Apple’s new iPhone Duo: A beneficial purchase or an unreliable scam?

Think Different.

This short slogan has been Apple’s motto since 1997, but lately some OH consumers have begun to wonder if their newest iPhone product which hit the market on Oct. 23, the iPhone Duo, is too different.

This phone contains various features unlike any of Apple’s previous products, including its most notable feature: folding in half. While the iPhone Duo is physically appealing to most, is it worth the costly purchase and potential malfunctions?

For OH senior and iPhone Duo owner, Breckin Trader, it certainly is. 

“[The iPhone Duo is worth the cost] because it’s very different from normal phones,” said Trader, “and it’s high quality.”

Trader preordered Apple’s new product through T-Mobile and received the iPhone Duo three days after its release. He paid half of the price, the other half paid for by his parents, and was very happy with his purchase.

“I don’t know anyone else with the iPhone duo,” said Trader. 42Fifty could not find other OH students with the new iPhone, either.

Part of the reason could be because the Duo is now on backorder with new shipping estimates pushing into January 2027. This backorder, caused by high consumer demand, hints that the iPhone Duo is worth the cost for many alongside Trader… but not all.

“I would say no, [the iPhone Duo is not worth students money] based on what I’ve heard, but not from obviously having the phone myself,” said OH business teacher Timothy Taviani. “I just heard there’s some problems with cracking— ‘Crackgate’ is what it was referred to on the internet.” 

The term Crackgate, dubbed by frustrated consumers, refers to a recent issue with the iPhone Duo in which the fold down the middle begins to split, followed by a crunching sound and dead pixels, leading to visible screen damage. Apple addressed this issue on Oct. 26, claiming only a small number of iPhone Duos are affected by “Crackgate,” and no recall has been announced.

“Considering the problems that could occur, I’m waiting maybe until Apple solves the problem and puts out maybe a better version,” Taviani said.

Even with possible complications, some still think the benefits of the Duo outweigh the risks.

“[The iPhone Duo] folds, [so] you can open two apps at the same time, you can use it as a regular phone or a big screen, and you can watch TV on it,” said Trader.

These new features prove to be both appealing and off-putting for Apple’s consumers.

“[The iPhone Duo] just doesn’t feel the same,” said OH senior Graham Schwab. “It just doesn’t look right to me for some reason.”

In a poll of 200 verified iPhone users, taken by POGO Consumer research and Insights, it was concluded that only 14.5% of the sample saw themselves purchasing the iPhone Duo as their next phone. According to POGO’s research, this disinterest likely stems from the high cost and a growing anxiety for foldable phone products overall.

“When you fold it up and then try to use it as a real phone, it looks very tiny,” said Schwab. “Like, when you’re trying to call people and things like that, it just looks very small, and I’d rather have it a little bigger.”

This dislike for the foldable phone is shared by many high school students, as they desire a high quality phone without the folding feature’s odd appearance and potential damage.

“I’m asking for a new phone for Christmas, but I don’t want that new Duo one because it looks funny and folds,” said OH freshman Estelle Mottet.

Ultimately, the purchase of any new item on the market is based on whether consumers can depend on the product or not. So is the iPhone Duo worth it?

Millions of Americans are split. The iPhone Duo sold out within just 15 minutes after its release, this speed matched only by its increasing returns.

Put simply, a new phone “just [needs] reliability,” said Taviani. “That’s all it comes down to with me.”