Apple's new iPhone Duo appears to borrow one of the most distinctive ideas from Microsoft's discontinued Surface Duo: treating both halves of a foldable device as separate workspaces that can also operate together.
The similarity goes beyond the product name. Apple's software allows apps to sit independently on either side of the folding display, links can open beside the current app instead of replacing it, and apps can be moved between the two halves with simple drag gestures.
That approach closely resembles the multitasking model Microsoft introduced with Surface Duo in 2020.
iPhone Duo treats each half as an independent workspace
Surface Duo used two separate screens divided by a physical hinge. Microsoft designed Android around that layout so one app could occupy one display while the second screen remained available for another task.
Apple is applying a similar software model to a single folding display.
| Multitasking feature | Surface Duo | iPhone Duo |
|---|---|---|
| Run two apps side by side | Yes | Yes |
| Keep home screen visible on second side | Yes | Yes |
| Drag apps between sides | Yes | Yes |
| Open links beside current app | Yes | Yes |
| Span one app across both sides | Yes | Supported through foldable layout |
| Pen input | Surface Pen | Apple Pencil |
| Display design | Two physical screens | Single folding screen |
On iPhone Duo, you can drag an app toward one side of the display and dock it there. The home screen then remains visible on the other side, allowing a second app to be opened without entering a separate multitasking interface.
Apps can also be moved from one side to the other.
Links can open without covering your current app
Another similarity involves links.
On Surface Duo, tapping a link while the second screen was free could open the browser on that display. The original app stayed visible on the first screen, making the interaction feel more natural for tasks such as reading email while opening a webpage.
iPhone Duo appears to use the same basic behavior.
When space is available, a link can open beside the current app instead of covering it. That reduces the need to manually create a split screen layout after opening another application.
Most conventional foldable phones treat their larger unfolded display more like a tablet. Apps normally open full screen, and you then activate a dedicated multitasking mode if you want two applications visible together.
Apple's approach makes side by side use a more direct part of the normal interface.
Apple Pencil support adds another Surface Duo similarity
The comparison also extends to pen input.
Surface Duo supported Microsoft's Surface Pen, which made the device useful for handwriting, notes, sketches, and other pen based tasks.
Apple has added Apple Pencil support to iPhone Duo, bringing similar functionality to its foldable.
That could make the larger unfolded display suitable for note taking as well as conventional phone and tablet tasks.
Surface Duo's idea survives without the dual screen hardware
Microsoft's Surface Duo line had several weaknesses and was discontinued after a short lifespan, but its software treated multitasking differently from most other foldables.
Apple appears to have kept that concept while removing the physical gap between two separate displays.
Instead of building a device from two individual screens, iPhone Duo uses one folding panel while still allowing each side to behave almost like an independent display when needed.
The result is a foldable that adopts much of Surface Duo's multitasking philosophy while using a more conventional modern foldable design.
iPhone Duo is expected to cost around $2,000, placing it firmly in the premium segment. Its software, however, suggests that Microsoft's dual workspace idea may continue even though Surface Duo itself is no longer being produced.
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