Apple's iOS 27 to Adopt Split-Screen Multitasking Ahead of Foldable iPhone Launch

When Apple enters a new hardware category, it typically claims to redefine it entirely. However, as Cupertino prepares for its most radical smartphone design shift in a decade—the debut of its first foldable iPhone—it is facing an immediate and critical software challenge. For years, iOS apps have been strictly optimized for narrow, vertical displays. Transitioning these apps to an expansive, tablet-like folding canvas requires a complete overhaul of how the operating system manages screen real estate. To solve this, Apple is reportedly turning to a set of split-screen and interface-scaling tools in iOS 27 that bear a striking resemblance to multitasking features pioneered by Android manufacturers nearly fifteen years ago.

Quick summary

• Foldable Preparation: Apple is engineering system-level application scaling and dual-app split-screen features for iOS 27 to support its first-ever folding smartphone.
• Familiar Technology: While revolutionary for the iOS ecosystem, split-screen multitasking has been native to Android devices since the early 2010s, with brands like Samsung and LG introducing proprietary versions in 2012.
• The 7.8-Inch Canvas: Rumors indicate the upcoming foldable iPhone will boast a large 7.8-inch inner display, bridging the gap between a standard smartphone and an iPad Mini.
• WWDC 2026 Debut: The new features are slated to be unveiled alongside advanced on-device AI capabilities and the iPhone 18 Pro series later this year.

Why it matters

For the global smartphone market, Apple’s formal entry into the foldable segment will be a watershed moment. For years, Samsung, Google, and various Chinese OEMs have dominated the foldable market, using multi-window multitasking as a core selling point. By introducing system-level app scaling and split-screen support, Apple is validating the foldable form factor while forcing its massive app developer ecosystem to rethink user experience design.

If Apple were to launch a folding device without these software optimizations, user experience would suffer immensely. Standard iOS apps would simply stretch out, resulting in massive empty spaces or distorted layouts. By bridging the gap between iOS and iPadOS, Apple is preparing developers to build highly dynamic, responsive layouts that transition seamlessly between a compact cover display and a massive internal folding screen.

Background

The 15-Year Multitasking Gap

While the prospect of running two apps side-by-side on an iPhone is exciting for iOS users, it highlights how long Apple has resisted this feature on its phone lineup. Google integrated native split-screen support into Android 7.0 Nougat back in 2016. Even before that, Android manufacturers were building their own custom overlays; Samsung debuted "Multi Window" on the Galaxy Note II in 2012, and LG introduced similar features around the same time.

Apple chose a completely different path, maintaining a strict wall between the single-tasking nature of iOS and the heavy multitasking features of iPadOS (such as Split View, Slide Over, and eventually Stage Manager). Even as iPhone screens grew progressively larger with the Max series, Apple refused to allow users to split their screen, arguing that the interface was optimized for focused, single-app navigation. The upcoming 7.8-inch foldable iPhone has rendered that design philosophy obsolete.

What We Know About the Foldable iPhone

According to leaks and supply chain reports, Apple’s first foldable smartphone will feature a highly advanced hinge mechanism and an internal screen measuring roughly 7.8 inches. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously reported that iOS 27 will absorb several prominent features from iPadOS, including a persistent left-hand navigation bar in compatible apps and the ability to pin two active applications side-by-side. This software harmonization is a technical necessity, transforming a folded phone into a highly productive pocket computer.

Bridging the Hardware-Software Divide

Building a foldable phone is as much a software challenge as it is a mechanical one. When a user unfolds their device, the running application must dynamically adjust its layout in milliseconds without crashing or losing user input. This concept, known as "app continuity," requires the operating system to feed real-time display geometry changes directly to active applications.

In iOS 27, Apple is expected to implement system-level scaling rules that automatically reposition UI elements, side menus, and media players based on the screen's physical state. If an app does not natively support a wider aspect ratio, the OS will automatically adjust it to prevent the letterboxing (black bars on the side) that has plagued many early folding devices.

Qnews24h insight

Apple’s late entry into the foldable and multitasking space is a classic execution of the company’s long-term product strategy. Historically, Apple rarely strives to be the first to market with a new technology. Instead, they observe the mistakes, pain points, and design dead-ends of their competitors, wait for the component supply chain to mature, and then deliver a highly refined version that feels premium and effortless.

However, this time the stakes are incredibly high. Samsung is already several generations deep into its Galaxy Z Fold series, and Google has refined its Android foldable experience with the Pixel Fold line. Apple cannot afford to release a foldable iPhone that feels like a beta product. The real competitive edge for Apple will not simply be copying fifteen-year-old Android split-screen mechanics; it will be how Cupertino integrates Apple Intelligence.

If Apple can use on-device AI to predict which two apps a user wants to open together, or allow Siri to seamlessly drag and drop content between split screens using voice commands, they can instantly leapfrog the competition. The goal for iOS 27 is to make multitasking feel intuitive rather than cluttered, turning a decade-old Android feature into a modern, AI-driven productivity suite.

Sources

• Znews.vn (Vietnam)
• Bloomberg (Mark Gurman)