Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, is arriving with support for more than 50 apps designed to make better use of its larger screen. The company has highlighted updated experiences across entertainment, gaming, productivity and travel, as developers adapt their apps to the device's folding design.
While existing iPhone apps will continue to work on the iPhone Duo, optimised versions can offer layouts that make better use of the wider display. Apple says users can also discover compatible apps through dedicated App Store collections and a "Made for iPhone Duo" badge on app listings.
iPhone Duo: How Optimised Apps Work
The iPhone Duo has a 7.6 inch inner display and a 5.4 inch cover display. Apps designed for the device can adjust their layout depending on whether the phone is open, closed or partially folded.
For instance, an app can place video playback on one half of the screen and controls or additional information on the other. Apps that have not been optimised can still run, but their content may appear centred with black bars on either side of the main display.
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Netflix, Prime Video, Instagram And Other Supported App
Apple has highlighted several entertainment apps that take advantage of the larger screen. Netflix lets users browse short video clips on the cover display and continue watching on the inner screen. Prime Video and Paramount+ also offer interfaces designed for the foldable format.
For productivity, Zoom can show shared content alongside meeting participants, while Slack uses a two pane layout to make navigation easier. Microsoft Word and Outlook are also set to receive updated interfaces designed to provide a more desktop like experience, although Apple says these updates will arrive in the coming weeks.
Instagram and Instagram Edits are among the supported social and creative apps. Edits uses the wider screen to display editing tools and video previews together. Other optimised apps include Apple Music, Apple TV, Salesforce, Fantastical, VLLO and WPS Office.
iPhone Duo Gaming, Travel And Shopping Apps
The list also includes games such as Asphalt Legends, Sneaky Sasquatch, Retrocade and Deck-Man. Some titles adapt their controls and interface to the phone's different positions. Travel and shopping apps include Flighty, American Airlines, United Airlines, Lyft, OpenTable, DoorDash, Yelp and Lowe's.
These apps can use the larger screen to display maps, booking details, product information or other content more clearly. Apple says further app updates will arrive throughout the year, meaning the list of optimised experiences could expand after launch.
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For a foldable phone, the hardware is only part of the experience. The real test will be whether developers make meaningful use of the additional screen space rather than simply stretching existing interfaces.
Apple's growing list of optimised apps gives the iPhone Duo a broader starting point, but the usefulness of the format will ultimately depend on how consistently these experiences improve everyday tasks.
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