Apple has just published a new developer video showing how apps are expected to behave on iPhone Duo — and there are some surprisingly interesting details hiding in it.
The video, “Design for iPhone Duo,” comes from Apple’s Design team and is essentially a behind-the-scenes look at how the company has rethought iOS for its first folding iPhone. (Apple Developer)
And it makes one thing very clear: iPhone Duo isn’t simply an iPhone screen that happens to fold.
The biggest change is how iOS adapts depending on how you’re holding the device.
iPhone Duo can be used in multiple poses, with Apple moving controls such as toolbars and tab bars toward the outer edges of the display to make them easier to reach while also freeing up more vertical space. (Apple Developer)
When the phone is partially folded, iOS can also automatically move content and interactive elements away from the centre — effectively treating the hinge as an area developers shouldn’t rely on.
Apple even demonstrates how sheets can change their behaviour depending on which display you’re using, while interactive elements can shift away from the fold when the device is bent. (Apple Developer)
Then there’s the big inner display.
Rather than simply stretching an iPhone app across the larger canvas, Apple is encouraging developers to take advantage of the extra space with things like split views and two-column layouts. (Apple Developer)
That could make iPhone Duo feel much closer to a tiny iPad when it’s fully open — without actually turning iOS into iPadOS.
Perhaps the most important message from Apple, though, is that developers shouldn’t create a completely different interface for every possible position.
Instead, apps should be designed to intelligently resize and adapt between different display sizes and poses. (Apple Developer)
And honestly, this is the part I’m most interested in.
We’ve spent months looking at the hardware, the hinge and the huge inner display. But this is where iPhone Duo starts to feel like a genuinely different kind of iPhone.
Apple isn’t just making a foldable screen.
It’s changing how iOS thinks about space.
And now we’re starting to see what that actually means.
Chapters
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 0:28 – Design principles
- 3:42 – Adapting your design
- 5:07 – Positioning controls
- 6:33 – Designing for the outer display
- 7:34 – Designing for the inner display
- 8:36 – Sheet behavior
- 9:28 – Fold avoidance
- 10:01 – Conclusion