MTG: The iPhone Duo, the Crease and Why I'm Testing the Z Fold 8
Apple has announced the iPhone Duo, and the first question is not whether it folds.
Apparently, it does.
The first question is: how much are we expected to pay for the privilege?
Watch the original More Than Gadgets video on YouTube.
A quick note before we get into it: this article is based on what Andrew says in the video. It is not a hands-on review of the iPhone Duo, and no independent testing has been carried out here. Some of the product details in the video come from speech-to-text and are uncertain, so they are presented as Andrew’s comments and impressions rather than confirmed market facts.
The price has caused a reaction
Andrew’s first reaction to the iPhone Duo was fairly clear: what on earth were Apple thinking?
The video describes a top version in “2 TBTE” format at more than £3,000. That wording is uncertain in the transcript, as is the precise pricing of the entry version. Andrew’s view is that even the basic model, described as having 256GB of storage, would be around the £2,000 mark, with AppleCare potentially pushing it beyond that.
Those figures should not be treated as independently verified pricing in this article. They are Andrew’s understanding of the announcement as discussed in the video.
Even after thinking about it more calmly, though, the price remains the difficult bit. Andrew points out that the Duo is not completely detached from Apple’s existing high-end pricing. He compares it with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, although the transcript contains uncertain wording around those products and their exact specifications.
The wider point is easier to follow.
Apple has created a new, more complicated device. It folds. It has a larger inner display. It is expected to do more than a conventional phone. None of that makes the price painless.
A new category is still a purchase. The bill does not become theoretical just because the hinge is clever.
The crease is still the thing everyone is looking at
Andrew has been using the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for around a week and a half. His description is fairly measured: the crease is negligible, but it is still there.
You can feel it if you run your finger across the display. You can also see it in certain conditions. When watching a film or a YouTube video, however, Andrew says it largely disappears during normal use.
That is the important distinction. A foldable display does not necessarily need to be physically flat to be perfectly usable. It needs to stop demanding attention.
The iPhone Duo appears to be taking a slightly different approach. Andrew describes the inner display as having an anti-reflective coating, which he compares with the nano-texture-style finish found on some iPad Pro and MacBook Pro displays.
His theory is that Apple has used this finish to reduce the visibility of the crease.
That is Andrew’s interpretation, not a confirmed explanation from Apple. The thinking is fairly simple: if the crease is most noticeable because it catches reflections, then reducing reflections should make the crease less obvious.
It is a sensible theory. It is also still a theory.
The difference matters because technology coverage often turns a reasonable explanation into a fact within about three paragraphs. We shall resist that temptation.
The iPhone Duo may have a less visible crease. It may simply be using a display finish that makes the crease less noticeable in everyday lighting. Until people have used the device properly and independently tested it, we do not know how well that approach works over time.
Bigger screens, longer battery claims and a less impressive camera
Andrew discusses several other features in the video, including an outer display he believes is around 5.4 inches and an inner display around 7.6 inches when opened. He also refers to brightness figures, ProMotion at 120Hz, more than 30 hours of video playback and the A20 chip.
Because the transcript contains uncertainty around the precise figures and terminology, these should be treated as details from Andrew’s video rather than confirmed specifications in this article.
The battery claim is the one that catches his attention. Andrew describes the iPhone Duo as achieving around 31 hours of video playback while open, which he compares with the iPhone 17 Pro mentioned in the video.
His reaction is understandable. A much larger screen normally sounds like the sort of thing that would make battery life nervous. If the claim holds up in independent testing, it would be impressive.
But that is the important phrase: if the claim holds up in independent testing.
The camera is where Andrew is more cautious. He says the inner-display camera is one of the under-display types and may be fine for FaceTime, but he would not expect it to deliver flagship photography.
Again, this is Andrew’s opinion from the video, not the result of independent camera testing.
That seems like a reasonable buyer concern. Someone spending several thousand pounds on a phone may expect every camera to be excellent. If the inner camera is mainly there for video calls and basic use, that may be perfectly acceptable. It just needs to be understood before handing over the money.
A folding phone is still full of compromises. It is simply a more expensive way of discovering them.
