I swapped my iPhone 17 Pro Max for the iPhone Duo for 2 weeks: The good, the bad and the baffling

(Image credit: Tom's Guide) It’s one thing to test out a phone for a review, but it’s another to ditch your everyday phone for a foldable — especially one that still feels unfinished in some ways. Don’t get me wrong, the iPhone Duo at times feels magical, especially when I used it to binge watch Netflix on its massive screen during a flight and when regularly multitasking with two apps side by side (finally).But during my two-week experiment of swapping out my iPhone 17 Pro Max for the iPhone Duo I did question whether I would upgrade to this device and spend $2,000 for it. Here’s what I really like about Apple’s first foldable so far, what needs work, and what it’s really like to live with it as your daily driver.The GoodI’m using the multiple modes often, including tent and tabletop (Image credit: Tom's Guide)Apple has done an awesome job making the iPhone Duo as versatile as possible with its design. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the hinge holds various angles well and the software morphs as you bend the device.While on a recent business trip, I used the tent position to turn the Duo into my alarm clock in Standby mode. I also like to use the tabletop mode for FaceTime calls, as I usually like to pace around the room while I talk. My family likes to say I have “ants in my pants” so this helps!The main 7.6-inch display is awesome for watching content (especially on a plane) (Image credit: Tom's Guide)I just traveled back from Los Angeles for the Apple “Pro and Tell” event, and the in-flight internet was so slow I just gave up on doing work. (Come on, Starlink!)So instead I sat back, relaxed and caught up on ‘The Diplomat.’ It was awesome having a 7.6-inch screen at my disposal to watch the intrigue unfold. And I got really sucked into the action during a particularly perilous episode, with rich colors and lots of detail. (Image credit: Tom's Guide)Another plus is the YouTube TV app. I love being able to watch four channels at once in a grid view, just as you can with Android foldables.Sign up to the Tom's iGuide weekly newsletter with coverage on everything from product launches to software updates, this is your go-to source for the latest updates on all the best Apple content.Split View multitasking saves me time (Image credit: Tom's Guide)Yes, it’s long overdue, but I really appreciate being able to run apps side by side. For example, I get emails all the time about upcoming meetings and appointments, and I like being able to pull up Gmail in one window next to Google Calendar in another. It just makes my day easier.I also upload images all the time to our dedicated photo room in Slack, and it’s great that I can just drag and drop images from the Photos app into this chat. Plus, you can just tap the middle of this split view to save the app pair.It’s almost too good for TikTok and Instagram Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Tom's Guide) If you’re addicted to doom scrolling, you might not want to get the iPhone Duo… It’s that addictive. Videos look pretty good on the cover screen, but on the big screen they’re way more immersive in portrait mode. And it’s especially cool that you can see the comments on the right when in landscape mode and they stay up as you keep scrolling.The cameras are great (if you can live without zoom) (Image credit: Tom's Guide)I’ve been generally impressed with the iPhone Duo’s cameras, despite the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens. For example, the Duo took a gorgeous shot of the Los Angeles skyline just after sunset with deep blue, orange, yellow and red all coming through. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom's Guide) The iPhone Duo also did a great job of taking this shot of pumpkins in a large cornucopia, bringing out a surprising amount of detail in the shadows.The BadIt feels heavy in my front pocket (Image credit: Tom's Guide)One of the benefits of the iPhone Duo is that it’s compact enough when closed that you can slip it into your front pocket. And it fits just fine. But I noticed while walking around that it weighed down that pocket.The actual weight difference isn’t huge at 8.96 ounces (254 grams) for the iPhone Duo versus 8.22 ounces (233 grams) for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but it’s enough to be noticeable and a bit annoying. I had to tighten my belt an extra notch so my pants wouldn’t fall down, and in many cases I wound up putting the Duo in my back pocket instead.Turning the phone breaks the multitasking view Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom's Guide) I give Apple some credit for making Split View multitasking on the iPhone Duo so intuitive. You just swipe up on an app and park it on the left or right side, then add another app.However, the moment you flip from landscape to portrait view the app pair goes away. This is not the case on Samsung’s Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra. The only multitasking you can do in portrait mode is putting a video window on top of another open app.Taking photos feels awkward on the big screen (Image credit: Tom's Guide)I really loved reviewing and showing off photos I took on the iPhone Duo on its big display, but taking photos feels awkward. And it’s not just because the display is so large. I actually would like a large viewfinder at times.The problem is that the Duo takes portrait photos in landscape mode and landscape mode pics in portrait mode, which is counterintuitive. You get used to it but it’s disorientating at first.The volume buttons are in the wrong place (Image credit: Tom's Guide)If I was designing the iPhone Duo 2, the first thing I would do is move the volume buttons. They’re on the top of the phone, which I find awkward to use. It’s not too bad with the phone closed but it’s of a stretch with the main display open. Personally, I would rather lose the Camera Control button or put that up top instead.The BafflingToo many apps are not optimized yet (Image credit: Tom's Guide)While many developers have been updating their apps for the iPhone Duo at a fairly fast clip, I’m bewildered that so many apps are not optimized at all.For example, Google Calendar is a downright disaster on the iPhone Duo. There are huge black bars on the left and right side. The same thing goes for Google Drive. Google has optimized other apps. For example, YouTube and YouTube TV show the whole screen. (Image credit: Tom's Guide)But even Gmail is half-assed on the Duo. It fills the display but you don’t get a two-column layout like you do on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. LinkedIn is another example. You would think they would have updated their app by now.The right-hand menus just waste real estate (Image credit: Tom's Guide)I can see why Apple chose to move the dock to the right side and menus and controls for apps. With such a wide front display, it would be tricky to reach across to the bottom left, for example. But that doesn’t mean this UI change is a success.When you have just 5.4 inches to play with, taking up that much room in every app seems like a waste. Check out Instagram, for example, which has been fully optimized on the iPhone Duo. The right-hand strip means there’s less room for watching videos compared to the Fold 8.The situation is even worse with apps that have a black bar on the right side, such as TikTok. And then you have apps whose right-hand menu covers the content as you scroll. Maybe Apple should just move all the controls to the bottom and allow developers to hide them, revealing them with a swipe or tap?Bottom Line (Image credit: Tom's Guide)After giving up my iPhone 17 Pro Max for the iPhone Duo for two weeks, I feel like Apple has delivered a foldable phone that is (mostly) well designed. I really like having a huge display on the go that folds up into a more compact design. It’s like having an iPad Mini in your pocket, even if it weighs me down a little.I also like the quality cameras, split-view multitasking, and consuming vertical video. However, I’m pretty shocked that very high profile developers have not fully updated their apps yet, which can make the Duo feel unfinished. And I don’t agree with some of Apple’s own design and UI decisions.Do I think you should wait for an iPhone Duo 2? Not necessarily. I think the iPhone Duo is compelling, but I might wait for Apple and its partners to work out some of the early kinks before forking over two grand. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Alternatively, you can read our content on the Tom's Guide app available now for iOS and Android. More from Tom's GuideiPhone Duo 2 is inevitable — and these are the 7 things we want to seeiPad mini 8 hands-on: I like it even more than iPhone DuoI’ve tested the iPhone Duo, Galaxy Z Fold 8, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and Razr Fold — here’s the foldable phone I recommend Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.