iPhone Duo, my first 12 hours.

Better late than never.

I’m about 12 hours into using my iPhone Duo and the screen hasn’t cracked, yet.

The reports worried me but I know Apple will do a recall and / or replacement if necessary.

I’m a huge Apple fan, and usually get all their latest phones on Day 1. But not this year.

Not by choice.. as an Apple Business customer I was told I could pre order before the consumer pre order, so I did on the 5th of October.

Turns out it was bullshit! I can only feel that it was probably stat padding for their stores targets, because on the 16th of October (Consumer Pre Order Date) I was eagerly awaiting my delivery date. At 14:32 (An hour and 32 minutes after pre-order went live) I got the news, expecting Friday the 23rd of October, the launch day given I pre-ordered the pre-order.

The dreaded news to an inpatient Apple lover.

25th of January 2027.

What?!

Full Karen mode, challenging how this happened when I have consumer friends who ordered on or around 13:00 on the 16th of October, who had a delivery / collection date of the 23rd of October 2026.

So after back and forth with one of the Highcross Apple Store management, although they were very polite, I still never really got an answer as to how this happened! Just the usual “unprecedented demand” - that wasn’t what I was challenging, I was asking how consumers got in front of business customers who were told they could pre order before the pre order date and be placed at the front when the clock struck 13:00 on the 16th of October.

Anyway, my impatience got the better of me, I wasn’t waiting until January, its bad enough waiting for GTA 6 this long.

I brought a bot, £30. Which would send me notifications as and when stock came in to the stores and best believe I’d travel to Scotland, Wales and Ireland if needed to get my hands on one! I’d see stock fly in and out within minutes, but for me that raised another question.

Why are stores getting stock before they’ve fulfilled their loyal customers who pre ordered? It doesn’t make sense to me. I’m sure there’s a reason though!

Then last night, I bit the bullet. Paid £251 more from a reseller from Facebook Marketplace on an already £2,199 device (512Gb). That’s impatience for you. £2,450. Wow.

Was I going to get robbed? I’ve heard the stories. Was I going to get scammed? Was he even going to live at the postcode I was sent, some 50 miles away. Who knows.

I did my checks as much as I could, asked why he had multiple unopened iPhone Duo’s, asked for proof of purchase (Coincidentally he got his from Apple Highcross Store, Leicester), checked the box for typing errors, print and build quality and of course serial numbers against proof of purchase and Apple coverage checker.

Thankfully it was genuine.

So now a little bit about the phone after only a little use..

The good

• The screen size, wow it’s nice to browse and watch things on
  
• The keyboard size for big hands
  

The bad

• Apple Highcross store misleading customers
  
• The widespread media of screen issues, hopefully it’s rectified soon and I have one from the good batch
  
• The camera, I didn’t know the camera in this wasn’t as good as my iPhone 17 Pro Max when using zoom, considering it’s their marquee phone device, but I guess it allows them to release an iPhone Duo Pro Max next year
  
• No Face ID, we’ve gone back to Touch ID, so not a huge issue but again I can only feel it’s to keep people like me upgrading next year when the new Duo comes out with Face ID - smart from a business perspective, I guess
• A lot of apps haven’t had theirs updated just yet to accommodate the larger screen so you’re left with big black boarders of dead space
  
• A special mention to Revoluts personal and business app as I can’t authenticate myself because of how the front facing camera orientates, it’s hard to explain but I’ve even tried screen orientation lock - so I can’t get on my banking
  
• The genuine Apple Folio case covers the front screen no window to glance at the time, who’s calling or notifications without flipping it up
  

The surprising

• It doesn’t have a physical SIM tray, previously I’ve had a physical SIM for my personal number and a eSIM for my business, now I get why they’d move forward and only allow eSIM’s but O2 Business make it such a pain to swap your SIM’s, you can’t just get one digitally or go in to an O2 Store to get a Business eSIM (You can consumer), you have to call O2 Business Customer Service get frustrated with them due to hold times and language barriers then request one to be sent which takes 2 business days and then hope they’ve sent you the right one (on my iPhone 17 Pro Max upgrade they sent the wrong one 3 times). It all seems a very outdated process for a technology that’s the latest for SIM Cards. Although this is an O2 gripe, not Apple as the technology is there to transfer an eSIM, it’s O2 Business restricting it.
  

So although it probably reads more negatives than positives, I’m happy - now. Some of the issues will be ironed out for free and some will come at a cost (such as new case or upgrade to a new iPhone Duo next year with better camera zoom).

But unfortunately the Apple Highcross business team have left a bad taste in my mouth with their deceit about their pre order of the pre order particularly when I spend so much on their products, Watches, iPad Proa, MacBook Pros, Macs and AirPod Pros and Pro Max. Who’d have thought Apples customer service would be so bad when they’re usually so good. Not me. Next time it seems like I’ll go back to the old school and sit on multiple devices refreshing at the launch time as the store can’t be trusted.