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# The iPhone Duo is too damn small
- URL: https://birchtree.me/blog/the-iphone-duo-is-too-damn-small/
- Published: 2026-10-22T22:15:56.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-22T22:15:56.000Z
- Author: Matt Birchler
- Tags: Links

John Gruber: [★ The iPhone Duo](https://daringfireball.net/2026/10/the%5Fiphone%5Fduo?ref=birchtree.me)

> The Duo name is perfect. It truly is like having two devices in one. The outer device is, by far, the worst iPhone Apple has ever made. It’s a miserable fat little thing. The inner device is a splendid, joyful, beautiful tablet, with a UI that out-iPads the iPad.

Cut to [me before the reveal](https://birchtree.me/blog/my-folding-iphone-predictions/):

> I think the short outer screen is going to be a point of friction for people, and in a year or two Apple will release one with a larger screen that is more similar to its standard iPhone when folded in half.

I try not to say I told you so too often, but this is exactly what I said would happen. For the first couple weeks that I had the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8, I was honestly pretty let down by it for exactly the reason John states above: it was a baby phone way smaller than I'd ever had. Sure, the inner display was incredible, but you don't always want to use a tablet. Most of the time you want to use a phone, and this form factor necessitates a tiny phone (shorter than the iPhone mini).

This is why my immediate reaction to using the Fold 8 was, "oh, this is why Samsung has multiple sizes". Of course they do! This is certainly a compelling size for some people, but it's not a compelling size for everybody, and I continue to believe very strongly that an iPhone Duo Max is coming sooner rather than later.