I thought everyone would love the iPhone Duo's biggest new trick. Boy, was I wrong

It received 34% of the votes, whereas the other two options, which state that the capability is a gimmick and that you really don't care about it, each received 33% of the votes. Such a close competition indicates that there are nearly equal numbers of Apple fans who both like and dislike the folding animation of the iPhone Duo.

Why does the majority find the iPhone Duo folding animation amazing?

Whether it's Oppo, Samsung, or Google, almost all major smartphone brands have been offering foldables for a long time. However, all these foldables, regardless of brand, move the on-screen element from one screen to another when you fold or unfold the device. Apple could have gone with the same approach, but it apparently decided to take an innovative path.

The iPhone Duo uses a blur-heavy transition, which basically gives the feeling that the interface is physically moving with the device. This is something we have never seen in a foldable; as a result, it is being appreciated by many.

From MKBHD and Mrwhosetheboss to Dave2D, many popular tech creators have apparently appreciated the new animation effect in their dedicated videos about the Apple foldable. In fact, MKBHD shared a dedicated video on X showing what the animation effect looks like. The video has received a whopping 47.5 million views at the time of writing, and most comments under it have praised Apple for introducing such a small but innovative visual change.

Then why do some consider it a gimmick?

Well, if you have read this far, you must be wondering why, when most users, including popular tech creators, are liking the new folding animation, some people are considering it a gimmick. I, personally, believe that the major part of the negativity around the animation effect stems from the realization that it is a software-driven capability related to the device's hinge-angle sensor, rather than a truly innovative hardware feature like the privacy display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.


That's the reason we saw a post on Reddit just hours after the announcement of the iPhone Duo, with the user basically showing that they were able to create a similar visual effect on their Galaxy Z Fold 8. Quite recently, I also came across a post on X where a user was able to produce the same animation on their Xiaomi 18 Fold by installing a third-party mod. I also think that certain apps that are not properly optimized by developers for the Apple foldable might run into stuttering or lagging issues because of this animation.

The animation might not change the buying decision

As mentioned above, 33% of the voters voted for the option that said they really don't care about animation effects. This could be an indication that these users are interested in the iPhone Duo irrespective of how well or how poorly the folding animation performs. For them, the powerful processor, C2 modem, advanced camera system, Touch ID, and competitive pricing might be the reasons for liking Apple's first foldable.

It's too early to come to a conclusion

There are certainly equally good reasons to be excited and not to be excited about the iPhone Duo's folding animation. But we should also not forget that the device is yet to be launched, meaning it's too early to conclude whether the folding animation is actually really good or just a gimmick. When the phone becomes available, we'll surely give the animation a good test and try to find out if it's really excellent or if any apps run into any sort of stuttering issues because of it.