Things to Know Before Building Mobile Apps for Foldable Smartphones

The foldable design is surely becoming the new trend in the world of Smartphones. Everyone is quite excited and talking about foldable devices, which will allow users to get a bigger display but in a smaller form factor. Living in a fast-paced lifestyle, people want to perform multiple tasks through different apps running simultaneously on their phones. These phones are built with flexible display technology that has electronic visual presentation and many device manufacturers are preparing to launch their own foldable devices. The developers of every mobile app development company need to be aware of design and development changes involved in the apps for foldable devices. We will find out everything we need to know about foldable smartphones and the factors associated with the development of their mobile apps.

Factors Affecting Mobile App Development for Foldable Smartphones

As we know new technologies should be integrated into the development process for building seamless and fully functional apps for foldable devices, developer teams must upgrade their technical skills as well. They may face challenges while building apps for different screen sizes and ensuring glitch-free quality and user experience.

Here are some of the main factors that developers must keep in mind to create apps that adapt to various screen sizes and configurations-

• Two States

Every foldable device comes with two states i.e. folded and unfolded, which will impact the app’s functionality. That is why developers need to decide which features they want to add and on which screen. In the folded state, the app would look like normal ones in any other smartphones but in the unfolded state, users get the flexibility to add more windows & larger screen space. Ensure that your developers build the app that works perfectly on both screens.

• Resizable

Another unique feature of foldable phones is their screen size that is larger than normal phones, making it look like you are using a tablet. As there is more space, these devices support multi-window mode. Your developers must keep in mind that they build the app with multi-window mode and resizable screens compatible with both sizes of screen.

• Different Screen Ratios

As there are many foldable device manufacturers, their preference for screen size may differ from one another, i.e. some may choose to build thin and long screens while others may opt for shorter screens. One thing that developers must do is to test the app on various screen ratios and ensure that it is compatible with devices having different screen ratios.

• Screen Continuity

Your developers must build the app in such a way that the flow in the app while switching from one screen to another ensures a smooth transition with screen continuity. Customers facing any sort of interruption may result in the deletion of the app. If we talk about the multiple screens in foldable devices, developers must decide which screen should be the primary screen of the app.

• Quality Intact

The development team must ensure that the functionality of the app doesn’t get hampered irrespective of any type of foldable device it is used on. One thing that can be done to keep quality intact is to figure out the number of devices your app will support & know their screen ratios/resolutions. Make use of emulators or go for traditional testing on every foldable device available in the market.

Foldable Smartphones Mobile App Development & Its Impact

Here is a quick glimpse of how foldable smartphones will have an impact on the mobile app development process-

• Higher Development Cost

Optimizing apps for different foldable smartphones need more time in design, development, and testing efforts, which will eventually increase the development cost.

• More Test Cases

As there are many manufacturers of foldable smartphones, the screen sizes may be different, which means testing the app on different devices will take more effort & time.

• Feedback is Necessary

To make the app for foldable devices more successful, taking regular feedbacks are important. Go for a development team that follows an agile development approach for easy updates.

• More Space, More Feature

As the foldable devices have larger screens, more features can be added to the app ensuring that the quality and user experience doesn’t get affected.

Conclusion

The foldable smartphones will bring a huge impact on the app development process such as an increase in the number of test cases, higher development cost & more efforts and time for design, testing & development. However, it is not a new concept to build apps for foldable phones and it can be considered as an extension to what developers are already doing now. Make sure that work with the expert team of prominent Android App Development Company that holds technical expertise in offering a wide range of mobile app development services for foldable devices. Whether you need app development from scratch or conversion from traditional app to foldable device app, get in touch with our developers that have worked with high-end technologies aligned with the latest market trends.