It's cheaper to buy the iPhone 18 Pro and new iPad mini than a single iPhone Duo but the money misses the point

Date:
Tue, 27 Oct 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Description:
I wish the iPhone Duo haters would stop telling me to buy an iPhone 18 Pro
and iPad mini instead of Apple's first foldable they are not the same experience.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Its been an exceptionally busy few months for Apple . In just seven weeks, the Cupertino giant has refreshed its store shelves with the iPhone 18 Pro , iPhone 18 Pro Max , iPhone Duo , HomePod mini 2 , HomeView , OLED iPad mini , iMac M6 , and MacBook Pro M6 .

Thats eight new products designed to tempt you to reach for your wallet, but by offering more choice than ever, Apple has also thrown up some unique new buying conundrums. For instance, if its cheaper to buy an iPhone 18 Pro and Apples new iPad mini than it is to buy the iPhone Duo (spoiler: it is),
should you? Thats the argument currently doing the rounds on Reddit and TechRadar sister site Toms Guide , where my colleague says the iPhone 18 Pro/iPad mini combo is cheaper and better than Apples first foldable. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

I can absolutely see the logic in this position. The iPhone 18 Pro costs $1,199 / 1,199 / AU$2,099. The new OLED iPad mini costs $699 / 699 /
AU$1,099. Together, they cost $1,898 / 1,898 / AU$3,198, while a single
iPhone Duo costs $1,999 / 1,999 / AU$3,499. Youd be getting two great
products instead of one, and saving $101 / 101 / AU$301 in the process. The iPhone 18 Pro (left) and iPhone Duo (right) (Image credit: Apple / Future)
The iPhone 18 Pro is also a better phone in many ways than the iPhone Duo.
Its thinner, lighter, has better cameras, and doesnt rely on Touch ID. The OLED iPad mini, meanwhile, offers a Duo-comparable entertainment experience, and can even be equipped with the same Nano-Texture display technology as Apples first foldable. No brainer, right? You may like I really, really want the iPhone Duo, but at $2,000, I just can't go there and I'm left wondering who will I touched the iPhone Duo and Apple just solved the foldable crease problem Apple iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: a big battle of small differences

But the fundamental difference between these two purchase decisions is that one involves two devices, and the other only one. These are not like-for-like experiences. Owning and using an iPhone 18 Pro alongside an iPad mini is not comparable to the experience of owning and using a single iPhone Duo. But the reverse is true.

The Duo is a compromise, yes, but it still offers an undeniably iPad-like experience in pocketable form. Youre paying a premium for its versatility and portability. The whole point of the Duo (and foldables generally) is that it lets you experience a tablet whenever and wherever you are. Its like using a spork while camping to save you packing a spoon and a fork. Or buying a Range Rover Sport instead of a Ferrari and a family-sized minivan. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. The iPhone Duo offers an iPad-like experience in pocketable form (Image credit: Getty Images / Benjamin Fanjoy / Stringer) The new iPad mini is small, sure but are you really going to walk around with an 8.5-inch tablet in your pocket? Toms Guides assertion that Apple has inadvertently priced its own foldable out of the market for anyone willing to carry a small bag makes a rather big assumption about the number of people willing to carry a small bag on their person at all times. I am not one of those people, and I dont know many of them.

All this being said, I am no great iPhone Duo defender. For me, the compromises of getting an iPad-like experience in an iPhone-sized device are, at the time of writing, too great, and I would personally rather stick with
my iPhone 18 Pro (and, yes, maybe even buy an iPad mini for watching movies
in bed or on the plane).

But that does not mean I think I can recreate the experience of owning the iPhone Duo by buying two separate Apple products watching movies in bed or
on the plane is not the same as watching movies wherever I please.

Buying the iPhone 18 Pro and the new iPad mini might be better value for
money than buying a single iPhone Duo, but value and compatibility are two different things. Theres definitely something to be said for owning one
device that offers the best of both worlds, and anyone considering the iPhone Duo should remember that before being swayed one way or the other. Today's best iPhone deals Contract Deals Sim Free voucher gift Apple iPhone 18 Pro 48 months Unlimited mins 25GB data 30 upfront 69.03 /mth View at EE See all prices voucher gift Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max 48 months Unlimited mins 25GB
data 30 upfront 57.73 /mth View at EE See all prices voucher gift Apple
iPhone Duo 48 months Unlimited mins 25GB data 30 upfront 87.11 /mth View at
EE See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/you-can-buy-the-iphone-18-pro-and-new- oled-ipad-mini-for-less-than-the-price-of-the-iphone-duo-but-the-math-misses-t he-point-of-apples-first-foldable


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