What is Docker?
11 September 2020
How Will Android 11 Features Impact on Mobile Application?
16 September 2020
How to Develop Apps for Foldable Devices?
While on the surface level it appears that it is only about having flexible UX in mobile apps, but the impact is a lot more massive.
Foldable phones means more space for the developers to create immersive and detailed experiences for all the different types of multi-window.
- Video streaming apps can use the increased screen size to show videos in larger orientation or to add extra controls or features in the app.
- Calendar apps will be able to open a complete month in place of week
- Banking apps will open multiple account information in the multi-window app screen in place of initial one
- Business apps will be able to add in more functionalities, like reading emails while perusing a document, etc.
- Content creators will be able to bounce around between multiple apps.
Let us look into the different ways foldable smartphones can have an impact on the application development process.
A. Quality Supersedes Everything
Foldable phones will come with multiple orientations, aspect ratios but what will remain the same is the quality expectations. The users will expect you to deliver them the same flawless and glitch free quality and app flow that they are used to.
Considering this, the onus of providing high quality digital products will increase when you venture into the app development for foldable phones space.
B. Greater Test Cases
With a massive number of foldable phones soon to hit the smartphone market, the app development team will have to work around a great number of test cases – all at the back of the complications that come attached with multi-window app configuration.
C. Feedbacks Take a Pivotal Position
An effect of building apps for foldable phones is an extended feedback collection process. Since you will be taking a traditional application to a new space, there will be a lot of feedback coming your way especially on the transition front.
D. Increased App Development Time and Cost
Another crucial impact that the mobile app development economy will face will be in terms of extended app development time and cost estimate.
Optimizing apps for foldable ensuring that it works glitch-free in all the different modes will require a lot of design, development, and testing efforts, that in turn will bring in a price hike.
How to Develop Apps for Foldable DEVICES?
Like every mobile app development process, let us divide the process of creating apps for multiple screens in following ways.
Two states
Every foldable mobile, irrespective of the company and the brand has two screens, a folded and an unfolded screen. One is the main screen & the other is a cover display. The folded state makes it look like any other phone and the app behaves as it does with the other phones.
On the other hand, in the unfolded state, the phone allows the user to open the other windows along with the application. It gives a high-end experience to the users and lets them view the screen such as a tablet.
App design
Since the phone lets you experience the apps and everything on the phone with both hands, the apps should create accordingly. In the case of a folded state, users will use only one of his hands to use and tap on anything on the screen.
While in the case of an unfolded state, the user will have to hold the phone with both his hands. The design dynamics will change accordingly. A mobile app developer should keep in mind how much space to give between a thumb and a finger in the case of an unfolded state.
Multi-window display
The foldable phones have a higher screen display and can use the space for multiple window displays. It should allow users to multi-task, making it a unique feature of the app.
App continuity
The app development that has folding or unfolding your device triggers a couple of configuration modifications. There is an additional feature where an app that does not support multi-window can resize itself when a device gets folded or unfolded. At the time when any configuration change occurs, the default case destroys the whole activity and then recreates itself.
App Testing
To test a foldable mobile apps, you need to start by checking its response to configuration changes, check the layouts on multiple windows, control the screen ratios, and run interface tests. We recommend connecting users to emulators to get a fresh perspective on in-app interactions.
