Several major Chinese technology companies have sent development teams to Apple's headquarters in the United States to adapt their applications for the newly announced iPhone Duo foldable smartphone, according to a report by the WeChat account Dachang Qingnian, as cited by IThome.
The iPhone Duo, unveiled at Apple's autumn event, starts at 15,999 yuan (about $2,253) in China. The adaptation window for developers is unusually short — just six weeks between the announcement and the device's official release. Some companies have already moved their compatibility work into a closed development phase, the report said.
New interface challenges
The foldable form factor introduces significant changes to how apps display content. On the iPhone Duo, lock-screen controls, the home screen dock, and app navigation bars are now positioned along one side of the screen, freeing up vertical space for content. The Dynamic Island has also been redesigned to sit vertically along the edge of both the outer and inner displays, showing live activities and alerts when the device is unfolded.
Split-screen multitasking makes its debut on iPhone, allowing users to run two apps side by side and switch between them quickly. These interface shifts require developers to rethink layouts and interactions, which explains the rush to adapt ahead of launch.
Foldable momentum
The report also notes that within four days of the iPhone Duo's release, Huawei's foldable Pura X Max saw weekly sales surge 76.5%, suggesting the new Apple device is already stirring competition in China's premium smartphone segment. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has predicted Apple will eventually introduce iPhone Duo Max, Duo SE, and Duo Mini variants.
For Chinese app developers, adapting to the iPhone Duo is not just about compatibility — it is about capturing users who may switch to the foldable. The tight timeline means engineering resources are being pulled from other projects, and the closed development phase indicates Apple is closely coordinating with select partners to ensure a polished experience at launch.
The iPhone Duo represents Apple's first entry into the foldable market, a segment where Chinese brands like Huawei have already established a presence. How well third-party apps perform on the new device could influence early adoption, making these pre-launch adaptation efforts critical for both Apple and the developers involved.
