Games, Webtoons and More Complete Screen Optimization Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch

KakaoTalk, Band, Naver Webtoon and other apps complete screen optimization

Mobile games also revamp their UI to fit the aspect ratio

Bottom navigation bars move to the right to fit the redesigned layouts

Opening KakaoTalk on Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, brought up a new screen. The Friends tab displayed the same list as on existing iPhones, but the menu bar (navigation bar), normally located at the bottom of the screen, was arranged vertically in the lower-right corner. After unfolding the screen and opening the Chats tab, the display split into left and right sections, showing both the conversation partner and the chat at once.

With two days to go before the iPhone Duo's launch in South Korea, major domestic developers have completed optimizing their apps. Unlike conventional smartphones with their tall portrait screens, the iPhone Duo adopts a passport-like aspect ratio, prompting developers to redesign their screen layouts to make the most of it. We looked at how major domestic app developers had optimized their apps at an app showcase event hosted by Apple on the morning of Oct. 21.

A KakaoTalk chat window optimized for iPhone Duo. The chat list is on the left, and the conversation is on the right. The navigation bar for switching between tabs, such as Friends, is arranged vertically in the lower-right corner. Photo by Lee Myunghwan.

KakaoTalk Friends tab with the iPhone Duo closed (left) and a friend’s profile with the screen unfolded. Photo by Lee Myunghwan.

With the iPhone Duo, Apple moved the status bar and clock from the top of the screen to the right side to create a layout optimized for viewing content. The navigation bars in the apps introduced at the event had likewise been moved from the bottom of the screen to the right. Their horizontal layouts had also been changed to vertical ones.

Another feature is that users can continue what they were doing while folding or unfolding the device. A Kakao developer who worked on apps for the iPhone Duo emphasized, "Even if you close the device during a conversation, it switches to the mobile layout, making communication seamless in any situation." Users can also continue playing a game on the inner screen after opening the device, having started it with the screen closed. And if they close the screen while reading a webtoon on the inner display, the same page they were viewing remains on the outer display.

Playing Mabinogi Mobile on the iPhone Duo's outer display, then unfolding the inner screen to continue the game. Photo by Lee Myeonghwan

A view of the inventory screen after launching Mabinogi Mobile on the iPhone Duo. Photo by Lee Myunghwan

Mobile games have also adjusted their layouts to fit the iPhone Duo's aspect ratio. Nexon's Mabinogi Mobile makes use of the wide screen when unfolded, displaying the inventory and character side by side on the item equipment screen. After unfolding the device, users can hold it vertically and open the chat window, with the keyboard positioned at the bottom of the screen for easier chatting. 111 Percent's defense game Unppal Johanmangem also displays the game screen and character summoning screen at a glance, making the game easier to play.

A person reads a comic book on the Naver Series app with the screen of an iPhone Duo partially folded. Photo by Lee Myunghwan.

Naver Band, like KakaoTalk, displays new posts from a group and their contents side by side, allowing users to view them together. Naver Webtoon has been optimized to let users enjoy titles in both landscape and portrait orientations, fitting the iPhone Duo's aspect ratio. Naver Series, an e-book and comic platform, displays web novels and comics across two pages when the screen is unfolded, creating the feel of reading a book. VLLO, a video-editing app, has moved the editing timeline to the right side of the screen to make editing easier.

All apps optimized for the iPhone Duo support Split View. With the iPhone Duo's Split View, users can open up to two apps at once, side by side, with the screen in landscape orientation. They can play a game while checking a walkthrough in a web browser, or watch a sports broadcast while keeping a messenger app open. They can also open Gallery and KakaoTalk at the same time, select a photo, and send it simply by dragging it.

A scene showing an image being sent via KakaoTalk using Split View on the iPhone Duo. iPhone screenshot.

The iPhone Duo will officially launch in South Korea at 8 a.m. on Oct. 23 through Apple Stores, the country's three mobile carriers, and e-commerce platforms. Preorders opened on Oct. 16 and sold out within minutes. Customers are now being told that even if they preorder through the Apple Store online, they will not receive the device until the end of January 2027.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.