After leaking more than a communal tap, the iPhone Duo — Apple's first foldable — is finally a reality. It's Apple's first major new iPhone form factor in 19 years. But foldables aren't new to us; the original Galaxy Fold is seven years old. If you're an iPhone user considering the switch, beware: Apple hasn't ironed out the format's flaws.

The $2000 price tag remains a barrier. Seven years on, it's clear this price exists to fabricate superiority, not reflect a hard limit. Nearly double a typical flagship is a hard pill to swallow. Apple has had high-priced misfires like the Apple Vision Pro and iPhone Air, so the Duo doesn't cost $3000 — but $2000 is still steep.

The '2-in-1 Phone + Tablet' proposition remains sketchy. Foldable displays aren't meaningfully bigger, apps lack optimization, and videos look similar to the outer screen. The phone part is worse: thicker, heavier, worse cameras, battery, thermals, and ingress protection. Ultimately, the Duo doesn't solve foldables' biggest problems.