The iPhone Duo's best feature is so impressive, Android foldables are already copying it

Apple just gave Android manufacturers something new to copy.

iPhone Duo.
iPhone Duo. | Image by Apple
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After months of leaks and rumors, Apple finally unveiled its first foldable, the iPhone Duo, at its Surprise and Shine event. The device comes with some really great specifications like the A20 Pro chip, a 48 MP dual-fusion camera, and a lot more.

Along with all these incredible hardware numbers, the foldable also has a very cool opening animation. Interestingly, other foldable manufacturers have found this small little trick so impressive that they are reportedly thinking of introducing something similar to their devices.

Why the iPhone Duo folding animation is getting so much attention


Unlike other foldables, the iPhone Duo uses a small animation whenever you fold or unfold its screen. Instead of simply moving the on-screen elements from one screen to another when you fold or unfold the screen, the device relies on a blur-heavy transition. This gives the feeling that the interface is physically moving with the smartphone.



Although it may appear as a very small innovation, it ultimately appears to make the switch between the internal and external display more connected. MKBHD recently posted a video showcasing how the animation actually works. The video has received more than 47 million views at the time of writing, and most comments under it appear to appreciate Apple for building such a cool trick.

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What's your thought about the iPhone Duo's folding animation?
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It could land on more foldables


A highly reputable tipster, Digital Chat Station, recently made a post claiming that Chinese smartphone manufacturers are closely analyzing the iPhone Duo animation. The tipster also mentioned that one brand has already created a similar implementation, though they did not reveal its name.

A video has already surfaced online showing that a developer was already able to build a similar animation for the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The creator reportedly used the hinge sensor to control the transition animation that appears upon folding and unfolding the phone.

Android manufacturers copying Apple: it's not the first time


If the iPhone Duo-style transition indeed ends up being introduced to Android foldables, then it would definitely not be the first time we would see an iPhone-exclusive capability landing on an Android device. You will find plenty of examples of this, like the Dynamic Island, which was first introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro, only to be later adopted by different Android manufacturers like Realme. Even capabilities like Control Center were first introduced by Apple with the iPhone X, only for the rest of the smartphone industry to copy it en masse later.

You see, the animation in the iPhone Duo isn't a hardware thing like the A20 Pro processor that is exclusive to Apple. That's the reason why it would be easy for other manufacturers to adopt this capability in their upcoming foldables.



Users also appear to be totally unsurprised by this news, as they apparently believe that copying a great feature has been a general practice in the smartphone industry for some time. A user commented under a relevant Reddit post that "It's inevitable that competitors take notes from Apple, and it's nothing new." Another user commented that it wouldn't be a surprise if every other foldable came up with its own version of what Apple introduces for the iPhone Duo.

I don't find anything wrong in it


I'm totally comfortable with Android manufacturers bringing iPhone Duo-like animation to their foldables. The only thing I want is that instead of simply copy-pasting the effect, the brands should add something from their own end to make the feature more impressive. 

For instance, Samsung introduced the privacy display as a hardware capability in the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but instead of simply copy-pasting it, Xiaomi made some innovations in it and made a similar capability available on its compatible smartphones via a software update. I believe adopting features like this ultimately benefits the end user, and that's all that we want.

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