iPad mini offers a preview of the iPhone Duo experience with its 7.6-inch display

While waiting for the iPhone Duo to launch, the author is using an iPad mini as a rough substitute for the anticipated large-screen phone. The experiment is intended to show what using a phone with a display of that size might feel like.

The iPhone Duo’s inner display is listed at 7.6 inches, compared with 8.3 inches for the iPad mini. Smaller bezels make the difference less noticeable than the diagonal measurements alone might suggest.

Recreating the iPhone experience

The same apps used on the iPhone were installed on the iPad mini, with a similar home-screen layout. An iPhone Wi-Fi hotspot supplies connectivity, allowing the tablet to be used in situations where the phone would normally be used.

Because it runs iPadOS, the iPad mini offers more flexible multitasking than the expected iOS-based Duo. The test mainly uses apps full-screen or in split-screen mode, however, making the interface closer to the anticipated Duo experience.

Portability and test limitations

The iPad mini is taken along only when a backpack is available, which is roughly half of the author’s outings. It also lacks all of the Duo’s features, so the comparison remains only an approximation.

Still, switching back from the iPad mini to the iPhone 18 Pro makes the latter’s screen feel extremely small. The experiment has not reduced the author’s interest in the upcoming iPhone Duo.