Nothing CEO Harshly Criticizes Apple’s Foldable iPhone Model

Nothing CEO Carl Pei has harshly criticized Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo smartphone. In his view, the device, priced at $1,999, lacks several important features and does not justify its price.

One of Pei’s main criticisms is the absence of the Face ID facial recognition system. This technology, which Apple has used since the iPhone X, has been replaced on the iPhone Duo by a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. The Nothing CEO believes that a smartphone priced at nearly $2,000 should have Face ID.

One possible reason for Apple’s choice is the device’s thin design. At just 5.2 millimeters thick when unfolded, the iPhone Duo may not have enough room for the TrueDepth camera system required for Face ID. Moreover, providing facial recognition on both the inner and outer displays would require additional sensors.

Carl Pei also considers the smartphone’s camera capabilities unsatisfactory. While the new iPhone 18 Pro models use an 18-megapixel front camera, the iPhone Duo is equipped with a 12-megapixel front camera.

The device has also been criticized for lacking a dedicated telephoto camera and a LiDAR scanner. A telephoto camera allows distant objects to be photographed using optical zoom, while LiDAR is used to collect depth data and for certain photography features.

In addition, the iPhone Duo reportedly lacks certain professional controls designed for manually adjusting parameters such as aperture and exposure time while shooting.

According to Carl Pei, it is unacceptable for a smartphone sold at such a high price to lack key flagship features. His criticism once again raises the question of whether the compromises between thin design and technical capabilities in foldable smartphones are justified.