Apple's Foldable Iphone Hinges On One Key Feature For Me - And It's Not The Hardware

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Apple is rumored to merchandise a foldable iPhone successful 2026. 
• The foldable will request to beryllium capable to multitask well. 
• iOS will request a important overhaul to support it. 

The long-awaited (but still rumored) iPhone Fold will person an all-new creation for Apple's "most important overhaul" successful nan history of iPhones, according to a study from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. 

Potentially coming successful 2026, it debuts astatine a clip erstwhile rival telephone makers person recovered a measurement to minimize nan crease, adhd versatile cameras and make their foldables arsenic durable arsenic slab phones. The all-new iPhone shape facet will request much than a novelty facet to beryllium really useful.

Also: iPhone charging slowly? 6 speedy fixes to effort earlier blaming your battery

Apple's foldable iPhone is rumored to beryllium a wide-screen device, for illustration nan Oppo Find N2 and nan original Google Pixel Fold. The wider facet ratio will thief it minimize letterboxing (thick achromatic borders connected apical and bottom) erstwhile watching videos. However, nan existent iOS strategy is constricted for big-screen phones, including nan iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Samsung's Fold 7 connected apical of iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra. 

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

The Apple iPhone Fold will request existent multitasking capabilities (something that doesn't beryllium connected existent iPhones) to utilize its foldable design. Samsung, Oppo, Vivo and others person already done it, and if location ever were a clip for Apple to adhd split-screen and multiwindow features connected iOS -- it would beryllium now. 

The closest you tin get to this is pinch nan picture-in-picture mode connected iOS 26. However, it isn't nan aforesaid as, say, moving 2 apps side-by-side connected nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 aliases 3 apps connected nan Oppo Find N6.

I person agelong based on that Apple isn't utilizing nan 6.9-inch surface abstraction connected its biggest iPhones -- nan iPhone Fold could yet alteration that. But it has its activity trim retired for it. 

iOS will request an overhaul

iPadOS 26 runs aggregate windows connected apical of each other, but requires much polishing to beryllium intuitive.

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

According to different report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's foldable iPhone will characteristic an "iPad-like interface erstwhile opened." This could make multitasking easier by supporting 2 apps side-by-side. For context, nary iPhone to day has supported moving aggregate apps connected nan surface simultaneously. As per nan report, galore apps will person sidebars connected nan near of nan screen.

If nan iPhone Fold runs an iPad-like iOS experience, it mightiness besides beryllium prone to iPad-like annoyances. Apple needs to fine-tune gestures to make them intuitive connected its foldable iPhone; successful its existent state, multitasking connected iPadOS 26 isn't nan astir polished. 

Also: iPad Air (M4, 2026) review: I benchmarked Apple's tablet pinch nan Pro model, and it's very close

For example, erstwhile I swipe down to entree nan Control Center connected my iPad Air, nan strategy registers it arsenic a swipe to resize nan app window. Similarly, I struggle to adhd pop-up windows for speedy actions. This isn't a problem erstwhile I'm multitasking connected current-gen Android foldable phones.

The iPhone Fold besides needs amended model guidance and a Samsung-like speedy action sidebar that allows resistance and driblet for pop-up windows. I don't usage it often, but it comes successful useful erstwhile I'm doing my taxes aliases invoices and request nan Calculator to beryllium connected apical of my existent screen.

Also: Want a foldable iPhone? Apple thinks you and millions of others will adjacent year

Apple already has Stage Manager, which was precocious copied by Vivo for its Atomic Workbench characteristic connected nan X Fold 5. With this feature, for example, it's awesome to person reference articles 1 pat distant while moving successful a Doc file. A akin execution would make nan iPhone Fold overmuch much useful for productivity-focused uses.

Productivity-focused features tally amended connected nan taller foldables, for illustration nan Z Fold 7 and Honor Magic V5. However, erstwhile unfolded, those phones aren't bully for video consumption. The iPhone Fold has an opportunity to span nan spread betwixt nan 2 usage cases. You could, theoretically, watch videos pinch minimal letterboxing successful scenery mode and past move it to vertical predisposition for productivity-focused use.