Apple’s foldable iPhone is planning its debut this fall, and it looks like the device is set to make a splash with nifty software that makes the most of its wide, flexible interior screen. According to Bloomberg, the rumored “iPhone Fold” will run on iOS, but apps will dynamically switch from a compressed page-by-page layout on the small outer screen to a side-panel format when running on the larger foldable screen.
What’s the big change?
“Apple is developing new iOS app layouts and revamping its core iPhone programs to add sidebars to the left edge of the screen, similar to many of its iPad apps,” the report said. The idea isn’t all that different from what Google has been doing with Android lately, making the operating system optimize across form factors like phones, tablets and foldables with different aspect ratios. Google started this journey with Android 12L and starting in 2026, the company will require app developers to forgo resizing and scaling.
The main goal is to improve scalability and adaptability for larger screens, starting with Android 17. According to Bloomberg, Apple will allow developers to adapt their apps’ UI to fit the larger display with a wide aspect ratio, similar to iPads. It would be interesting to see if Apple can also copy a rudimentary version of the Stage Manager that Vivo has already implemented on its foldable Android phone.
What else is on the table?
“While the foldable iPhone won’t be able to run multiple windows at once like an iPad mini, it will be able to display two apps side by side,” the report adds. Samsung, Google and Oppo – among others – do it no differently. The only exception is OnePlus, which offers a unique Open Canvas system that lets you run three apps side by side on its Open foldable phones and tablets.
As for the foldable iPhone, it will reportedly forego the boat-shaped notch that is still seen on the iPhone 17e. In the foldable device, Apple dispenses with the Face ID module and integrates a fingerprint sensor into the power button on the side. The foldable device’s interior display is said to measure around 7.7 inches when fully open – roughly the footprint of an iPad mini, which is why the software story here is just as important as the hardware.
