Should you Buy an iPhone Duo?

Apple Podcast Spotify

Should you Buy an iPhone Duo?

Would you buy a foldable phone? Apple is betting that you will with its October 16th launch of the iPhone Duo. This is an ultra-premium phone, starting out at just under $2,000. It’s meant to fill the gap between an iPhone and an iPad, boasting a 7.6-inch screen when it is folded out. Supposedly, you can’t even really see or feel the crease. Reviews have been solid. You can use an apple pencil on it, and with more and more people viewing videos from their phones, it is ideal with its larger screen. It also gets high marks for durability being dust and water resistant. Battery life is really good, with the device containing two batteries that can get up to 32 hours of constant video on the large display. The only real trade off seems to be its size and weight. It’s pretty bulky, but you can bet that Apple will slim it down in future versions. Also, when you buy a first-generation device, new features like hinge life are an unknown. So, should you buy one? In today’s episode I want to help build a framework for you to answer that question. Really this is a framework that can help you decide on whether to buy any technological device.

Let’s start with sharing 4 purposes that we have when using a device. I think everything that you do on your device will fit into these categories.

Entertainment. I would venture to say that this is the most common category. We watch videos on their devices, scroll through reels, and read what’s going on in a host of social media apps.

Communication. We use devices to talk to people, either by voice, by video, or by text.

Information. We learn from these devices. We might read our favorite newspaper online, or see what people are saying about a certain topic on Twitter (now known as X). We may do research on these devices or analyze reports. With all the world’s knowledge at our very fingertips, there is no shortage of information for consumers.

Creation. We might create videos, posts, journals, images, photos. Once again, there seems to be no limit to what we can create on our devices.

So, as you seek to answer the question, should I buy an iPhone Duo, or any other device, ask yourself which of these categories you do most, and then see if the device will help or hinder those activities. Out of those four categories of actions, I use my devices to communicate more than anything else. So, I want a device that is conducive to allow me to organize my texts and emails. I also engage with a ton of information and reports. A phone isn’t very conducive for that, so I have a large screen iPad that makes that much easier. What we don’t want to do is buy a device just because it is new and cool. These pieces of technology are tools. And just like a hammer accomplishes one thing while a screwdriver accomplishes another, we want to harness these tools specifically for our end goals.
So, if you don’t know the answer to what you do most on your phone, let’s do an experiment. Let’s first see how much we are using a device. You can go to your battery settings and look for “screen active time”. It’s the best measure for you to tell how much time you have been active on the device. Then, if you want to see your category usage, if you have an iPhone, go to screen time and will classify your apps into your own categories to help you know how you use the device. So go ahead. Press pause and do this exercise. Okay, if you’re back, you might have felt like this was looking through the transactions in your bank account. If you are happy with what you saw, good for you. Keep doing what you are doing. If not, it might be beneficial to give some thought to what these phones are really for and how that can be harnessed to make you a better, more joyful, and more productive person. They really can, but it normally takes some thought to make that happen. And it takes careful thought to know whether you should buy an iPhone Duo or the next latest and greatest gadget. Don’t just let it happen. Buy it because you are confident you should buy it.

Good finances don’t just happen, either. It takes an investment of time. We believe it also takes a good partner. At Foundation Bank and MBC, we see ourselves as just that – a financial partner. We want to understand what you are trying to accomplish and then we can suggest a host of tools to help you get there. At Foundation Bank we build creative financial partnerships. Why don’t you start yours today by visiting foundationbank.org. We hope you’ll subscribe to this podcast to it in your favorite podcast app and share it on social media. Until our next episode, God bless you.

-President Chad P. Wilson, CFP

Today’s episode of “Money Matters” was written and recorded by President Chad P. Wilson of Foundation Bank/McKenzie Banking Company on September 29, 2026. This episode does not constitute financial advice. Please consult a financial professional to discuss your specific needs. Any rates mentioned are subject to change and are accurate as of the recording date. Foundation Bank/MBC is an Equal Housing Lender, Member FDIC.