The iPhone Duo strikes me as one of the most interesting products Apple has released in a long time. Not necessarily because it invents something new, as we've already discussed, but because the integration between its foldable design and iOS demonstrates the extent to which Apple can differentiate itself through software. The problem is that this same Apple, capable of meticulously crafting every detail of the interface, has made a decision that's hard to understand: The iPhone Duo costs over 2.000 euros and yet lacks several professional features available on the iPhone Pro. We don't have ProRes, nor ProRAW, Apple Log, or Apple Reference Image, and certain advanced camera tools are missing. The more I look at the list, the less I understand where Apple really wants to position this device.
The absence of ProRes and ProRAW is particularly striking. These are not features that everyone uses, Okay, but we're not talking about an iPhone for the average user. ProRes lets you record video using a format designed to preserve much more information and facilitate professional editing later. ProRAW does something similar with photography, combining the advantages of the iPhone's computational photography with an image that offers considerably more flexibility when editing. Apple Log follows the same path. It allows you to record a seemingly flatter image and then work with color much more freely during editing. They're specialized tools, but that's precisely why they carry the "Pro" label. And if I buy the most expensive iPhone in the entire range, it doesn't seem unreasonable to expect them to be available.
The list continues with advanced camera features related to tracking and focus lock, and with Apple Reference Image, another tool geared toward professional workflows where we need a consistent visual representation. We could debate how many iPhone Duo owners would actually use all these features. Probably very few. I myself don't need to record in ProRes every time I take my iPhone out of my pocket to make a video. But that's beside the point. Not all iPhone Pro Max buyers use Apple Log either, and that doesn't mean Apple should remove it. When we pay for the top-of-the-line model, part of the price is precisely for having features that we might not use daily, but that will be there when we need them.
So why does this happen? The most reasonable explanation seems to lie in segmentation. Apple doesn't want more expensive products to necessarily mean more professional. The Duo launches its own family and its priority is on the format, the screen and the possibilities that iOS offers when we open the device. The iPhone Pro, meanwhile, remains the go-to tool for photographers, content creators, and users seeking the ultimate camera capabilities. From a business perspective, I can understand this. Apple has spent years carefully differentiating its products to provide a specific reason to buy each one. The problem arises when this differentiation begins to be built by removing capabilities through software from a device that costs more than those that do offer them.
Furthermore, some of these absences would be much easier to accept if there were an obvious technical limitation. A folding book requires sacrifices. Internal space is practically gold, and Apple has to divide it between the battery, hinge, cameras, processor, and everything else necessary to ensure the phone doesn't end up being as thick as two iPhones taped together. I can accept that a particular camera might be inferior because a larger sensor simply won't fit. What's harder to justify is opening the Camera app and discovering that certain professional features are simply unavailable. When the limitation seems to stem from a product design choice rather than a physical impossibility, the feeling changes considerably.
And that's the big problem with the iPhone Duo. For 2.339 euros in Spain, I don't necessarily expect it to be the best iPhone in absolutely everything. Because its format inevitably forces us to prioritize. But I do expect Apple to deliver everything the hardware is capable of. The Duo can be a different category from the Pro models without becoming a deliberately limited iPhone. In fact, a device with such a screen could be fantastic for reviewing photos, controlling a recording, or working with professional content. Apple has probably built the most ambitious iPhone in recent years and then drawn an artificial line to remind us that if we want certain features, we still need a Pro. On a €700 phone, I'd understand the segmentation. On a €2.339 phone, frankly, it starts to seem stingy.