2020 was an innovative year for foldable devices. Samsung first presented these devices at a global conference, and then later in that year, they presented Galaxy Fold.
With the rising numbers of foldable devices, developers need to have an eye on the changes happening in the market. The competition is only going to get fierce in upcoming years, and hence it is crucial to pay emphasis here.
Matellio has brought the list of things to be taken into consideration when initiating app design for foldables.
Keep Reading!
1. Consider both States of the Phone
Do you know the difference between conventional phones and foldable phones? The difference is that foldable phones have two screens- folded & unfolded.These screens have an effect on app’s functionality. As a foldable app development company, you need to find out which features are to be reflected on which screen. For example, the unfolded screens offer a lot of room for operation. The functionalities on these screens enrich the experience.
Facilitate the users to navigate with multiple fingers instead of one simultaneously. The point here is to create a foldable app that operates properly for both screens.
2. Device Holding Experience
As mentioned above, foldable phones have two states- foldable & unfoldable. These states monitor the whole experience- even the way the device is held. Normal smartphones are usually operated with one hand, but in the case of foldable phones (unfoldable state), users will have to use both hands for the same. This has a major impact on the design dynamics and hence UI/UX elements are to be kept within the thumb & other fingers’ area.
3. Multi-Window Support
Multi-window support is another important milestone in accomplishing a foldable mobile application development successfully. This feature will enable the users to access the app while executing multiple activities simultaneously.
4. App Screen Continuity
While developing an app for foldable smartphones, ensure a seamless experience from folded to unfolded states back & forth for the users. There shouldn’t be minimum variations in the layout as that would increase the ambiguity flow.
5. Screen Ratio Adjustment
Screen ratios is an important element in the foldable app development. It majorly depends on the manufacturer- some manufacturers opt for bulkier and shorter screens; there are others who like long, high, and thin screens. Therefore, it becomes essential to test the apps for different screen sizes so as to obtain maximum compatibility with devices. Use minAspectRatio and max aspect ratio for identifying the lowest and highest aspect ratios respectively.
6. Multi-Resume
The next factor to be considered in the list is multi-resume functionality. It is quite annoying when the application stops in the middle of accomplishing various tasks. To tackle such problems, you should equip the app with multi-resume support.
7. Repetitive Testing
Done developing app? Now, you’re thinking of launching it on play store? Hold on!
It is essential to test and test again until the point your app is bug-free. Identify the configurational issues and lags in multi-resume, multi-window. Screen ratios, etc for getting an error-free product.
8. App Quality
There are a wide variety of foldable phones available in the market today. Companies are coming up with different types of foldable phones these days. With this rising competition, it is important for the developers to ensure an optimum quality of the product.
App functionality, design, number of supported devices, are some of the things that must be taken into consideration while retaining the app quality. Start by figuring out the number of devices supporting the application. Ensure similar functionality across all the states and devices. Research on the resolutions and ratios. And then develop the app by keeping all these factors in mind. Thes best way to ensure error-free application, opt for old-school style and run the app on every type of available foldable device. The key here is to never compromise on the quality!
9. Run a Pilot Campaign
Mistakes are universal. Foldable smartphones are quite new in the market, so it’s completely alright if your app doesn’t function properly. Have a sound feedback management so as to obtain customers’ queries, complaints, reviews, and improvise the app experience. At times, you may have to make these changes after launching the app. Hence, it is advisable to run a pilot campaign before launching the app on a large scale. This will minimize the negative impact of the application. You can actually rectify the issues before releasing it to a large audience.
Hence, during the development phase, there should be some room for improvement, especially considering the screens’ transition.
Take-Away
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Till then, Happy Reading!
