Apple iPhone Duo vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: How to decide between them

Planning to upgrade your iPhone this year? If you're someone looking to get the most feature-packed device, typically the choice would be easy: You'd buy the latest iPhone Pro Max model, and this time around, that's the iPhone 18 Pro Max .

However, Apple decided to throw a curveball at iOS users this year with the release of its first-ever Apple foldable, the iPhone Duo .

Now, iPhone users looking for a new smartphone have to make a difficult choice.

I know.

I'm one of those users who assumed I'd just go with the new Pro Max, but the unveiling of the Duo has me second-guessing that choice.

Do I go with the iPhone 18 Pro Max or the iPhone Duo? Each is powerful in its own right, as they both have Apple's new Apple Silicon chip A20 Pro.

But, both are missing features that the other has.

So, instead of just comparing specs, let's look at the use cases for each device.

If you want the biggest screen...

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable At 6.9 inches, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has the largest traditional smartphone display.

When the iPhone Duo is closed and in its smartphone "form," it's smaller.

The Duo's outer display is only 5.4 inches.

However, when the Duo is opened up, the inner display has 50 percent more screen space than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, measuring 7.6 inches.

Ultimately, the Duo has more screen for you to work with.