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After years of waiting, the iPhone Duo has finally arrived, and as positive as the reception to Apple’s first foldable has been, it’s far from a perfect phone. The Duo is definitely an excellent first attempt, but there are a few things about the phone that we would change.
While there isn’t much Apple can do about it right now, it does mean there are plenty of options to upgrade the inevitable iPhone Duo 2. We know it’s coming at some point, and the insane demand for the foldable means Apple wants the sequel to be ready as soon as possible.
With that in mind, here are seven things we want Apple to do with the iPhone Duo 2.
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Add Face ID
One of the things that annoyed people the most was that the iPhone Duo lacked Face ID. It’s been an important part of Apple flagships for nearly a decade, and the idea that it’s missing directly conflicts with Apple’s long-standing claims that Face ID was a much more secure system than Touch ID.
It is not clear why the foldable Face ID is missing, but the good news is that the follow-up should come with Apple’s trademark facial recognition system. According to Mark Gurman, Apple has already started testing a version of the Duo that has Face ID support, and that it should be part of an under display camera. It is not clear if this means that the cover display camera will also be under the display, or if we will only see hidden Face ID.
Give us a telephoto lens
Apple makes some of the best camera phones, and offers what it calls “optical quality” zoom on the duo’s main camera, but that doesn’t account for a dedicated telephoto lens. We checked, and compared to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the quality of enlarged photos is so much worse on the iPhone Duo.
It is possible to have a telephoto lens that folds out to a wide one, although Apple and Samsung have decided to go without. Xiaomi’s 18 Fold has a triple-lens camera, complete with a 50MP telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom. If Xiaomi can do it, Apple can, and it would help elevate the iPhone Duo 2’s camera capabilities far beyond what’s currently on offer.
More optimized apps
One of the main problems with the iPhone Duo is that the app optimization is pretty terrible. This is not exactly Apple’s fault, and it mainly stems from the fact that developers have been spoiled by set display sizes and aspect ratios for many years – meaning that the uniquely shaped and transformable iPhone Duo is automatically at a disadvantage.
There are many optimized apps on offer, but there are many more that are not, and that needs to change quickly. Because of a lack of optimized apps, some users will wonder why they bothered to spend $2,000 on a folding bar if you can’t use the screen fully.
So Apple must push these developers to optimize well before the iPhone Duo 2 launch. Because what good is having a walled garden if you can’t push the developers to support all your devices?
Better display colors
While many people may be critical of the fact that the iPhone Duo is only available in black or white, there is a bigger color issue that needs to be fixed for the Duo 2. I’m talking about the image quality on the foldable screen which, thanks to the nano-texture display, has much more muted colors than most people expect (or like).
While this issue seems to stem from the light-diffusing nano-texture layer, it’s something that Apple really needs to sort out going forward. Displays are one of the most important parts of a foldable phone, and offering such an expensive device with even slightly muted colors on the big screen is not good.
A lighter weight design
The iPhone Duo is a heavy thing, and at 8.96 ounces, it’s actually the heaviest iPhone Apple has ever made. In direct contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which is a larger device, is 7.58 ounces, while the passport-shaped Z Fold 8 is just 7.09 ounces. Considering Apple is a company that prides itself on sleek aesthetics, that’s about to change.
Considering a folding bar is effectively two phones glued together, and has a ring of MagSafe magnets in the back, there are limits to how much weight a folding bar can shed. After that, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold has lost almost an ounce compared to its predecessors, so it can be done – and without removing the magnetic connection that iPhones are known for.
At least the loss of extra weight will make the phone a little more comfortable to use. Although Apple only manages to shed a fraction of an ounce with the Duo 2.
Better multitasking
One of my biggest questions about the iPhone Duo is why multitasking is so bad. Not only compared to other foldables, but also compared to Apple’s iPads – which offer split-view of up to three app windows at once. The iPhone Duo only offers two apps in landscape mode, and trying to make it work in portrait mode is not easy. Needless to say this will be fixed.
Having the ability to expand your device and have access to a larger screen means it’s very useful as a dual-purpose casual and productivity device. The problem is that productivity often depends on how easy it is to access multiple app windows on a single screen, and a two-app split-view just doesn’t cut it—especially if it only works in a single-screen orientation.
So if Apple wants to ensure that users can make the most of that big screen, and be productive when they want to be, then the iPhone Duo 2 needs to increase the multitasking experience in a big way.
Desktop mode
Also, it’s about time Apple implemented a true desktop mode experience on all iPhones — especially iPhone Duo. Currently, iOS is limited to screen mirroring, which contrasts with the optimized large-screen experience provided by Samsung DeX and Google’s Android OS
Working on a tablet screen on the go is fine, but it doesn’t really work so well when you’re sitting at your desk trying to maximize your workflow. A larger desktop screen, complete with a keyboard and mouse, would make this much easier. It’s pretty niche, especially since Apple would rather you buy just one kind of Mac, but there may be situations where owning your own computer isn’t possible — meaning a desktop-capable smartphone is the next best thing.
Even the heaviest iPhone Apple has ever made is more portable than a laptop (or an iPad), and adding a desktop mode could make it even more versatile than before. For casual work, at least. An iPhone Duo won’t replace a Mac Studio or even a MacBook Pro anytime soon.
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