After years of rumours, Apple has finally entered the foldable phone market with the new iPhone Duo. It works like a regular smartphone when closed but opens into a much larger 7.6 inch screen, somewhere between a phone and a small tablet. While foldable phones have been around for a long time, this is Apple’s first model which makes them even more mainstream.
Until now, responsive design mainly meant making sure a website or app works on phones, tablets and desktops. A foldable device adds a whole new possibility as the screen can change size while you’re actually using it. An app can start on the smaller outer display, then expand when the phone is opened. Users can also multitask on the larger screen, making it possible to have different content or apps visible at the same time. For us, that means developers need to think beyond simply making everything bigger. Navigation, buttons, images and content may need to be reorganised depending on how the device is being used.
Possibly not that much as a well built, responsive website should already adapt to different screen sizes well. But foldables are another reminder that websites shouldn’t be designed around a handful of fixed screen dimensions. Apps have more room to get creative. The larger display could make dashboards, productivity tools, shopping apps, maps and other content heavy applications much easier to use on a phone.
As foldables are still a relatively small part of the smartphone market, it is difficult to say whether they will grow in popularity, but Apple entering the category is definitely likely to bring more attention to the format. For designers and developers, it’s another sign that the traditional rectangular smartphone screen isn’t something we can take for granted forever. As with all technology, this can also be outdated quicker than we think!
At Swiss Tomato, we develop websites and mobile applications with different devices, screen sizes and future technologies in mind. We know that the next device your users open your app on might look very different from the ones they are using today. Contact us and let’s plan a future proof app that will work for your business in the long run!
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Email: hello@swisstomato.com
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