TechCapsules

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Apple recently unveiled its new iPhone lineup, headlined by the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable smartphone. The device introduces a refined multitasking system that allows users to split-screen an app while simultaneously viewing the full home screen to select additional applications. Users can also save app pairs for quick access and uniquely split-screen video playback with other apps, features currently absent on iPad devices. In contrast, iPadOS 26 and 27 maintain a convoluted windowing system that forces an all-or-nothing approach to multitasking. Although split-screen and slideover were reintroduced in later updates, they still require navigating the complex windowing interface. The iPhone Duo’s elegant software implementation highlights a significant disparity in user experience between Apple’s mobile and tablet platforms. Critics argue that integrating the iPhone Duo’s simpler multitasking logic into iPadOS would greatly benefit iPad users, particularly those on smaller devices like the iPad mini, without removing existing windowing capabilities.