iPhone Duo wins over a Pro Max user on vacation

What happened

TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez found herself won over by the iPhone Duo after taking it on vacation alongside her iPhone 17 Pro Max. In her October 31, 2026 account, she described the Duo as frustrating in some respects but fun and engaging enough that she did not want to return to her previous phone.

The Duo was a loaner from Apple that arrived as Perez was preparing to travel. She brought her Pro Max as a backup because moving to the Duo represented a major change from her existing device.

Her interest grew beyond the initial unboxing. Before the Duo’s ship date, Perez had begun comparing upgrade options and calculating how she might afford one, although she remained hesitant about both the price and the transition.

Why it matters

• Everyday trade-offs

  Perez’s experience highlights authentication, app behavior and camera differences that accompanied her move from a Pro Max to the Duo.

What we know

Authentication was one practical difficulty. Perez said she generally avoided using Touch ID to unlock the Duo because she almost always wore an Apple Watch, which offered an alternative authentication method. Using apps and Apple Pay nevertheless caused her to stumble.

Her biggest software annoyance involved Google Search, which she frequently used while traveling. She described the problem as apparently specific to the app’s AI Mode, rather than Apple’s fault. Her workaround was to force-close the app so that reopening it returned her to the home screen and search box.

The camera comparison also showed differences from her existing phone: the Duo has two rear cameras rather than the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s three, and 10x digital zoom rather than 40x. Those limitations did not prevent her from preferring the Duo overall.