Ifanr review: iPhone Duo is top-tier, but its app ecosystem needs time

Ifanr said the main novelty comes from software and hardware-software integration rather than from hardware specifications. The iPhone Duo provides hinge-angle data to system features and developers as an API and, according to the review, is the first foldable to make the opening and closing transition part of everyday use through a dedicated animation. It also treats the half-folded position as a separate system state, using the hinge's hovering ability to enable split-screen controls and a standby display mode. A nano-texture finish reduces glare and reflection, which Ifanr said makes the half-folded screen more usable and helps the crease stay less visible.

The review said Apple rebuilt iOS for the wider inner display, moving status bars, menus and the dock to the short edges to leave more space for content. It described three app compatibility levels: apps compiled with iOS 27.1 SDK or later work fully, with navigation moved to the right side and support for dynamic window resizing and crease avoidance; apps compiled with iOS 27.0 SDK can show wide windows but cannot display the status bar immersively; apps compiled with iOS 26 or older SDKs run at 16:9 on both screens. Ifanr said this locked-aspect-ratio approach avoids unclickable buttons in unsupported apps but makes those apps feel outdated and disconnected.

As of Oct. 21, Ifanr said, Bilibili, Weibo, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Xiaohongshu, iQiyi, Feishu, Doubao, WPS, JD, Taobao, Alipay, Xiaoyuzhou and Kugou Music had released adapted versions, generally with good quality. Netflix was cited as the most impressive example: it used the angle API to calculate a reflection of the upper image on the lower half of the screen when the phone is half-folded. But Ifanr said such cases remain rare because the development kit was only released in early October and most teams had one or two weeks to prepare. WeChat is focusing on adapting its iPhone Duo client and will launch after experience is assured, the review said, while support for a tablet-like WeChat may come later. Most games still run in compatibility mode, though miHoYo's Zenless Zone Zero adaptation ran at a stable 60 frames per second at high quality and was expected in early November.

Ifanr also noted Apple's App Store rule that from April 2027 all new apps and updates must include iPhone Duo screenshots to pass review, which should expand adaptation within about half a year for maintained apps. Older apps without maintenance have no clear solution, it said. The review concluded that iPhone Duo uses wide screens better than other wide foldables because iOS can remove the long-standing dock-and-tab-bar combination, but the app ecosystem will remain uneven during the first months.

The review listed hardware compromises. The iPhone Duo uses an eSIM-only design like the iPhone Air, meaning a China model can store at most two lines, and adding a line abroad, repairing the phone or changing phones may require a carrier visit. It also uses Touch ID instead of Face ID, which Ifanr described as a step down in the sense of active service despite fast recognition. On the display, Ifanr said the nano-texture layer provides strong anti-glare and anti-reflection performance and crease control is top-tier, but the inner and outer screens have different pixel densities and the texture creates a visible difference when switching; some sensitive users may find the inner screen less clear than the outer one.