Apple Launches iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable Phone

Apple has launched the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, which features a noticeably larger internal display when unfolded. The iPhone Duo supports split-screen multitasking but cannot play two videos at the same time, and it runs a redesigned version of iOS tailored to the foldable form factor. When the device is partially folded, the system can automatically enter split-screen mode, placing two apps on the screen at once. Users can work across the two apps or pin them together so the pairing remains active while they handle other tasks.

In work scenarios, users can handle content on one side while running another app on the other, or open apps such as TikTok and YouTube simultaneously and switch quickly between the two platforms. However, when two video apps appear in split screen at the same time, the system does not allow them to keep playing video simultaneously. Once a user starts video playback in one app, video in the other app cannot continue playing in the same way. IOS restricts multimedia playback and has long enforced relatively strict management of background audio and video activity, requiring the system to decide which app has media playback priority. If two apps played video at once, it would create a conflict between two audio tracks and increase consumption of processor, graphics processor, battery and network resources.

The iPhone Duo does not directly adopt a macOS- or iPadOS-style window system. Apple continues to build on iOS and has redesigned it for the two internal and external screens and different folding angles. When the phone is in a half-folded state, the system can automatically enter a split-screen mode suited to that posture, and users can use this form to watch video while placing controls in the lower section; the half-folded state is also suited to using a keyboard, because the positions of the screen and keyboard change with the device's posture. Once unfolded, the iPhone Duo offers a more conventional two-app experience, letting users handle two tasks at once and drag or switch content between them. Apple allows users to pin two apps as a combination for quick access later. At least at launch, simultaneous playback of two videos is not a feature this foldable iPhone can provide.