Nicole Nguyen’s Duo Review for the WSJ

Nicole Nguyen (also with a 5-minute video), writing for The Wall Street Journal (gift link):

Every time I used the Duo in phone mode, one-handed, I felt its heft. It’s wider and thicker than a Pro iPhone — and heavier, even compared with competing foldables. My hand actually hurts after using the Duo nonstop, straining to grip the device securely while trying to reach the far edge of the screen.

An Apple spokesman pointed to the Duo’s titanium frame for durability. Other folding models use a lighter aluminum. The company also moved the dock and common controls to the right to be more reachable (sorry, southpaws). Still, there were plenty of instances where my thumb found its limits: turning off the flash in the camera app, or typing the letter “A.”

There are people who can easily use two hands and won’t see this as a problem, including train commuters, frequent fliers or parents who wait around for kids to finish their activities. For me, I look forward to the day the Duo is lighter and thinner — maybe folding to the size of a deck of cards, like in the movie “Her.”

Interesting that she’d prefer a smaller Duo, not a bigger one, if Apple makes a second size. I agree that one-hand-ability is a problem with the Duo, but I also think the front screen is already too squat in terms of how much content it shows. I just think it’s the nature of foldables that they’re two-handed devices, even closed.

Her’s deck of cards foldable isn’t what I think we need to wait for. It’s Westworld’s super-thin tri-folds.

★ Saturday, 24 October 2026