I had a lot of reservations about Apple making a foldable iPhone, but after playing around with iPhone Duo at the Apple Event, I think I'm sold. A foldable device is cool, but comes with a lot of compromises. I knew, based on the rumors, I was going to be on the fence. That was before I got the chance to try it out for myself. It wasn't long, but in my time with it, I can easily see it being my daily driver.

Solid, reliable hardware. There will surely be plenty of stress testing post-launch, but right now, it seems like Apple's hardware is solid. Apple is using a polished titanium frame that will resist scratching while improving durability. It uses a custom hinge with over 100 individual components that help support the inner display when it is open. It even sports IP68 water and dust resistance, something the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn't have. That gives me a lot of confidence in the strength of this device.

When you open the phone, there is an extremely slight dip on the inner display where the crease is, but it's basically imperceptible. The center of this display feels strong and doesn't flex if you push on it. Plus, it supports Mag Safe, even though early rumors claimed it wouldn't. That likely would have been a dealbreaker for me.

One area that Apple tricked out on the iPhone Duo is the camera. Not necessarily the hardware — it has the same primary lens as the iPhone 17e — but the Camera app. For example, one of the new features is called Smart Take. You prop up the phone by folding it in half, already a useful feature, and enable Smart Take to intelligently take photos. Smart Take looks for poses. When it sees you strike a pose or freeze, it will take a picture for you. There's also Kid Cue, which shows a colorful Snoopy animation on the exterior screen. It's perfect to draw a child's attention just long enough to snap your picture.