As Apple\u2019s customary 14-day return window came to a close, I reached out to a few people to learn more about why they brought their new Duos back. Some of it felt familiar<\/a> \u2014 the outer screen is small, the cameras aren\u2019t great \u2014 but other reasons were a little more surprising. Like the fact that the Duo\u2019s whole proposition as a two-in-one device is sometimes a con, not a pro.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I can have an iPad in my pocket, that would be great.\u201d So thought Ben Seligson<\/a>, a content creator, photographer, and now former iPhone Duo owner. After spending some time with the phone, he discovered that having a phone that\u2019s also your iPad wasn\u2019t always ideal. With two separate devices, Seligson told me, \u201cUsually I\u2019d throw a YouTube video on the iPad or throw a podcast up. And then I start cooking dinner and leave my iPad in one spot, but I\u2019d have my phone in my pocket if I got a text, or I needed to set a timer or something like that.\u201d With the Duo, the phone was also the iPad on the counter, so a quick reply became much more of an interruption.<\/p>\n \u201cIt didn\u2019t feel like the same phone everyone\u2019s had for the last 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n Less surprising: A couple of Duo owners I talked to weren\u2019t interested enough in the form factor to try an Android foldable. Not for a lack of curiosity; rather, the iPhone lock-in feels too strong. Michael Hayes, another former Duo owner, says, \u201cI used to flip back and forth between Android and iOS about 10 years ago, and I think I still have a Pixel in a drawer somewhere \u2026 Unless something massive changes, I\u2019m locked into the ecosystem now.\u201d Seligson has been tempted by Samsung\u2019s foldables in the past. \u201cA year ago when the Fold 7 came out I was kind of thinking about it,\u201d he says. \u201cBut my whole family uses FaceTime; I\u2019m on FaceTime with them all the time. I\u2019ve got the Mac, I\u2019ve got the iPad. So there\u2019s just too many reasons not to try it.\u201d Both Hayes and Seligson switched back to slab-style iPhones rather than other foldables.<\/p>\n Fayethe Vongsouvanh<\/a>, an art director, envisioned using the Duo for editing photos and planning their wedding. They had the misfortune of a cracked screen on the second day of owning the Duo. \u201cAt the time, I was at home recovering from hand surgery, so I knew there was no way I was too rough with it,\u201d says Vongsouvanh. They were able to get a replacement quickly, but a number of other quirks led them to return that one, too. Weight was the biggest factor. \u201cThe phone is just too heavy and bulky for my daily use,\u201d they say.<\/p>\n Even though things didn\u2019t work out, the Duo seems to have had an impact on the people I spoke to. \u201cThere\u2019s a specialness that the Duo has that I kind of miss,\u201d says Seligson. \u201cIt felt different, and it didn\u2019t feel like the same phone everyone\u2019s had for the last ten years.\u201d Spending time with the Duo has inspired others to look at old form factors with a fresh perspective. Vongsouvanh enjoyed writing and drawing with the Duo\u2019s inner screen and an Apple Pencil and has been inspired to pick up an older device more often. \u201cI\u2019ll definitely start using my old iPad Pro with a Paperlike screen protector more often,\u201d they say. For Hayes, the Duo led him to downsize. \u201cIf there\u2019s one thing the Duo did, it steered me toward the regular Pro instead of the Pro Max this time because it felt comically big after using the Duo.\u201d Maybe small phones have a chance after all.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re still waiting for your Duo, there\u2019s some good news; Apple\u2019s holiday return policy kicked in on November 6th, so anyone who\u2019s just getting their phone will have until January 8th, 2027, to return it for a full refund. Even if you don\u2019t end up keeping the phone, you\u2019re probably in for a good time. I\u2019m still using it as my daily driver a few weeks later, and it keeps managing to surprise me with new tricks<\/a>. 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