The Vergecast revisits its 7/10 score for Apple’s iPhone Duo

In short: The Vergecast is questioning whether its 7/10 review score for Apple’s iPhone Duo is fair, and whether the device makes more sense as an iPad.

What's going on

The Verge recently reviewed Apple’s iPhone Duo and gave it a 7/10 score. On a new episode of The Vergecast, hosts David Pierce and Nilay Patel said that score was not always the plan. They also said it might not be the “right” score forever, because the Duo is a new kind of device and could change a lot over time.

A big part of the debate is the Duo’s outer screen, meaning the display you use when the device is closed. The show discusses a criticism from writer John Gruber at Daring Fireball, who suggested the outer screen could be “the worst iPhone ever.” The hosts talk through why that outer screen may involve trade-offs, or compromises, compared with a regular iPhone.

They also ask a basic question: what if Apple had started with an iPad Duo instead of an iPhone Duo? The idea is that the Duo seems to push toward a larger, tablet-like experience. It is like trying to turn a pocket notebook into a small clipboard, and then arguing about whether it is still a notebook.

What to watch

The key issue is whether the iPhone Duo improves quickly with software updates and apps built specifically for it. Review scores can shift in meaning when a product is meant for early adopters first, not everyone. If Apple and app makers smooth out the rough edges, public opinion about the Duo, and who it is for, could change.

Source: The Verge AI