Will the iPhone Duo Be Apple’s Next Vision Pro?

Whether the iPhone Duo will sell or not is anyone’s guess. My prediction: it’ll end up on the same shelf as the Vision Pro. Here’s why I think so.

• Samsung and Chinese manufacturers have been making phones with this form factor for years. I have nothing but respect for their innovation and engineering expertise. The first commercial foldable smartphones arrived back in 2019: the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X. Both were great devices, by the way. And even after several years, foldables still account for only around 1–2% of the global smartphone market. Microsoft also tried to enter the space with its Surface Duo in 2020, although it had a completely different concept, with two separate screens. Still, Microsoft does seem to have a knack for missing out on potentially explosive, interesting markets. Google has been trying to establish its Pixel Fold in the segment since 2023. I’ve never seen one in person, and I’m not exactly disappointed about that.

• In my subjective opinion, the phone doesn’t look particularly fashionable yet. I believe in Apple’s marketing, and soon the phone will be starring in every Apple TV and Netflix series. But you can’t get very far on unfolding animations alone. It’ll be hard to outdo the success of the Motorola Razr, the ultra-slim flip phone that was once the height of fashion. And the Razr entered an already established flip-phone market and still managed to become a huge fashion hit. On the other hand, there are the nearly useless Apple Watches, which need to be charged every day, yet managed to grab a pretty decent share of the wearable-device market, thanks entirely to Apple’s marketing heavy artillery. They’ve earned themselves a respectable place in the Church of Saint Jobs.

• Use cases. So what are you supposed to do with it? Consume content? There’s the iPad, which I personally barely use. Do something more serious? That’s what the Mac lineup is for. For everything else, there’s the classic, brick-like iPhone, whose design changes at a very leisurely pace. Maybe you could pull it out of your purse at a trendy venue. But how many people who actually use their gadgets for productivity will want to buy one instead of an iPhone + iPad combo? Why pay extra for a foldable screen, two batteries, and a hinge of questionable reliability? I’m also curious how it’ll work as a navigation device, say, mounted on a motorcycle or bicycle. Folded or unfolded?

But developers, vibe coders, and everyone involved with the App Store, brace yourselves.

The day will soon come when Apple starts requiring us to support every possible contortion of the phone. And not just in code, but in screenshots for App Store Connect, too.

All of this for what will most likely be a niche device. Start setting aside resources for adaptation, even if you’re just shipping a minor update.

Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines: Designing for iPhone Duo