Top 10 Themes in iPhone Duo Discussion
1. eSIM Limitations Outside US
Users criticized the lack of physical SIM slot for international use where eSIM adoption is low.
"retired: No SIM slot. So I have to carry a mobile hotspot if I want to browse the internet outside my home. It’s like Apple forgets there is a world outside the US where eSIM is not a thing." "retired: Currently living in Spain and I’m not able to switch to eSIM on my current plan."
2. Price Sensitivity
The $1999/$2000 price point was widely viewed as excessive for a smartphone.
"lvl256: $1999 is ridiculous." "alistairSH: It's also more than the cost of an iPhone Pro + a MacBook Neo (or several other combinations)." "ivraatiems: $2,000 for a phone? Holy price point, Batman. No thanks."
3. Practical Use Cases Debate
Split opinions on whether the foldable form factor solves real user problems.
"mostlysimilar: For many people the phone is the only computing device they use." "bigfishrunning: I suspect the crossover area of the Venn diagram between people who spend what a foldable costs on a phone and people who have no other computing device is extremely small." "mrweasel: $2800 here. What kinda of problem does that solve that's worth that kind of money?"
4. Durability Concerns
Worries about foldable screen longevity based on past device failures.
"dmitrygr: Looking forward to reviews after a few months of use. So far all the foldables I've seen get destroyed quite fast." "kllrnohj: JerryRigEverything won't tell you how easily the hinge gunks up or cruft gets stuck in places it's not supposed to be..." "accrual: They went over their multi-layer design to give it strength and flexibility, and noted over 100 components in the hinge alone."
5. Competitor Comparisons
Frequent benchmarking against Samsung Galaxy Fold and iPad Mini.
"josteink: It’s the exact same price point as the Samsung Z Fold 8, which is this phone’s exact competitor." "wpm: The correct price comparison is between an iPhone Pro and an iPad Mini, in the US that would be $1199 + $599." "factorialboy: It's priced identical to the Samsung Fold 8."
6. Form Factor & Ergonomics
Concerns about pocketability, aspect ratio, and one-handed usability.
"OkGoDoIt: Personally I find passports slightly too large to comfortably fit in my pants pocket, and a passport is definitely thinner than this phone." "asdff: Passport is also thinner than a pencil, not rigid, and will fold a little around your thigh in a tight pocket." "bsimpson: The aspect ratio is the biggest problem with foldables... For media consumption on the go, I use AR glasses."
7. Biometric Authentication Preferences
Strong divide between Touch ID and Face ID advocates, especially for foldable usage.
"nunez: I much prefer Touch ID. Always hated Face ID." "Cider9986: FaceID is good in winter or cooking." "snailmailman: While at launch Face ID did not work in landscape, it does now."
8. Software & App Adaptation
Questions about iOS app optimization for the dual-screen experience.
"afavour: It'll be interesting to see how many/how quickly apps adopt the UI that lets you make the most of the foldable screen." "CharlesW: For iOS 27, apps are automatically automatically opted in to resizability." "mbreese: Admittedly, software that's influenced by the iPad and iPhone, so there is new software, but it's not that new."
9. Target Market Uncertainty
Repeated questioning of who would actually purchase the device at this price.
"sajithdilshan: Who exactly is the target market? Millionaires?" "mrweasel: I can't think of an application outside of travel or long commutes on a train where I would use this." "toasty228: They just have to make it appealing enough, a loooot of people buy ipads because they're cool..."
10. Innovation vs. Gimmick Debate
Philosophical split on whether foldables represent meaningful progress or just upgrade bait.
"ggcr: Seems like a big engineering feat by Apple, but for real, who asked for this?" "delecti: There's totally valid criticism to be made about the durability, not to mention price, but the pitch is crystal clear, 'your phone can be a tablet on-demand'." "speak_plainly: I think you're right. We're at the point where Apple is sort of out of steam..."