The iPhone Duo Split View is here, but it does not work quite like the Split View you may know from iPad. Apple’s first foldable iPhone can run two apps side by side, yet anyone expecting the same freedom iPad users enjoy will want to temper their expectations.
Apple’s marketing materials for the iPhone Duo talk up app pairs and side-by-side windows, but they do not mention resizing them. There is a reason for that omission.
How the iPhone Duo Split View Actually Works
If you put two apps side by side on the iPhone Duo’s 7.6-inch foldable display, you cannot drag the divider between them to give one app more space than the other. It is a fixed 50/50 split, regardless of what you are doing.
That is likely to disappoint anyone who has used Split View on an iPad. iPad owners have been able to resize apps in Split View when in landscape mode ever since 2015, when iOS 9 introduced the feature.
So why does Apple not let you resize apps on the iPhone Duo? The answer likely comes down to the device’s display geometry.
Why the Split Is Locked at 50/50
Both the inner and outer displays share the same 1:1.4 aspect ratio. Each half of the inner display works out to roughly the same size and shape as the outer screen.
An even split gives each app a canvas it already has to support, with the divider sitting neatly on the fold. If you could drag the boundary around, it would create a range of in-between sizes that would not fit neatly on the outer screen. It would also be a nightmare for developers to build support into their iPhone apps.
What You Can Still Do
Despite the lack of resizing capability, the iPhone Duo’s foldable screen still offers plenty of benefits. It allows you to:
Quickly swap between apps
Open two windows of the same app
Have a conversation over Messages while looking at another app’s content on the other side of the screen, in both landscape and portrait modes
Save pairs of apps to come back to later
For many users, that flexibility may be enough. The fixed divider keeps things simple and predictable.
iPhone Duo Split View vs iPad Split View
The comparison to iPad is natural, but the two experiences serve different purposes. iPad Split View was built for a larger tablet canvas where resizing makes sense. The iPhone Duo Split View is built around a foldable phone that must also work as a standard handheld device.
| Feature | iPhone Duo | iPad |
|---|---|---|
| Side-by-side apps | Yes | Yes |
| Resizable divider | No | Yes (landscape) |
| Fixed 50/50 split | Yes | No |
| Foldable display | Yes | No |
The iPad has had resizable Split View since iOS 9 in 2015. The iPhone Duo takes a different approach because of its unique hardware.
What This Means for Buyers
Apple’s first iPhone with a foldable display was always going to have a learning curve, especially for users coming from the iPad. The fixed split is one of those adjustments.
With a starting price of $1,999, the iPhone Duo is a premium device. Pre-orders begin Friday, October 16, with availability starting Friday, October 23.
If you are considering the iPhone Duo, go in knowing that the iPhone Duo Split View is intentionally simple. It is not a replacement for iPad multitasking. It is a new way to use two apps on a phone that folds open into a small tablet-like display.
The iPhone Duo Split View gives you two apps side by side, but it does not give you control over how much space each one takes. That is a deliberate design choice tied to the display’s geometry and the need to keep app development manageable.
For some users, the simplicity will be a welcome change from the fussiness of iPad multitasking. For others, the lack of resizing will feel like a limitation. Either way, the iPhone Duo marks a new chapter for iPhone multitasking, and the Split View experience is just one part of that story.
