Nothing chief Carl Pei has criticised the iPhone Duo’s premium pricing, saying its missing Face ID and telephoto camera do not justify the cost as Apple enters the foldable market.
Carl Pei, the OnePlus co-founder now leading Nothing, has dismissed Apple’s first foldable handset as poor value, arguing that the premium price cannot be justified by its feature set. In comments picked up by Notebookcheck, he described the iPhone Duo as a “waste of money”, singling out the lack of a telephoto camera, Face ID and some of the more advanced camera controls reserved for Apple’s Pro models.
The criticism lands at a moment when Apple’s entry into foldables has revived interest in the category more broadly. According to Notebookcheck, the iPhone Duo is being positioned as a large-screen device for productivity, with a 7.6in inner display in a 1.41:1 aspect ratio that could appeal to people who read, review documents or work on the move. That wider format is said to make it easier to consume content than the more square layouts used by several rival foldables.
Price is central to the debate. Notebookcheck reported a German list price of €2,299, which it said is €300 more than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. Other reports on the same comments put the US price at $1,999. Pei’s complaint is that, at that level, buyers should expect a fuller specification, including Apple’s facial recognition system and a dedicated telephoto lens. Supporters of the device, however, may argue that the omissions are partly the result of industrial constraints: Notebookcheck said the chassis may simply be too thin to accommodate Face ID hardware.
There is also a broader strategic question behind the argument. Android Central reported that Google sees Apple’s move into foldables as a net positive for the wider market, because a high-profile iPhone foldable could draw in consumers who have not previously considered the format. That suggests Pei’s remarks are not only a criticism of Apple’s pricing and feature choices, but also a sign that the foldable category is entering a more competitive and more closely watched phase.
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