Apple just announced the iPhone Duo, and honestly, my first reaction was: that’s it?

A nearly $2,000 foldable phone with an under-display camera feels less like Apple redefining the smartphone and more like Apple making sure it isn’t left behind.

I’ve never been convinced that foldables are the future for everyone. Personally, I’d rather have a lightweight, single-piece phone with excellent hardware, battery life, and performance. If I want a bigger screen, I’ll use a tablet.

And that’s where Apple already has the iPad mini.

The productivity argument for foldables is also questionable. iOS and mobile operating systems still aren’t great replacements for a desktop. Samsung DeX comes closest to making a phone genuinely useful as a desktop computer, but even DeX is ultimately limited by mobile hardware and software.

So what exactly is the iPhone Duo solving?

To me, it feels like Apple is making the Duo because it has to have a foldable, not because Apple has found a compelling reason for one to exist. It reminds me a lot of Apple’s AI strategy: the company doesn’t want to look behind the competition, so it needs to have an answer.

And at around $2,000, there’s a much better answer.

Buy a used iPhone and an iPad mini.

You’ll probably spend less, have two genuinely useful devices, and still have money left over.

Not every new form factor is progress. Sometimes, two good devices are better than one expensive compromise.