iPhone Duo

The iPhone Duo looks like Apple at its best. The hardware is impressive. The software details make the fold useful.

The camera is the clearest example. Duo Preview lets the person being photographed see the shot on the outer display. Kid Cue uses that same display to pull a child’s eyes toward the lens, while Duo FaceTime gives people nearby their own side of a call. These are small touches, but they make a huge difference. The second screen earns its place because Apple found jobs for it.

The new form factor also gives developers a new canvas. A phone that can be compact, opened like a book, propped on a table, or divided between two people gives them a lot to work with. I think it will create a class of apps that makes little sense on any other iPhone.

I haven’t used an iPad regularly in years; I gave my last one to my wife. Recently, I considered buying another for the larger screen, mostly for reading and watching things. The Duo may be enough to keep me on a single device. That alone makes it more interesting to me than a larger phone.