iPhone Duo sidebar squeezes small screen

For owners of the newly released iPhone Duo, opening the device to check a message or view a photo means dealing with a layout that reserves a fixed strip of the screen for system controls. The 5.4-inch cover display, which is smaller than many traditional smartphones, loses usable width to this design choice. Early user feedback suggests this constraint makes the small screen feel tighter than expected.

Allison Johnson of The Verge noted that the iPhone Duo is harder to operate with one hand compared to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. The Fold 8 has a taller, narrower physical profile that allows its cover screen to be navigated more easily. This difference is particularly noticeable for users who prefer the unique utility of an outer display on a foldable phone.

The primary technical issue involves the placement of the dock. On the iPhone Duo, the dock sits on the right side of the cover screen, creating a large empty area that is effectively unusable for main content. A post on X highlighted the severity of this wasted space. Apple’s approach aims to stretch media to appear taller by shrinking the available width, similar to how content is displayed on standard slab devices.

In contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 allows the main content to occupy the full width of the display. When the navigation bar is enabled, the difference in wasted space is less obvious. However, for users who rely on gesture navigation, the Fold 8 utilizes nearly the entire screen area. This setup demonstrates that leaving the space free for content is a more efficient use of the limited display real estate on a foldable’s cover screen.

The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first attempt at this wide foldable form factor. While the hardware appears promising, the software implementation has drawn criticism. Samsung has spent years refining Android for its foldables, working with Google to make the operating system more compatible with large screens. Apple is entering this space with a new device and a user interface that has not yet been optimized for this specific hardware shape.

The iPhone Duo is currently available for purchase, though stock is limited. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 continues to sell well for Samsung, benefiting from a more mature software experience. As users compare the two devices side by side, the efficiency of screen space usage has become a key point of discussion.