Can the $1,999 iPhone Duo Replace an iPhone and iPad?

iPhone 18 Pro costs $1,199, while the iPad costs $449. If you use your iPhone as your primary device and your iPad as a mobile workstation, the combined price is close to the $1,999 cost of Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo.

Can the iPhone Duo Work as Both a Phone and Workstation?

The Duo has a 7.6-inch screen, but can it really serve as both a phone and a workstation? Does it make sense to spend a few hundred dollars more on one device that can theoretically handle the workload of two?

I wrote a full review of Apple’s new iPhone Duo after using it for real work. I tested the device with the memo app Bear, which has thankfully been optimized for the Duo’s larger display. Most apps still aren’t optimized for the foldable’s screen, and it can take weeks or months for everything to look right. Surprisingly, though, I didn’t hate the experience.

Using a Mouse and Trackpad on the iPhone Duo

I’ve run this experiment before on Android foldables and smart glasses with virtual workspaces, but iOS has its own hurdles. In particular, iOS doesn’t recognize Bluetooth mice or trackpads by default. To use one, you need to open the phone’s accessibility settings and enable AssistiveTouch. After that, an iPad-like cursor appears, allowing you to navigate the Duo’s interface and select text without constantly reaching for the touchscreen.

Even with a cursor, small tasks such as pasting hyperlinks into written text or quickly searching for topics for additional research are slow and tedious. We left those tasks until the end while migrating everything to WIRED’s content management system. Even then, I still had to switch to a desktop for the finishing touches.

iPhone Duo Multitasking Has Major Limits

Apple also imposes arbitrary multitasking restrictions on iOS. For example, when you open two apps in split-screen mode, you can view them only in an even 50/50 split. Unlike most operating systems, which let you adjust each app’s visibility by dragging the border between windows, iOS gives both apps the same amount of screen space.

Portrait orientation is even more restrictive. If you stack two apps vertically, with one at the top and one at the bottom of the screen, you can’t customize the arrangement. Portrait mode lets you pin a video app to the top, with only other apps below it.

App Pairing Makes Common Workflows Easier

One thing Apple did right is app pairing. When you “pin” two apps together, they’re saved in your recent apps and ready to use whenever you need them. For example, you can pair your email and calendar apps to open them together. To save the pair, tap the center bar and lock it.