Apple: Over 100,000 Duo-optimized apps now live; foldable ship times slip into next year

Early reviews of the iPhone Duo were critical of Apple's new foldable for the lack of Duo-optimized apps available at launch. But Apple says things are changing quickly on the software front. The company announced Friday that there are now over 100,000 apps built for the Duo live on the App Store, with thousands more being added every day.

New Duo-Ready Apps

The news was timed alongside the release of more than a dozen notable Duo-ready apps, including:

• Productivity: Microsoft Word, Outlook, Goodnotes, and Extra
• Communication: Zoom
• Sports: NBA and NHL apps
• Shopping: Etsy and LTK
• Photography: Halide Mark III

These join previously available Duo-optimized apps such as Netflix, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Non-optimized apps remain less than ideal, as they display a black bar on the side of the screen that takes up valuable space. In some cases, they also hide important functions under an overflow menu.

Developer Support

Apple's data suggests some iOS developers needed extra time to prepare their apps for the new form factor. The company said more than 2,000 app developers attended its 50-plus in-person workshops hosted across 19 cities worldwide, where they could use the Duo and work on their apps with Apple's support.

Strong Demand Amid Supply Constraints

The Duo has proven more popular than Apple may have planned, given its high price point. The device starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model, sold out within hours of orders opening, and ship times have now shifted into the next year. On its earnings call this week, Apple said it is "hard to predict" when the Duo constraints leading to those delays will improve.

"It's been wonderful to see how quickly developers have embraced iPhone Duo, and we're grateful for their creativity and innovation," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, in a statement referring to the 100,000-app milestone. "The enthusiasm has been incredible, and we're excited to see the pace of updates continue to accelerate as more and more apps optimize for iPhone Duo," she added.

Additional Apps Updated for iOS 27 and Duo

Other notable apps that have been updated for iOS 27 and optimized for the iPhone Duo include:

• Audio and streaming: Spotify, CBS, Tubi, BBC iPlayer (U.K.), Suno
• Social and messaging: Facebook Messenger, Google Chat, Tinder
• AI assistants: ChatGPT, Grok Bot, Microsoft Copilot
• Microsoft Office: Excel, PowerPoint
• Business and productivity: SAP Concur, monday.com, PDF Expert, Documents, iA Writer, Substack
• News: The Washington Post, Yahoo News, FOX News
• Finance: Kalshi, Yahoo Finance
• Sports: Yahoo Fantasy Sports, Sportsnet (Canada), Strava
• Design: Canva
• Translation: Google Translate
• Health and fitness: Alma, Withings, MyFitnessPal, Bevel
• Transit and travel: Transit, Citi Bike, ParkMobile, Viator, Tesla Robotaxi, Priceline
• Food and shopping: Kroger, Domino's, Taco Bell, Untappd
• Weather: The Weather Channel, FOX Weather, RainViewer

Not all of these updates have fully rolled out yet. Spotify, for instance, is still showing the black bar on the side, and the App Store does not yet show an update as available on our review unit of the Duo. However, given that this list comes directly from Apple, these updates are expected to appear soon.