iOS 27 brings iPad multitasking concepts to iPhone Duo
Apple has redesigned iOS 27 to take full advantage of the additional screen space on its first foldable device, the iPhone Duo, rather than simply porting the standard iPhone interface across. Rather than building an entirely new system, Apple has adapted multitasking concepts from iPadOS, which shares its foundations with iOS, stating that the Duo was designed to feel "as natural and intuitive as iPad." This matters because it signals how Apple intends foldables to fit into its ecosystem, treating the device as a hybrid between an iPhone and an iPad rather than just a larger phone.
Key changes include moving standard iOS controls to the side of the screen for easier thumb access when the phone is unfolded, and reworking app layouts to suit the interior display's larger size and the external screen's wider aspect ratio. The iPhone Duo will also be the first iPhone to support the Apple Pencil, usable on both the inner and outer screens, though USB-C Pencil support may not arrive until later in the year according to Apple. iOS 27 has also been adapted for the phone's various physical configurations, shifting on-screen content away from the crease when held partially open like a book, and enabling video playback on the outer screen when the device is propped up like a tent.
- Apple redesigned iOS 27 for the foldable iPhone Duo's extra screen space
- Controls shift sideways; app layouts adapt to the larger, wider display
- Apple Pencil support arrives, though USB-C compatibility may come later
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates for Apple's approach argue that a foldable phone only earns its price and bulk if the software genuinely exploits the extra screen, and borrowing proven iPadOS multitasking concepts is a sensible way to deliver that quickly without inventing a fragmented, unfamiliar paradigm. They value continuity across the ecosystem, so a design that feels instantly familiar to existing iPad users, while still adapting controls, layouts and Pencil support to the phone's unique folding form factor, is seen as thoughtful engineering rather than laziness. Tailoring behaviour to each physical configuration, such as shifting content away from the crease or enabling tent-mode video, is viewed as evidence Apple is treating the Duo as a genuinely new category rather than simply stretching an old interface.
The case against
Sceptics counter that reusing iPadOS concepts risks bolting tablet-oriented multitasking onto a device that people still primarily want to use as a phone, potentially making everyday one-handed tasks more cumbersome despite the promise of easier thumb access. They value interfaces purpose-built for their hardware, and worry that adapting an existing paradigm, rather than designing one specifically for a folding phone, could produce compromises that satisfy neither iPad power users nor traditional iPhone users well. There is also concern that staggered features, such as Apple Pencil support arriving before USB-C Pencil compatibility, suggest the software and accessory ecosystem is not yet fully mature for launch, meaning early adopters may be paying a premium for a product still being finished.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Apple completely revamped iOS 27’s controls and apps for the iPhone Duo”.