Technology and Scienceupdated 58m ago3 min read
Apple’s iPhone Duo Launch Faces App Compatibility Issues With Google Maps, Gmail, Uber
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Third-party apps show compatibility challenges on foldable iPhone Duo at launch. Software development lags hardware, causing key apps to lag behind.
One story. Different accounts.
“critics point out that software development is struggling to keep pace with Apple’s hardware innovation”
“the desire for the Duo grew on me as I saw developers embracing the new foldable design”
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Duo launches, apps lag
Apple’s iPhone Duo will face application compatibility challenges when it becomes available on Friday, October 23, 2026, and it described many third-party applications as not optimized for the folding screen. When used on an external screen, a number of applications appear narrowed, and when the device is opened, certain applications only display content in the center of the screen while leaving wide empty space on the left and right sides. CNN’s pre-launch testing found popular apps like Google Maps, Gmail, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Uber failed to properly utilize the 7.6-inch display, often appearing as small windows in the center or leaving black bars on the sides.
The iPhone Duo features a 5.4-inch outer display when folded and expands into a 7.6-inch inner screen when unfolded. Apple’s iPhone Duo features a 5.4-inch outer display when folded and expands into a 7.6-inch inner screen when unfolded.
Developers adapt, Apple pushes
Apple positioned the iPhone Duo as more than a larger-screen device, and Apple told small business owners it could serve as a pocket-sized workstation for customer communications, video meetings, content creation, travel and field operations. Apple announced Thursday that more than 2,000 developers attended workshops focused on adapting apps for iPhone Duo, which launches Friday, October 23, in more than 70 countries and regions. The phone starts at $1,999 in the United States, and it described the iPhone Duo’s inner display as 50 percent larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max display.
Susan Prescott, Apple’s Vice President of Global Developer Relations, said the developer community’s response to the iPhone Duo was very positive, and it said developers were starting to take advantage of larger screens and new ways of interacting. Apple stated that Netflix adjusted its user experience so users can follow changes when the device is opened, closed, or played, and it quoted Tom Richards, Senior Director of Engineering at Netflix, on browsing clips on the outer screen and watching on the larger internal screen.
Optimized apps highlight the bet
Developers embraced the new foldable design to create Duo-optimized apps, and it argued that the best ones do more than adapt their apps to display correctly by using different display sizes in the design itself. Netflix highlighted as a showcase for a regular Duo use case, and it described how Netflix’s outer screen supports scrolling through “Clips” while opening the device continues watching on the larger matte-screen inner display. Deck-Man, formerly Duo-Man, described as an indie developer Vidit Bhargava creation that imitates Walkman cassette players by letting users control playback with play, pause, fast-forward, and rewind controls.
Apple highlighted how Microsoft Word would place formatting tools alongside a document and how Outlook would show the inbox beside a full email message, framing the change as making it easier to review proposals, make edits and respond to clients without switching between screens. Zoom would use the inner display to show shared content and meeting participants at the same time, while Slack would present more of a company workspace in one view, and it said Salesforce would display more customer-management dashboards.