iPhone Duo apps turn its folding screen into games, keyboards and a cassette player
Reviews by TechCrunch and WIRED show how apps use the iPhone Duo’s screen and hinge, while many mainstream apps still have display problems.
Apps tested on Apple’s iPhone Duo are using its folding screen and hinge for games, retro interfaces and other experiences, according to reviews published on October 24 by TechCrunch and WIRED. The examples show what developers can do with the new format, even as TechCrunch found that many mainstream iOS apps were not optimized when the phone launched.
TechCrunch tested its selections on a review unit supplied by Apple. It said apps that had not been adapted could appear with black bars or misplaced controls, or require a tap to enlarge. Netflix was among the apps ready for the Duo when it shipped, alongside MLB, NYT Cooking, Slack and Fantastical, according to TechCrunch.
How apps use the iPhone Duo’s folding screen
TechCrunch described Deck-Man as a digital cassette player that lets people browse albums as tapes and use play, pause, fast-forward and rewind controls. Its interface changes depending on whether the phone is open or closed. The app uses clicks and cassette sounds recorded from a portable player, giving the folding hardware a role in the experience rather than simply making the display larger.
WIRED tested Battlefleet Duo, which spreads a board game across the larger 7.6-inch screen. In tabletop mode, it puts a player’s ships on the lower half and the opposing fleet above. The app also supports local multiplayer, allowing two people with Duo phones to sit opposite each other.
Another WIRED example, Toastie, turns closing the phone into part of a sandwich-making game: players follow a recipe, fold the handset for the specified grilling time, then open it to see the result. WIRED said the $3 app has 10 recipes. It is a small game, but its central action depends on the device’s hinge.
WIRED also described Delta, an emulator adapted for the Duo. With the phone set at a 90-degree angle, custom skins make it resemble a Nintendo DS, and closing the device triggers automatic sleep. Tiny Computers uses a similar tabletop position for a different purpose, placing a vintage computer screen above a clickable keyboard. WIRED said its $4 library contains 10 computers, including the Commodore 64 and iMac G3.
Why app support remains uneven
Some of the apps WIRED covered already existed and gained new uses from the Duo’s hinge. Its examples and TechCrunch’s launch-day observations illustrate both the possibilities of a folding iPhone and the practical difference between an app designed for it and one still displaying awkwardly on its screens.
Read in depth: Technology
Airbnb to bar hosts from requiring guests to wash dishes or take rubbish off-site
The revised house rules apply to reservations booked from November 20. Hosts can still ask guests to put dishes in the sink and sort rubbish into indoor bins.
Astronomers discover first documented green star 280 light-years away
White dwarf WD J1330+6435 glows chartreuse after planetary debris enriches its atmosphere with sodium, changing how it absorbs light.
Sources and context
- These clever apps show off the iPhone Duo's potentialTechCrunch
- 9 Unique Apps to Try on the iPhone DuoWIRED
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.