iPhone Duo — I ranked the 7 trade-offs you need to know before you pre-order

The iPhone Duo is the most expensive phone Apple has ever made, and for good reason.You get a compact 5.4-inch phone and tablet in one device with a huge 7.6-inch nano-texture display. And Apple promises unparalleled durability in the Duo’s design along with a new software experience that takes multitasking to the next level — and makes the most of all the positions you can put this foldable in.But it’s only fair to call out the compromises for this foldable phone versus other flagship phones, including Apple’s own iPhone 18 Pro Max that I just reviewed.What annoys me is that people are already lumping all of the missing features and trade-offs into a list of “dealbreakers” as if they’re all of equal value. Spoiler: they’re not.As we get closer to the Oct. 16 iPhone Duo pre-order date, I think it’s worth sense checking these trade-offs. I’m scoring each trade-off on a scale of 1-10 to tell you what’s an annoyance versus an actual dealbreaker.No telephoto zoom: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 8/10 (Image credit: Future)There’s no getting around it. The iPhone Duo’s 2x optical quality zoom is not the same thing as having a dedicated telephoto lens. You’re getting that zoom via cropping on the 48MP main sensor. If you want to get closer to the action, you’ll max out at just 10x digital zoom.Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max both have 4x telephoto lenses with 8x optical quality zooms. And you get a 40x digital zoom. If you like to zoom in a lot when shooting pics, don’t get the Duo.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.No Face ID: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 7/10It’s understandable why the iPhone Duo doesn’t have Face ID given that there’s less space for all of the sensors that are required for it, but it’s still a bummer because it’s such an easy way to unlock your phone. And Face ID is better than any face unlock solution on any Android phone.Instead, you get a Touch ID sensor built into the power button on the right side. At least I’m fairly confident it will work well based on how reliable Touch ID is on the MacBook, iPad and previous iPhones.Weight: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 6/10 (Image credit: Tom's Guide / Jeff Parsons)The iPhone Duo is certainly compact enough to slip into your front pocket, but it’s definitely heftier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Apple’s main foldable rival.Weighing 8.96 ounces, the Duo is the heaviest iPhone yet and slightly heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s 8.78 ounces.The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the portability champ, weighing just 7.09 ounces. You really notice it in the hand.But it’s worth keeping in mind that the iPhone Duo packs in some features that to many will be worth the extra weight, including IP68 durability, a vapor chamber and a digitizer layer on the display to support Apple Pencil input.Price: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 5/10 (Image credit: Tom's Guide / Jeff Parsons)You might have thought I would have ranked the high $2,000 price of the Duo higher on this list of dealbreakers. But it’s really more of a dealbreaker for the category as opposed to this particular phone.After all, most foldable phones like this are in the same range. The Galaxy Fold 8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold are $100 less. Still, the price certainly skyrockets as you add more storage. We’re talking $2,200 for 512GB, $2,599 for 1TB and a whopping $3,200 for 2TB. Though the competition makes out at 1TB.Less battery life than iPhone 18 Pro Max: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 4/10Based on Apple’s own estimates, the iPhone Duo is going to last less than the iPhone 18 Pro Max in a charge. And that makes sense because the Duo’s dual battery system has to power a larger display.Apple claims the iPhone Duo will last 24 hours with regular use versus 30 hours for the 18 Pro Max. But that gap grows with video playback, with the Duo rated for 31 hours and the Pro Max 45 hours. You can get up to 44 hours on the Duo’s small display.Under-display camera: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 3.5/10 (Image credit: Tom's Guide)Apple decided to give the iPhone Duo an under display FaceTime camera while other companies have ditched them due to quality issues. Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’d say it looks good enough for video calls but you'll want to use the front 12MP camera or even the main 48MP camera for selfies.Lacks variable aperture and Pro Controls: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 3/10It’s a bummer that the variable aperture main camera is limited to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. It does give you more flexibility when shooting.But the bigger annoyance for me is that Apple didn’t grace the Duo with Pro controls. Why not make it easier to control shutter speed, white balance and more?Bottom lineWhen you add it all up the only real iPhone Duo dealbreaker for me is the lack of a telephoto zoom. And while I really wish it had Face ID, I can live with Touch ID.But what about you? Are there any iPhone Duo dealbreakers high on your list or do you plan to buy despite any trade-offs? Let us know in the comments.