’d want to be using for more than two minutes, let alone reading or watching videos on. This was my main concern, but I soon realized closed form is “pocket mode” since in my pocket is just about the only time the phone is closed. Occasionally I’ll pull it out and, keeping it closed, select some audio, set up a call, or emoji-react, then put it back. The rest of the time the phone is open, whether I’m out or at home, charging or not.
Another problem is what OP mentions, touch ID. It seemingly jumps around like whack-a-mole because of the 8 possible combinations of (open/closed state) x (orientation). There’s even more dimensions to hammer your muscle memory if you also consider which hand you’re using or whether you’re using it with one versus two hands.
I’m gradually getting used to guessing where the Touch ID is though. I do prefer it for wallet payments since the finger is already on the button. I’ve learned to double-click and verify before making any attempt to tap the phone.
The keyboard in open mode is full-width, and that’s not fun to swipe-type on. I think Apple overlooked this since they omitted the iPad setting to reduce the keyboard size. I expect that’s coming eventually.
As for apps, many third-party apps are still using un-responsive layouts like the early iPad days. Some, e.g., Kindle, are outright non-functional when the phone is open. Certain companies will rave about their AI chops yet they’ve been unable to compose a few magic prompt words to target Duo. This will improve in time.
I’ll live with all these trade-offs for the bigger screen. Reading and video were obvious applications, but using maps when mobile was a pleasant surprise. It feels like folding out an old paper map. It’s very readable in the sun too. I prefer reading on electronic display to e-ink due to the responsiveness, so it’s a big win to have an electronic display that doesn’t suffer from glare.
I think preferences will heavily depends on lifestyle. In particular, people who drive a lot won’t see the same benefits. If you spend a lot of time walking or on public transport, it’s a game changer.
> I think preferences will heavily depends on lifestyle.
Exactly this. I held one at a store for about 30 seconds and it became immediately obvious it wouldn’t fit my lifestyle. Baby held in one arm, phone in the other, no go from the start lol.
But if I'm in the mountains, wearing sunglasses and a winter coat that hugs my chin and a hat that goes down to my eyebrows, face id struggles. I sometimes don't wear gloves in this situation, so touch ID would be usable.
I should add that, in the general case, FaceID works well enough. I'd say it's better than touch id on my iphone 7.
Just feels like a compromise on least bad form factor that apple engineers said was feasible placed at the least bad spot that apple UX designers could come up with.
But that least-bad is still just not great, not “apple great”
My current Android phone (Pixel 7) has both Face Unlock and an on-screen fingerprint scanner. My previous phone (a OnePlus) had Face Unlock along with a rear-mounted fingerprint reader, which was even better.
Unlocking a phone has never felt as effortless on my iPhones; after all these years, it continues to be a nuisance. Face ID is fine, but you have to hold the phone right in front of your face (and its angle sensitivity is far less forgiving than on my Android phones, where it recognizes you even at an angle--unlike the iPhone, where you practically have to hold it parallel to your face).
Plus, there are countless situations where you cannot or do not want to pick up your phone from a table just to align it with your face. In those cases, I am forced to type in my passcode, whereas an on-screen fingerprint scanner would be a billion times more convenient.
I am mostly baffled that such a "solved," trivial problem in the Android ecosystem continues to be a topic or a matter of "choice" on iPhones.
Same excuse behind not having under-screen fingerprint scanners - supposedly they're a lot easier to trick.
Complaining about app support in the first week of release is silly. It will obviously get better very fast. Apple will force developers to make all new updates work well.
If there is an app thay still has the zoom button its extreamly outdated
I modified my app to present its menu on the side for Duo. It's a bit of a pain, but an LLM helps. I am still waiting on user feedback from the field. I feel as if it's fairly ugly.
Personally, I'm in no hurry to get one, myself. I have an iPhone 17 Pro and an iPad Mini, which do it for me now. I would like to combine them, but I'm waiting for the inevitable "teething issues" to work out, first.
I go past a Mac store in London frequently. It is usually very very busy ... apart from their VR headset table that has exactly zero people at it. Its become a bit of a joke for me now to see if there is ever a single customer there. Seems like more than 15billion USD well spent!
Yes
The question isn't whether or not there's value to unlock in the foldables category, it's whether manufacturers can get the product right, and overcome durability concerns among a consumer base that is righteously conservative about durability concerns on high-cost devices that they depend on every day.
When considering questions like these, you can't look at what you want or even what the people you know want. You have to look at the overall statistics.
And given that when the Duo was announced, preorders nearly instantly slipped out by months, I think it's a fair take to say that people want these kinds of devices.
I haven't yet seen one in person, but from what I've seen online, I think it unlikely that I will want one...but I can see what's appealing about them to those who do.
Aside from that, I'm ditching the Pixel Fold and the other iPhone, and going only with the Duo. Love the form factor, got used to it really fast, and reading books and mangas, which is what I use a foldable for, has been a delight.
If only we got a Tachiyomi kind of application for iOS. I'm making it do with Panels[1] and an OPDS-compatible proxy for a manga website[2], but it sucks in comparison to Tachiyomi-like applications.
[2]: Which I still have to open source, but I want to finish the plugin system first.
I wonder how many thousands the author has spent chasing the dragon.
What happens to these returned phones?
Lovely Freudian slip there.
I also massively overthink things. Realistically I should have just said "cool I'll keep it for a year or two and if it's not for me, I won't get another foldable". That's pretty much what my partner said. But unfortunately my brain doesn't work like that (yet!)
seems like the crux of the matter right there.
I need to know that you recognize the irony, here.
Just stop clicking things you're not interested in. It's a self-solving problem if you're not intentionally going out of your way to be a jerk about things for meaningless internet validation.
Author should have known better. They got what they deserved.
Yet another reason why it makes sense to never buying the first version of an Apple product [1], since previously:
> "But once again as I said before, don't buy the first version of an Apple product."
This was Apple's first foldable iPhone. If the price wasn't enough of a deterrent, then the defects should now be even clearer to wait until Apple fixes them in the next version.
[0] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/26/iphone-du...