I took two iPhones on vacation: Review of iPhone Duo

Making the switch to a completely new smartphone form factor always comes with psychological switching costs, especially when moving from a high-end flagship to an experimental device. Sarah Perez, a technology reporter at TechCrunch, received a review unit of the new iPhone Duo from Apple just in time for her five-day vacation. Deciding to use her iPhone 17 Pro Max as a safety net, she packed both phones to see how the novel device would hold up in real-world travel scenarios.

Unboxing the Duo initially sparked genuine intrigue despite her years of testing various gadgets as a tech journalist. However, the short, squat, and novel design felt off-putting at first compared to the familiar thin rectangular shape of traditional iPhones. Admitting she considered switching back to her main phone multiple times during the trip due to broken apps, unfamiliar gestures, and camera concerns, she ultimately found herself growing comfortable with the Duo by the end of the journey.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

To her surprise, the device proved exceptionally rugged. Carrying phones in her back pocket often led to accidentally sitting on the device countless times while walking around, yet the chassis did not break. Furthermore, she accidentally dropped the phone at least three times from table height and bedside onto hard surfaces including concrete, tile, and wood floors without cracking the screen or breaking the device.

Despite the physical durability, software frustrations did arise. The small outer screen required more scrolling through text threads, unoptimized apps hid key controls behind menu dots, and the Google Search app repeatedly froze when forced into its AI mode without user request, requiring force-closes to recover. Apps lacking Duo optimization displayed telltale black side bars, though they remained functional for navigation tasks like using Google Maps.