{"id":810374,"date":"2026-10-22T13:10:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T13:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/810374\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T13:10:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T13:10:20","slug":"test-driving-an-iphone-duo-6-things-to-try-at-the-apple-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/810374\/","title":{"rendered":"Test Driving an iPhone Duo? 6 Things to Try at the Apple Store"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you weren\u2019t able to preorder an iPhone Duo last week, you\u2019re out of luck until January<\/a> \u2014 but come Friday, you\u2019ll finally be able to walk into an Apple Store and try out the new foldable phone<\/a>. It\u2019s possibly the most exciting product the company has released in a long time. Whether you want to try it before you buy or are just curious about how it works and feels in your hands, the wait is almost over.<\/p>\n

But what should you be looking to do when you actually pick up the iPhone Duo<\/a>? While the foldable phone might have a fun, unique design, you may run into things you\u2019re unfamiliar with \u2014 or even dislike \u2014 when using it day to day. You\u2019ll want to be confident that the device is a good fit for your needs before plunking down $2,000 or more for the folding phone.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to break down a series of things you should check out<\/a> when you finally get to play with it at the Apple Store.<\/p>\n

The opening animation<\/p>\n

\"TheThe iPhone Duo\u2019s unfolding animation is neat.Celso Bulgatti\/CNET<\/p>\n

When the Duo<\/a> was first revealed, Apple showed off a very intriguing animation<\/a> when you unfold the it. Leave it to Apple to make a function so simple look so aesthetically pleasing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll likely be the first thing you notice when you first open the Duo<\/a> up to see its inner display, and there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll continue to open and close the device to see the effect. At the end of the day, it\u2019s a parlor trick \u2014 but a very good one, adding delight to ordinary use.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Admire the matte screen and minimal crease<\/p>\n

Foldables, well, fold, and they typically come with creases. The Duo<\/a> has a minimal crease<\/a> and a matte display, both of which are wins. That said, even the most noticeable creases tend to \u201cdisappear\u201d when you\u2019re viewing content \u2014 you just get used to them while watching TV shows or YouTube videos. The Duo\u2019s minimal crease should be even easier to ignore.<\/p>\n

And let\u2019s not forget about the matte screen. Several foldables ship with glossy displays, but the iPhone Duo<\/a> will have a less shiny screen, making it easier to view in bright environments without annoying reflections.<\/p>\n

\"NetflixApple demonstrated how Netflix will be optimized for the Duo\u2019s displays \u2014 from the cover screen to the main display to this half-open configuration with controls on the bottom half. Celso Bulgatti\/CNET<\/p>\n

Watch videos<\/p>\n

The outer passport-size display on the iPhone Duo<\/a> may be a little awkward for watching videos because of how it crops content to fit the new aspect ratio. Still, it\u2019s handy to prop the phone up in tent mode and watch shows that way. You also have a large inner display to work with, but because of its passport-style design, even that screen has a different aspect ratio than the widescreen format people are used to on regular phones, so there will likely be some letterboxing in videos.<\/p>\n

Try watching something with the phone set up in both ways to see if it bothers you enough to dissuade you from buying the phone.<\/p>\n

Again, it\u2019s not an iPhone Duo<\/a> issue\u00a0but a\u00a0foldable phone<\/a>\u00a0issue \u2014 the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8<\/a> is the same size and format. The aspect ratio of the display might crop the top or sides of videos, so it\u2019s worth trying out if you expect to watch a lot of full-screen videos.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"DraggingThe Duo supports drag-and-drop functionality when multitasking.Celso Bulgatti\/CNET<\/p>\n

See how apps act in different orientations<\/p>\n

Like videos, apps on foldables can sometimes appear a little weird, and that could be the case with the iPhone Duo<\/a>\u2018s aspect ratio. When you\u2019re at the Apple Store, check out how your most-used apps look and feel on both the inner and outer displays, and make sure you rotate the inner screen to see how apps behave in this orientation, too \u2014 that wide screen could be great for watching vertical videos or scrolling through social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If some apps, such as Instagram, look a little different or are wonky, it\u2019ll hopefully be just a matter of time until the developers make an update that optimizes the experience for this new design. Keep in mind that you can also have two apps open onscreen at once, making it easier to multitask.<\/p>\n

Explore the cameras<\/p>\n

\"TheThe iPhone Duo has two 48-megapixel rear cameras.Celso Bulgatti\/CNET<\/p>\n

If you want the best camera experience on an iPhone right now, you should be looking at the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max<\/a>, but that doesn\u2019t make the Duo a slouch for shooting photos, either.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yes, the Duo is missing a third camera (telephoto), and if that\u2019s important to you, then you probably shouldn\u2019t even be considering Apple\u2019s foldable. But still, if you\u2019re going to shell out this much money for a new phone, test out those cameras \u2014 even if it\u2019s in a controlled environment like an Apple Store.<\/p>\n

Another thing to check out before you pull the trigger is your selfie shots with this new phone. There are two main ways to do this: with the phone closed, holding it up in the regular way you\u2019d take a selfie using the outer screen\u2019s 12-megapixel front-facing camera, or with the inner display open and shooting with the twin 48-megapixel rear cameras (the outer screen will show a preview of the shot).<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a front-facing camera underneath the inner display, which is mostly for video calls \u2014 and which we suspect would produce the least-impressive shots from the device. Try them all and see what you think of the pics. And since you\u2019re at an Apple Store, make sure you delete them afterward.<\/p>\n

\"iphoneApple\/Screenshot by CNET<\/p>\n

Try typing on both displays<\/p>\n

The odd but interesting aspect ratio of the front display on the iPhone Duo may be a little awkward for typing, so it\u2019s best to do a typing test when you have one in front of you. While the inner display will provide a roomier and more comfortable typing experience, you probably won\u2019t want to have to open up the Duo every time you want to shoot off a quick text to someone. If you have bigger hands, typing on the front screen could be a bit of a nightmare.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Typing one-handed on the small cover screen should be manageable, but try it out to see if it works for you. Some may find it convenient; others may find it cumbersome.<\/p>\n

And when you\u2019re typing on the inner display, try the Duo in both portrait and landscape orientations to see which feels better. You can also choose between a split keyboard and larger keys. It\u2019s thoughtful of Apple to offer options that let you tailor the typing experience to your preferences, but you may find that none of them suit your style.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Blake\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBlake has over a decade of experience writing for the web, with a focus on mobile phones, where he covered the smartphone boom of the 2010s and the broader tech scene. When he’s not in front of a keyboard, you’ll most likely find him playing video games or watching horror movies.
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSee full bio\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you weren\u2019t able to preorder an iPhone Duo last week, you\u2019re out of luck until January \u2014…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":810375,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2306,86,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-810374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-mobile","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=810374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810374\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/810375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=810374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=810374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=810374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}