iPhone Duo, 48 Hours Later: A Surprisingly Good Running Phone?

The iPhone Duo is my own purchase - there's no affiliate link in this post. I went for the 512GB model in what I think Apple are calling midnight blue. It's a dark blue, anyway, and I'm very pleased with it. I haven't had a darker iPhone for a while and I'm liking the look. I'll admit to being a little jealous of the brighter colours on the other models. I very much coveted last year's cosmic orange, and this year's glacier blue looks cool. But this one's working for me.

This isn't a full review. I've had it a couple of days, and the question I wanted answered is simple: what's it actually like to run with? Not "is it a good phone?" (it is) but "is it a good running phone?".

What I did was try it out on runs in every carrying position I could think of, take it to the gym, and generally live with it for 48 hours. So read this as first impressions, not a marathon-tested verdict.

The short answer? It's a brilliant phone to train around. It's a less brilliant phone to run with.

The case I butchered (on purpose)

I don't like screen protectors, and I don't really like cases either, because they ruin the feel of the phone for me. But I'd seen a few other people do this and pinched the idea: I bought Apple's folio case with the kickstand and cut the front cover off. Now it just sits on the back like a kickstand, and honestly, it's the perfect case for me.

The best bit is that it attaches magnetically, so it comes straight off. When I've gone running I've taken it off to make the phone that tiny bit thinner. Every millimetre counts when you're trying to stuff the thing into a pocket.

Why take a phone running at all?

I'll always run with a watch. It's what I'm used to, and I wouldn't go without it. So in a sense I'm not the target audience here.

But I know a lot of runners do take their phone with them. Some just like having it on them, and plenty don't want the extra expense of a sports watch on top of a phone. That's partly why I wanted to test this out.

And the phone does have a job on a run. It's great for music, podcasts or audiobooks, or having it talk out to you. Photos too. That's what I used it for.

Where do you actually put it?

This is the bit I suspect most runners will want to know, so here's how each option went:

• Back pocket of my shorts: did not work at all. It was like having a little brick beside me, and I almost felt like my shorts were falling down. Very unpleasant. Anything around the middle of the back was a no.

• In my hand: I don't love running with my hands full, but it actually felt quite secure.

• Armband: easy to use, and the shorter height of the folded phone works nicely here.

• Running vest: I'll be upfront, I tested this one walking around the house rather than on a run. But it barely became noticeable.

• Side pocket on my tights: this was okay. It sat almost on my hip, or a bit lower, and didn't seem to be much of an issue.

  
  

That last one is the interesting bit. Because the Duo is shorter when folded, it does at least have a chance of fitting into the pockets on running kit, which are often that bit smaller than the big tablet-style phones like the Pro Max or the Air. So the shape works in its favour.

The weight doesn't.

The weight (a little brick)

I noticed the weight when moving. It bounced up and down a bit more than I'd like. We're talking grams here, the Duo is 254g compared to the Air’s 165g. You really do notice it.

To be fair, I know I'm sensitive on a run. In fact, very sensitive. If something isn't quite right, it becomes very difficult to ignore it. I've come from the iPhone Air, and I could fairly happily have that sat in a pocket while I ran. With the Duo, in the same pocket, that very much wasn't the case.

So it wasn't as run-friendly as I'd hoped.

Using it mid-run: the outer screen is all you need

I did get it out mid-run, to take a few photos and to find some different music, just to see what it was like.

The outer screen was all I needed. Unfolding it for that big, gorgeous inner display would have been completely unnecessary on a run, and a lot more cumbersome. You can't really hold the inner display one-handed and do any sort of typing. Keep it folded and it behaves like a normal phone.

The gym was a different story, and I'll come back to that.

Touch ID and sweaty fingers

There's no Face ID, so it's Touch ID or nothing. And that is a little bit of a problem.

I got away with it because I'm lucky enough to have an Apple Watch, and the Duo will unlock from your watch. I could swipe up and the watch would unlock it for me, so I wasn't wrestling with a fingerprint reader. Without a watch, I think it would be more of a challenge with slightly clammy or sweaty fingers.

Battery

I can't give you a figure for how much a run took out of it. I've been using it heavily over the last few days, and it's also been doing all its updates and downloads, so the numbers would be muddy anyway.

What I can say is that I've had a full day out of it with heavy use: a bit of golf, some training, walking around, replying to messages, listening to music, watching a bit of YouTube. I've been impressed.

Stand mode and filming yourself

I've had a play with stand mode. The hinge is really flexible, in the sense that it'll sit at almost any angle and stay there, which is amazing.

But you still need a surface to put it on. To get any sort of good drill footage, that's not really possible without one. So for filming yourself, it's not great. Then again, I'm not a huge fan of self-filming anyway so don’t see this as something I will be doing. It could certainly work nicely to show someone else their running form on that bigger screen.

The Full Potential app on the Duo

Fair warning, this bit is self-promotion. But, well, who cares? I'm really proud of the app and I love it.

The Full Potential app is all set up and ready to go on the iPhone Duo. Unfold to go, fold to go, the starting horn: they're gimmicks really, cute little things. But I'm really proud of them and I like them a lot.

The real win is day-to-day use. I get the best of both worlds: the tablet view and the small phone view. In the gym, cross-training, I used it on both the small and big screens and liked having the option. Even with my watch on, I was using both, because it's nicer to have the bigger screen to train with.

The crease (what crease?)

I didn't notice the crease or the hinge at all, either in the hand or on a run. The crease is very well hidden with that nano texture layer they've put on, which I really enjoy and I'm used to from other devices.

The "ugh" moment and the "oh, this is cool" moment

The first time I picked it up, the weight was a little bit "ugh". Slightly heavier than I'd have liked. Not ridiculous, just enough to notice.

The flexibility of having a small and a big screen, on the other hand, I've absolutely adored. That was my "oh, this is cool" moment. I can use it in a lot more ways and really have options.

The catch: the price (

and the nerves)

Was I nervous running with it? Absolutely.

It's not lost on me how expensive this thing is (£2,199 for the model I have got). That's one reason I prefer running with a sports watch. But sports watches aren't exactly cheap at the moment either, and I'm well aware of how expensive the Apple Watch Ultra is. These are extreme costs, and I'm very lucky to be able to afford it and to have the chance to try it.

Nobody should be buying the Duo as a running purchase. If you're getting one anyway, that's a different question.

So, is it a surprisingly good running phone?

Not quite. Hear me out.

As something to carry on a run, it's heavy and it bounces. The back pocket is a write-off. An armband, a vest or a side pocket on your tights will get you by, and the shorter shape helps it fit where a Pro Max or an Air wouldn't. But the weight is noticeable, and if you're as fussy as I am about things moving around on a run, you'll feel it.

Where it's genuinely good is everywhere around the run. The outer screen does everything you need mid-run, and in the gym or when cross-training, having a phone and a tablet in one is lovely.

If you're buying one anyway, take it with you on runs and you'll get by. If you're after a phone to run with, this isn't the reason to spend the money.

We might end up with a follow up post in a few months. But for now I am just really enjoying a new toy to customise and make my own.