The iPhone Folds. My Wallet Stays Closed.

Today is iPhone Duo day.

Normally, I would be the guy convincing himself that a folding phone was a perfectly reasonable purchase.

This time? I think I'm sitting it out.

My wallet is probably checking whether I'm feeling okay.

Apple's first foldable starts at $1,999. You get a 5.4-inch outside screen that opens into a 7.6-inch display, an A20 Pro chip, two 48MP rear cameras, and the ability to run two apps side by side.

I get the appeal. Looking at a document while answering a message, watching something on a larger screen, having more room to work. There are real reasons someone would want this.

But I actually like my current phone's form factor. If anything, I want something smaller.

And that 5.4-inch screen doesn't tell the whole story. The Duo weighs 254 grams and is 11.3 mm thick when folded. It folds shut, but that doesn't automatically make it the small phone I'm looking for.

I was really hoping the Apple Watch Ultra would get me closer to leaving the phone behind altogether.

To be fair, a cellular Apple Watch can already do quite a bit without the phone nearby. Calls, iMessages, directions, music, payments. For a walk or a quick errand, that's useful.

But replacing my phone for everyday life is a different expectation.

Apple still requires the paired iPhone to be powered on and connected for SMS/MMS and third-party app push notifications. The phone can stay home, but it still has a job.

That feels like giving my phone permission to work remotely.

I want the watch to graduate.

So I'm probably waiting. Maybe Gen 2 changes my mind. Maybe Apple eventually makes a smaller foldable that fits what I actually want. That's a wish, not a product announcement.

Or maybe I finally give an Android flip phone a serious look.

Something like the Galaxy Z Flip8 folds down for carrying, although its 6.9-inch main screen is still a big phone when open. Smaller in my pocket and smaller in my hand are two different things.

And with my Apple setup, switching would mean figuring out what happens to the Watch and the routines I already have. That's worth thinking through before buying a hinge.

For now, I'm happy to admire the Duo from a financially responsible distance.

What would actually improve your next phone: a bigger screen, a smaller device, or a watch that finally lets you leave the phone behind?