I like what Apple’s folding iPhone could mean for design. Called iPhone Duo, it has a smaller outer screen for use when closed and a larger display inside that opens up when you unfold it. That gives us a reason to question familiar layouts and try ideas that would have made less sense on a conventional phone.
With iPhone Duo, someone can open the phone, use it partly folded or continue on the smaller outer screen. Each of those situations could change what is comfortable to read or reach. A layout that looks good when the phone is flat might become awkward when someone holds it differently. Apple’s announcement
Maria Hristoforova and her engineering colleagues cover some of this in Apple’s developer sessions. They explain why controls should stay visible according to the task, and why related elements need to remain understandable when they move. Sometimes the better choice is to leave things where they are. I find those small decisions more interesting than the screen dimensions, because they affect how the product feels to use. Controls · Adaptive layouts
The Weather and Photos examples below show how much there is to work through when designing a native app. A panel covers part of the content, while a menu sits beside the photos someone is acting on. Designers need to decide how those relationships should change as the screen folds, and check whether the controls remain comfortable to reach. I welcome that challenge, especially when so many AI-generated interfaces feel interchangeable. These are specific design problems that give us a reason to explore beyond the first layout we produce.
There are already years of work on foldable phones to learn from. I would be careful about calling this a world AI knows nothing about. We can use existing patterns and new documentation, while still having plenty to discover about what works well on this particular device. Earlier foldable guidance
That leaves room for skilled designers to try things, notice what feels awkward and develop better solutions. Some will sketch first. Others will work in Figma, build with an engineer or use AI to explore several versions. I am interested in what they make possible through those different approaches.
I would happily use AI to help prototype an idea for this screen. Then I would want to see someone use it, fold the phone halfway through what they were doing, and find out whether the design still makes sense. That feels like an interesting design problem to spend time on.