MacRumors has published a follow-up look at the iPhone Duo after a week of daily use, and the verdict from videographer Dan Barbera is largely positive. According to the report by Juli Clover, the foldable is the device he has been most excited about in a long time, and he plans to keep using it.
Battery and everyday use
Battery life lands between the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max, according to the write-up, which says most people should expect to get through a full day. The small outer display earns praise for handling notifications, quick replies and scrolling without unfolding the phone. Opened up, the larger inner screen supports multitasking, and Barbera says he likes running a video alongside an app in portrait orientation.
Biometrics and software
Touch ID is described as easy to find, and unlocking with an Apple Watch works much like Face ID does on other iPhones. Not every app has been updated for the Duo's layout yet, though the report says the situation is improving. One bright spot is the Wider extension, which stretches the Safari window to the edges of the outer display, something the article calls a big improvement. MacRumors expects more accommodations as developers and users adjust to the new form factor.
Drawbacks
The cameras are described as "just okay," and people who lean heavily on zoom will probably miss a telephoto lens. The review also touches on the inner-display problem that has been in the news, in which a bright white line appears across one side of the screen. Apple says only a small number of units are affected. The article notes that the hinge problem behind reported cracks seems to show up soon after purchase, so a unit that is still fine after a week is unlikely to develop it. MacRumors says it has not had a display crack of its own, and it acknowledges that it is hard to judge how many buyers are affected.
What it means
The report is one reviewer's experience over a single week, not a lab test, and it does not include durability testing. Still, it gives an early picture of how the first foldable iPhone holds up in daily life: strong battery and a useful outer screen, offset by a modest camera system and an app ecosystem that is still catching up. Apple's earlier notice to stores about the display issue remains the main open question for prospective buyers.
Source: MacRumors, "iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later," October 30, 2026.
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