Why the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is back out of the drawer
The pricing of the iPhone Duo pushed Andrew back towards the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
He had put it away, but has now brought it back out and started a 30-day test looking at whether it is possible to move from iOS to Windows and Android.
That is the more interesting test than simply asking which phone has the best specification sheet.
Changing phones can mean changing habits. It can mean changing how files are handled, how messages appear, how work moves between devices and how comfortable the whole process feels after the novelty has worn off.
It is one thing to admire a foldable phone in a shop. It is another to use it for a month and discover that the device you actually rely on most is still the one sitting in the drawer.
Andrew says there will be a follow-up video on Wednesday covering how the experiment is going. That should provide a more useful comparison than any launch-day excitement.
The iPhone Duo may have an impressive design. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 may have a more visible crease. The real question is which one makes everyday life easier.
Will More Than Gadgets buy one?
Possibly.
Andrew says the channel may buy one, or perhaps source one second-hand through Computer Exchange. There is no promise here, and there is no suggestion that anyone should rush out and place an order because a technology channel is curious about a product.
The reason for considering it is straightforward: More Than Gadgets exists to test and discuss technology, and it is difficult to do that properly without eventually using the thing.
But there is a difference between buying a product to investigate it and recommending that everyone else buy it.
At the moment, the sensible position is to wait.
Wait for independent hands-on testing. Wait to see how the crease behaves under different lighting. Wait for proper camera comparisons. Wait to see how the hinge and display hold up beyond the first few days. Then decide whether the real-world benefits justify the cost.
Do not upgrade merely because a new product has been announced.
New chips do not automatically mean new equipment
The iPhone Duo discussion also leads into a broader point about Apple’s products.
Andrew says his M4 MacBook Pro is already more powerful than he needs. He has no intention of replacing it simply because a newer chip arrives. He makes a similar point about the M5 MacBook Air, which he describes as another device with excellent battery life and more than enough performance for his needs.
The transcript also mentions a new Mac mini chip, although the wording is uncertain.
The point remains sound: products are now so fast that the arrival of another chip does not necessarily change how most people use them.
If you are buying a new computer, buying the latest version may make sense. If your existing computer works well, does everything you need and is not causing a problem, replacing it may simply be an expensive way of making the same coffee using a newer machine.
The same applies to phones.
A folding screen may genuinely change how you work. A better camera may be important to you. A longer battery life may solve a real problem. Those are reasons to upgrade.
A new badge on the box is not.
A small channel milestone
More Than Gadgets has reached 100 subscribers and then gained another 50 or so within roughly a week and a half.
Andrew is rightly pleased with that. It may not sound enormous in a world where people discuss audiences in the hundreds of thousands, but every channel starts somewhere. Fifty real people choosing to follow along is still fifty people.
The stated target is 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers by February. Andrew describes that as an ambition rather than a guarantee. If it takes longer, the channel will carry on.
There is also no forced request to like, subscribe and follow. That is not the style here.
The channel is still about walking around a field that Andrew does not own, looking at technology and trying to work out what is going on. Sometimes the answer is obvious. Sometimes it is hidden behind a crease, a new chip or a price tag that requires a sit-down.
The buyer’s takeaway
The iPhone Duo may be an important product for Apple. It may offer a less visible crease, a large inner display and a genuinely different way to use an iPhone.
But none of that makes it an automatic purchase.
The details discussed in the video need independent verification. The display needs proper hands-on testing. The camera needs testing. The battery claims need testing. The price needs to be weighed against what you already own and what problem the new device is supposed to solve.
If your current phone works, wait.
If you need a foldable and the iPhone Duo’s approach genuinely suits you, investigate it properly.
And if you are tempted simply because it is new, put the credit card down and go for a walk. Preferably somewhere you do not own.
if anything I've said today struck a chord with you and you'd like a chat or if you have a particular challenge with energy, power & infrastructure, business generally or you might like to use the studio, drop me an email at andrew@aelhawley.com - if you've watched the video version of this blog you can drop a comment below and, I think I'm supposed to say like and subscribe but I won't. See you on Sunday in the field.. that to be clear, isnt my garden.