Apple has finally announced the iPhone Duo after years of guesswork, and it immediately replaced the idea of an iPad mini for a whole lot of people. There's a good argument for an iPad 18 Pro and iPad mini instead, for less money.
Open, the iPhone Duo has a 7.6-inch OLED display that is just a few tenths of an inch smaller than the current iPad mini's 8.3-inch IPS display. The iPhone Duo also has the added benefit of folding up when you don't need it, making it eminently more pocketable.
That alone is enough to make some people throw their iPad mini to the curb. That may be the case for you, too, but the iPhone Duo isn't perfect. And there's still a place in the lineup for a tablet the size of the iPad mini.
Far from cannibalizing the iPad mini's market share, the iPhone Duo coexists with it. All you have to do is choose which one (or both) is right for you.
How easy that decision is to make will depend on how you like to use your devices.
iPhone Duo, an iPad waiting to happen
I've been waiting for a foldable iPhone for a long time. Even before I spent some time with the Oppo Find N5, the idea of an iPhone that turns into an iPad intrigued me.
Now that I've seen it, albeit not yet in person, I already know the iPhone Duo is for me. And part of the reason is, ironically enough, the time I spent with the A17 Pro iPad mini.
While it has its problems, the iPad mini is an excellent way to do a lot of things. From reading websites to playing games, that 7.9-inch display is a huge upgrade over even the biggest iPhone displays.
Until now.
One of the problems I found with the iPad mini was that it was only ever something I used at home. It became the device I used when I was on the sofa. It was great, but out of the house, I had to make do with an iPhone.
The iPhone Duo does away with that either/or dynamic. You don't have to choose between an iPhone's portability and the iPad mini's larger display. You can have both, and they're always there when you need them.
That, right there, is what makes the iPhone Duo a must-have device for me and the way I like to use my iPhones. They're my portable computer, and a larger display is always welcome whether I'm dealing with emails or catching up on the day's big tech news.
There are added benefits, too. The iPhone Duo's foldable OLED display is brighter and altogether better than the panel found on the iPad mini. As it should be, considering the price.
The iPhone Duo boasts better cameras, and its new A20 Pro chip is as good as it gets. In some ways, it's the iPad mini Pro Apple won't make.
But that doesn't mean that there isn't a home for the iPad mini in a post-iPhone Duo world.
iPad mini, the trusted option
As much as I'm all about that foldable iPhone life already, I have to admit that it's no good for what is a popular iPad mini demographic: kids.
The iPad mini is a great tablet for a lot of things
There's no way I'd put a $2,000 iPhone Duo in the hands of a kid who wants to watch a show, for example. Its foldable design and a hinge that remains an unknown quantity deserve more protection than that.
But the iPad mini can be the perfect kid's tablet. It's small, light, and for an iPad, relatively inexpensive. And it comes with all of the child protections that iPadOS 27 has to offer, unlike those cheap Amazon and Android tablets.
The iPad mini isn't just for kids, either. It's still the best small iPad for people who want a device they can use much the same way I did. Read websites on the couch or flick through eBay when it's time to hunt for a bargain.
A lot of iPhone buyers use their phones to make calls, text their friends, and take photos of their kids. They buy the Pro iPhone because it has the best cameras, and they call it a day. They don't need or want an iPhone Duo. And that's before the sticker shock kicks in.
What they want is two devices that serve two different needs. And for them, the combination of an iPhone 18 Pro and an iPad mini just works.
It'll even work out to be cheaper, too. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199. Add a $599 iPad mini, and you'll still come in a couple of hundred dollars below an iPhone Duo. Sure, that approach means settling for the non-cellular iPad mini, but you can always tether to your new iPhone if you do decide to take it on the road.
You'll even get more than the iPhone Duo's two colors to choose from. Both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPad mini come in a range of options.
There are downsides to the iPad mini that should be considered, though. It's an aging design that is due for a refresh, especially with a new high-refresh-rate display. Rumors of an OLED model launching before the end of 2026 continue to swirl. We can expect it to ditch the A17 Pro for something faster as well.
But refreshed iPad mini or not, ignoring the iPhone Duo is still an entirely valid option. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPad mini dynamic duo will be great. One portable powerhouse, one tablet ready and waiting at home.
For me, I want to have both of those things in a device that is always with me. And I suspect I won't be alone.
But this is the beauty of a product lineup that is full of options. People can choose the best devices for them and the way they use them.
No one route is the right one. And no matter which you choose, you're going to have a great experience with your new hardware.
