The iPhone Duo should have been an iPad

We gave the iPhone Duo a 7 /10. But that wasn’t always the score we planned, and it might not be the right score forever. Such are the challenges of reviewing — and assessing — a big, new idea about the most popular smartphone in history.

On this episode of The Vergecast, David and Nilay debate whether the Duo deserved the score it got, and try to work through how this device might change over time.

After that, the hosts talk about the huge PHP cybersecurity flaw that rocked the web this week, the ongoing increase in AI shopping, an impending reboot inside of Netflix, and some very confusing Gemini news. Also, Brendan Carr is a Dummy.

Further reading:

• The iPhone Duo is a messy, expensive, good time (theverge.com/tech/1015028/iphone-duo-review)

• All the news about the iPhone Duo (theverge.com/tech/1010131/apple-iphone-duo-new…)

• Daring Fireball: The iPhone Duo (daringfireball.net/2026/10/the_iphone_duo)

• PHP: The three little letters wreaking havoc across the web (theverge.com/tech/1016574/php2shell-security-v…)

• AI agents are ready to shop. Some retailers are wary (theverge.com/report/1015811/ai-shopping-agents…)

• Walmart is inviting AI agents to shop for you (theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/101571…)

• 10 million people have already set up Muse agents. (theverge.com/tech/1016029/10-million-people-ha…)

• Netflix is telling investors not to worry, even though you’re watching less and less (theverge.com/streaming/1014826/netflix-earning…)

• Google’s more personalized Gemini AI is heading to your car (theverge.com/tech/1014999/google-gemini-ai-car…)

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0:00 No Sevens Pact

01:03 Show Agenda Setup

01:46 Duo Score Debate

03:08 App Optimization Phases

07:47 Two Thousand Dollar Problem

10:44 iPad Not iPhone

14:41 Outer Screen Compromises

18:04 Developer Badges Future

20:34 Early Adopter Reality

30:19 Handoff eSIM Limitations

34:49 PHP Shell Chaos

36:17 PHP Under the Hood

37:46 AI Finds the Exploit

40:46 Disclosure Panic Fallout

42:44 Patch Now or Go Dark

45:58 Autonomous Defense Arms Race

48:42 Agents Break the Web

53:04 Muse Adoption Shopping Stats

54:11 Bots Buying Movie Tickets

01:01:05 Instagram Deepfake Crisis

01:07:30 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:10:06 FCC Threatens Poll Coverage

01:17:44 FCC Free Speech Alarm

01:20:20 The Lightning Round

01:20:49 Arc Browser Shutdown

01:23:12 AI Browsers Future

01:27:14 Meta Terms Backlash

01:34:04 Netflix Identity Crisis

01:43:16 Gemini Confusion Car

01:49:12 Wrap Up And Awards

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