I Didn't Buy the Three-Fold. I'm Probably Buying the Duo.

Last year in Shenzhen (last week in October, almost a year ago), dinner with a couple of friends and two of the factory owners. One of them is probably worse about gear than I am. He had a pair of smart glasses, and the Huawei Mate XT on the table, the phone that folds twice. Ofcourse I asked can i try it, both the glasses and the phone.

I wanted it. No use case. I just wanted the three-fold. Because it's a 3-fold and I LOVE GEAR! No Rationale!

I asked ChatGPT if it would work in Sweden on Tele2 network. The answer was roughly what I expected and didn't want: maybe, with workarounds, messy. HarmonyOS, no Google, bands that might behave. I left it. Right call. I still think about that phone. It's ugly Yes, but it's a 3-fold, when I was a kid my dad returned from London, he had a present for me, this was at the Nintendo Game and Watch era, everyone was doing Donkey Kong 2 screens, he brought back a 3-fold game and watch, an unknown brand, a knock off, but it had what no Nintendo had, 3-screens of game-play!

Apple announced the iPhone Duo in September. Book fold, not a three-fold. 19.3 cm inside, 13.7 cm cover, same aspect ratio on both. Pre-orders on the 16th of October, i placed a reminder in my calender app. Samsung has sold this shape for years. I looked at the first Z Fold when it came out, decided the price was too high, and couldn't name anything I would do on it that I don't already do sitting at the Macbook.

If I'm not on a plane or in a hide, I'm at that desk. I dropped Windows for a MacBook something like fifteen years ago, then a Studio. I have never owned an iPhone, i always was a Android guy despite using Macbook & Mac Studio.

I'm probably buying this one anyway.

Part of it is the same thing that made me want the Mate XT. A new fold exists, and I want to hold it. I know that about myself. Pretending the Duo is a carefully reasoned purchase would be a lie. I love gear, i will find the right reason I need it in my life.

Most of what I do at the desk now is agents. Apps and systems. Leave the desk and that work stops. I can't approve a step or see what the Studio is doing. Claude remote worked, sort of. Then I was waiting until I got home.

Tailscale is already on the machines. Studio, servers, the stuff at home. What I don't have is a screen I trust for an hour in a car or a factory corridor. With a duo i don't have an excuse not go to the gym, i can continue the work from gym.
This is what I imagine i would use the Iphone Duo for running terminals over tailscale with, always connected to my CLI, directing my agents, not loosing valuable time.