Nobody is questioning how apple could release this new form factor without giving developers time to adapt? I know the fluid grid system is supposed to adapt to any screen dimensions, but developers, especially game devs, need time to test and adjust.
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iPhone Fold to Feature iPad-Style Multitasking and Layouts
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Schrödinger’s MR where the inclusion of AI hated and the lack of AI is lamented.
Alpha Centauri
macrumors 68000
I do realize the original article describes an "iPad-like-layout" without giving some sort of dimension. But let's just go for the mentioned iPad mini size right now?
So halving this in a clamshell calculation of final phone size: 97.7 x 67.4 mm. My 13 Mini is: 131.5 x 64.2 mm, for me to relate to.
It sound like this will be quite small and over squared in comparison. I realise I'm reading much to much into the dimensions based purely on the statement of comparison to an iPad Mini and we're also entirely leaving the thickness out of the equation.
Thoughts?
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maruyama
macrumors regular
Landscape mode has remained half-baked on the iPhone for too long; hopefully the fold brings this to iOS in general. The home screen should have a landscape view, even if it's just rotating the icons and labels in place and not reflowing them like on the iPad.
gigapocket1
macrumors 68030
AppleFan91
macrumors 68000
What are Multi Windows and how do I use them?
FAQ for Samsung mobile. Find more about 'What are Multi Windows and how do I use them?' with Samsung Support.
www.samsung.com
And if you want to try and argue semantics that this isn’t “side by side”, but top and bottom, then let us turn the pro and pro max landscape for side by side.
It can be done.
I’m guessing left will be the outer screen app.
No one knows.
JPack
macrumors P6
Apple won't be doing windowed apps on the foldable iPhone according to Gurman, so there's nothing lost for the iPhone Pro Max.
"While the foldable iPhone won’t run several windows at once like an iPad mini, it will be able to show two apps side by side."
While I only use iPad for movies, I might use the new iPhone fold for movies too... will have to see
contacos
macrumors 603
Well this sucks A, guess I'll have to remain on Android for the time being.
I would be just fine if it had the older iPad style split screen. If so I wonder if it will be stuck at 50/50 or will it be adjustable to the 25/75 as well.
Kylo83
macrumors 603
samsung fold 7 has real multitasking like 4 or 3 apps side by side, iPhone is always behind
ItsASpider
macrumors regular
The split between iOS and iPadOS is going to make absolutely no sense... I wonder if they'll eventually just merge again.
Serrafemme
macrumors member
More power to those who are excited about this, but I just can’t. The form factor has never interested me in the slightest…
I’m over here in a dark corner meekly requesting smaller phones while Apple is saying:
macduke
macrumors G5
If it can be connected to an external display and be about as functional as the MacBook Neo, then it's a day one purchase for me. Bonus if it can be done over AirPlay. Now that we know what the iPhone Pro chip two generations older than this A20 Pro is capable of, there is no reason they shouldn't put this into a $2000 device. It's not going to cannibalize Mac sales for people buying a $2000 phone (we'll still have our MBPs), but it will make our life easier and make the price easier to swallow as well.
I just want one device to rule them all!
I just want one device to rule them all!
sledgehammer89
macrumors 6502
mikebenton
macrumors regular
chrispyapple
macrumors newbie
While having two apps opened split-screen on a normal phone sounds great on a paper, on execution... not so much. It just feels way too restrictive and awkward to use, especially in data-rich apps. That is a feature that I tried so hard to like on Android, but it was just too frustrating to use and then I just never bothered with it anymore. Split-screen makes a lot more sense on displays with actual screen real estate like tablets and foldables.
-BigMac-
macrumors 68030
Cant wait to get one on release and return it within 14 days due to the inevitable floppy hinge😊
The upcoming foldable iPhone that Apple plans to debut this September will operate like a cross between an iPhone and an iPad, reports Bloomberg.
When the device is opened up, the UI will have an iPad-like layout that supports multitasking with two apps side-by-side. No iPhone to date has supported running multiple apps on the display at the same time, beyond simple picture-in-picture mode features.
Many apps will feature sidebars on the left of the display, and developers will be given tools to adapt their existing apps for the new interface.
The iPad interface makes sense because the iPhone Fold is something of an iPhone and iPad hybrid. When closed, it will resemble a traditional slab-style iPhone, but when open, it will be closer to the size of the iPad mini. Rather than a tall design, Apple is using a wider design than its competitors, and it is expected to have a 4:3 aspect ratio.
A wider display will make the iPhone Fold more useful for side-by-side apps, video watching, and similar tasks that people are used to doing with an iPad. When the iPhone Fold is closed, the outer display will look like a standard iPhone. It will display apps and it will have a hole-punch front-facing camera for selfies, but there isn't Face ID support. Instead, Apple is using a fingerprint sensor that's included in the power button. The camera area will still support Dynamic Island features for Live Activities and relevant notifications even though there's no TrueDepth system.
Apple did test a camera that was underneath the inner display, but it produced poor images compared to the hole punch version, so Apple opted for a visible camera. The rear area will have dual cameras, but no triple-lens camera system because of space constraints.
Though the iPhone Fold will have a display with some features that are also available on the iPad, it will run iOS, not iPadOS. It will not support the full range of multitasking features that are available on the iPad, and it won't run existing iPadOS apps.
Apple plans to price the iPhone Fold somewhere around $2,000, and it will be the most expensive iPhone in the 2026 lineup.
Article Link: iPhone Fold to Feature iPad-Style Multitasking and Layouts
It strikes a bit strange that the Fold won’t turn into an iPad with iPadOS when opened. Instead developers will have to add support for a niche hardware model’s niche UI. I guess we’ll see how that goes.
“Can” they do it? Sure… but windowed multitasking is really poor UX on touch devices. It’s already very bad on the iPad, and it will be even worse on the foldable iPhone. So think about how bad it would be on a regular iPhone.
Alpha Centauri
macrumors 68000
An iOS hybrid called iPos 🙂