iPhone Duo’s Square-Like Aspect Ratio Will Require Re-Encoding of Content Libraries

Will content owners re-encode their video libraries to take advantage of the iPhone Duo’s square-like aspect ratio? With dual screen sizes of 7.6 and 5.4 inches, the resolution is similar to QHD tablet screens and isn’t HD or 4K, but rather 2K+. I can’t imagine content owners re-encoding their entire libraries, but they might do it for the most popular TV shows and movies. I think live news stations could be another use case, along with sports highlights.

Netflix is among a handful of pre-release partners working with Apple to redesign their iOS apps for the larger screen real estate of the iPhone Duo and to take advantage of its new interface features. Apple says that with the newly designed Netflix app, “Users can scroll through Clips on the outer display or open up iPhone Duo to get a captivating experience on the large screen.” But for long-form content, Netflix hasn’t detailed what that means for video, aside from redesigned player controls.

Of the five foldable phones on the market, none of them have the same display dimensions, so content already encoded for other manufacturers can’t be used for the iPhone Duo. Here’s a dimension breakdown:

• iPhone Duo: 7.6 inches x 5.4 inches
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6: 7.6 inches x 6.3 inches
• Google Pixel Fold: 7.6 inches x 5.8 inches
• Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 8.0 inches x 6.3 inches
• OnePlus Open: 7.82 inches x 6.31 inches

I’ll have to start asking content owners how many iPhone Duo’s need to be sold before they start investing in re-encoding content for the unique screen size. In July, Nikkei Asia reported that Apple raised the foldable iPhone production target to around 10 million units, up from its previous 7 to 8 million units. But we have no verification of these numbers from Apple, and we don’t know the time frame for the production reported.

The iPhone Duo will come with three months of Apple One for free, for “New and qualified returning subscribers.”