Foldable smartphones are on the verge of becoming mainstream considering their rising popularity across the world. Top smartphone brands like Samsung, Huawei, Motorola have started shifting base when it comes to offering foldable smartphones. Since foldable and large screen devices are the future of the mobile world, it is high time to delve into the mobile app development for foldable devices.
The mobile applications strategies of many organizations have now started revolving around foldable devices since they are the new trendsetters of 2020. They are the smartest inventions of the era since they allow the user to fold the screens whenever it's not in use thus improving the user interactions.
The smartphone applications that are mandatory for a foldable device are the staple of modern times and one cannot agree more. According to a recent survey, foldable smartphones are going to take away almost 5% of the share for the esteemed mobile smartphone organizations by the end of 2023. In addition to this, it is high time to get tech-savvy with the development of mobile applications for foldable screens that further offers a user-friendly experience.
Since the number of foldable smartphone owners is increasing tenfold, it is mandatory for the organizations to consider improving practices for developing mobile apps that work seamlessly when the device is folded and when it’s not.
Planning for mobile application development for a single small screen is rather different from planning to develop applications for screens which are foldable. Certain important aspects to consider include making the application:
Compatible in a multi-window mode
Works optimally with the small screen when golden and large screen when unfolded
Work seamlessly with different aspect ratios
Have an adequate response when resumed in either mode
Configure to multiple screens at once
Don’t compromise on quality when switched to a large screen to the small screen and vice versa.
Let’s dig deeper into some of the most sought after features for mobile applications for foldable phones:
1. Continuity
It is one of the most sought-after features for a mobile application developed for a foldable smartphone. The application should follow continuity to offer the user with a better experience in both the screen modes. The applications should allow the user to seamlessly switch from one mode to another without having to open the app again and again in either of the modes. Continuity further paves the way for application consistency which is one of the main concerns of users with foldable smartphones.
2. Resizability
The applications for foldable mobile phones must be compatible with the large screen as well as with the smaller screen essentially. Apart from this, the resizability of the application must be kept into account when creating them. They must be compatible with multi-window mode. When developing the application, the “resizeableActivity=true” should be used for every application made for the custom foldable smartphones.
3. Multi-Window Ability
Since most of the foldable smartphones and devices have a multi-window feature, the application must be developed in a way that they run seamlessly in multi-window so as to offer a better user experience. They should be developed in a way that multitasking with multiple screens working at one time should be easy for the user.
4. Multi-Resume
Another one of the many features required for mobile applications for a foldable device is the multi-resume features. The applications must be able to resume as per the user requirements when the screen is folded and unfolded. For the Android devices having a version of Android 10 plus have been resolved from the issue. All applications in the multi-window mode can be resumed without any glitch.
5. Support for Multiple Screens
The applications developers while developing for foldable devices must consider the compatibility with more than two screens at a time. They can decide on which screen to be kept primary and which one to be kept secondary. The application must be resumed according to either of the screen sizes, the text as well as the configuration.
6. Aspect Ratio
The application developed for foldable devices or smartphones must adhere to different aspect ratios for adjusting to multiple devices. The application must be tested for all the configurations used by the brands for building their foldable devices so as to offer seamless user experience and easy navigation. The quality of the applications must remain the same while in multi-window mode as well as they must offer easy resuming.
Developing applications for foldable devices is not that daunting as it seems to be. It is just an extension of the already possessed knowledge that requires constant testing for a seamless approach and offering a better user experience. The key to developing successful mobile applications for foldable devices with larger screens is extensive research on the user requirements, the challenges faced by the customers and testing multiple times to ensure a better ROI.
