With the iPhone Duo close to release, photographer Tyler Stalman has published a video review assessing how its cameras measure up to those on the iPhone 18 Pro. It arrives on the same day 9to5Mac released its own in-depth review of the new device.
The camera system is one of the main areas where the Duo falls short of the 18 Pro. The Duo has no Telephoto lens, its Main camera is not quite as capable, and its Center Stage front camera is a step down as well. The question for prospective buyers is how much those differences matter in practice.
On the Main camera, Stalman is fairly reassuring. "Most people are not going to spot the difference," he says, adding that the two look very similar in most lighting conditions. He acknowledges that the Pro performs better even in low light, but suggests the gap is probably not going to stand out to most people.
Whether you count among those "most people" is another matter. 9to5Mac's own review described the Duo's camera as comparable to the one in the iPhone Air, a point the specifications bear out. The review's author added that they personally found the iPhone 18 Pro's Main camera to be a big improvement over the Air's.
Stalman also points to ways the Duo's camera experience comes out ahead. Its two screens make it possible to take 48MP selfies, and when you photograph someone else, that person can see what you are seeing. He describes this as a strong benefit of the design.
The Ultra Wide lens is a non-issue by his account. Stalman says the Duo appears to deliver essentially the same quality as the iPhone 18 Pro in this area.
The front camera is where the Duo more clearly trails. Its Center Stage camera is 12MP, while the iPhone 18 Pro, and even last year's iPhone 17 Pro, use an 18MP lens. Stalman says users should expect selfie quality similar to models from before the iPhone 17, but with features such as Center Stage and automatic framing, which let you hold the phone in any orientation.
The weaker selfie camera matters less on the Duo than it might on the 18 Pro, because owners can take selfies with the Main camera instead. The differences are still worth knowing about before buying.
