Russ Fruhtick had his hands on Apple‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL) new folding before most people could buy one. On CNBC’s Power Lunch, he gave a review that came with a price warning attached: “My review is it is incredibly cool tech. And this folds out into being essentially an iPad mini, which is very cool. It’s $2,000. So you also need to swallow that pill, which is a hefty pill.”
CNBC identified Fruhtick as co-founder of Polygon and executive director of partnerships at Kind of Funny. CNET reported that the iPhone Duo hit shelves Oct. 23. That puts a lot of money on the line for anyone buying on day one: Fruhtick says the phone costs $2,000, and it’s a first-generation device whose software ecosystem hasn’t caught up yet.
Fruhtick’s Wait-for-Version-Two Call Holds Up
His bottom line is frank: “I think for most casual people, you’re going to probably want to wait until the second generation.”
He’s right, and simple cost-per-month math shows why: a gadget’s real cost is its price divided by the months you actually use it. Spread over two years, a $2,000 phone costs about $83 a month. Keep it three years and that drops to about $56 a month.
Now apply Fruhtick’s timeline for apps. Assume the first six months are a beta period. A two-year owner spends about $500 of the phone’s value on a device that hasn’t reached its potential yet. Early adopters pay full price for the least polished stretch of the product’s life.
Apps Built for a Phone Look Stretched on a Tablet
Fruhtick identified software as the biggest gap: “A lot of the apps don’t support this natively. They work, they run, but they’re not going to look gorgeous on the bigger screen until those apps get updated. So it’s going to take time, six months, maybe you’ll see these apps come out and then it’ll be more worthwhile.”
“Native” support means an app’s developer has redesigned it for the new screen. Without that update, a phone app gets blown up to fit the bigger display, a bit like watching an old TV show on a widescreen set. Your banking app or favorite game will still run. It just won’t use the extra space well.
Whether You Already Carry a Tablet Decides the Math
Fruhtick sees a clear benefit for frequent travelers: “If you’re traveling a ton and when I travel, I have an iPad and I have an iPhone. So having them both in the same spot and I don’t have to dig through my bag, it’s very convenient, but it’s two grand.” He also found it fits in a pocket. He hadn’t expected that.
That’s the one variable that matters most. Say, as an example, you would otherwise buy a separate small tablet for $500. In that case, the Duo’s real premium falls to about $1,500, because one device replaces two. If you never carry a tablet, you pay the full $2,000 for a big screen you may rarely open.
Lefties Face a Learning Curve on Version One
Fruhtick also ran into a design quirk: “I’m so used to left handed. And this phone is mostly designed for being used with your right hand because of how the controls are generally on the right rail. So it’s just like brain stuff where I need to like adapt to it.”
Quirks like this tend to get fixed in later versions. Bloomberg described the phone as having growing pains, and Business Insider reported that some orders have been pushed out as far as late January 2027. Even shoppers who are ready to buy may end up waiting anyway.
Carrier Deals Shrink the Price, With Strings Attached
Mashable reported that AT&T (NYSE:T), T-Mobile (NASDAQ:TMUS) and Verizon (NYSE:VZ) are offering savings of up to $1,200 on the Duo. PCMag reported similar savings, and Digital Trends described AT&T’s offer as a trade-in deal.
If you qualified for the maximum, your out-of-pocket cost would fall to about $800. Carrier discounts like these typically depend on conditions such as trading in a device or signing up for a specific plan, so read the terms before you count on the full discount.
Four Questions to Answer Before You Buy
Engadget published a guide to things to know before buying. Before you spend $2,000, work through these:
- Do you already carry a tablet? If you do, the Duo can replace it and the cost per device drops. If you don’t, you’re paying for a screen you didn’t need before.
- Do your main apps support the big screen? List the five apps you open most and check whether each developer has announced a folding layout. If they haven’t, expect stretched phone versions for months.
- Can you wait for version two? Waiting gives developers time to update their apps and Apple time to fix early quirks. Prices could also come down.
- What are the strings on a carrier deal? Find out exactly which trade-in device and which plan the promoted discount requires, and whether you’d lose credits by switching carriers early.
Fruhtick calls the Duo really exciting tech, but for most buyers, the better deal is the version that comes once the apps and the price have caught up.