Apple's Foldable iPhone to Feature iPad-Like Interface With Side-by-Side Apps [Report]

Apple is reportedly making significant software changes to support its first foldable iPhone. When the device arrives, it will feature an iPad-style interface complete with side-by-side multitasking and app sidebars designed to take advantage of its larger internal screen.



According to a report from Bloomberg, the inside display is roughly the size of an iPad mini and uses a wide aspect ratio. This is a departure from the narrow, tall displays used by most current foldable phones. Apple believes the wider format will make the device much better for watching video. To make it work, the company is updating its core iPhone apps to include left-hand sidebars, and developers will get the tools they need to adapt their own software for the new layout.


Even with the tablet-style app designs, the foldable will still run standard iOS rather than iPadOS. Buyers shouldn't expect the desktop-style windowing system found on modern iPads, and the device will not run native iPad apps out of the box. It will, however, let users run two iPhone apps side by side, matching a key capability of competing Android foldables.

The physical design brings a few firsts for the iPhone lineup. The outside cover screen is slightly shorter than most iPhone displays. More importantly, Apple is ditching the familiar pill-shaped notch in favor of a small hole-punch cutout for the front camera. The Dynamic Island interface will still appear in software to manage alerts and Live Activities around the cutout. This same hole-punch setup is also expected to appear on the touch-screen MacBook Pro later this year.

Because the front panel is incredibly thin, Apple couldn't fit the TrueDepth camera sensors needed for Face ID. Instead, the company is bringing back a side-mounted Touch ID scanner built into the power button. On the inside display, Apple actually tested an under-display camera to hide the lens completely but scrapped the idea after testing showed poor image quality. The internal screen will use a small hole-punch camera as well.

Apple's engineering team spent significant time trying to solve the durability issues and visible display crease seen on other folding phones. The company eventually settled on screen technology that significantly reduces the crease, backing up recent supply chain talk of a minimal display crease panel. Around back, the phone will feature two cameras, stepping down from the three-lens system used on the Pro tier.


Slated for a fall launch, the foldable is expected to cost around $2,000 and sit at the very top of Apple's lineup. It arrives as rivals start adjusting their own hardware to match. Samsung, for example, is reportedly rushing to produce its own wider foldable device specifically to compete with Apple's approach.