Hands-on test of the WeChat adapted version for iPhone Duo: Is the adaptation properly completed? How is the experience?

Just now, WeChat officially pushed the iPhone client update of version 8.0.80, bringing further adaptation for iPhone Duo. 

Ifanr also upgraded WeChat on iPhone Duo to the latest version immediately, and tested several high-frequency functions one by one to answer the questions you might care about. 

Is the new version of WeChat on iPhone Duo fully adapted?

Let's start with the conclusion: It's partially adapted, but not fully adapted yet.

However, compared with the first version we tested earlier, the experience of WeChat on iPhone Duo in this update has been quite significantly improved. 

If you still remember our previous hands-on test, the performance of WeChat on iPhone Duo at that time was still in a very preliminary compatibility state: 

Especially when the inner screen is unfolded horizontally, WeChat can only be displayed in the center with the vertical screen ratio of a traditional bar phone, leaving large awkward black edges on the left and right sides. 

Even in the vertical screen state, the old version of WeChat did not show a real large-screen adaptation logic. The overall effect is more like a "scaled equally" compatibility solution, which is similar to the experience of some early iPhone apps running on iPad. 

After upgrading to version 8.0.80, WeChat in the unfolded state finally supports two-column layout display on the inner screen of iPhone Duo. 

This interaction logic with the list on the left and details on the right is actually very close to the familiar iPad version of WeChat. Especially the screen utilization rate of the inner screen is much higher than before. 

However, there are still some detail issues — 

At present, the navigation control area on the right side of the interface still has black edges, so it cannot be displayed in full screen, which is particularly obvious on the outer screen. 

The control bar originally located at the bottom has not been moved to the right side of the screen in accordance with Apple's design specifications, which makes the operation a little inconvenient. 

In terms of basic functions, this version of WeChat is almost completely consistent with the ordinary version we use daily. Operations such as sending and receiving messages, browsing Moments, and audio and video calls are very smooth. Especially when using the outer screen, it is basically no different from ordinary mobile phones, and the left swipe gesture is also very convenient to use. 

However, after unfolding the inner screen, the interaction logic of WeChat becomes a bit chaotic — for example, in the horizontal state of the inner screen, the left swipe back function cannot be realized at present, and you can only tap the back button to return, which is a little inconvenient to use; but in the vertical state of the inner screen, the left swipe back function works normally. 

Take reading official account articles as an example. When we unfold the inner screen, finish reading an article in horizontal screen and want to return to the subscription list, the familiar edge swipe back gesture does not work. If you want to manually tap the back button in the upper left corner, due to the split layout, this button is exactly in the center of the large screen — no matter you hold the phone with left or right hand, it is difficult for your thumb to reach it, which is indeed a little inconvenient. 

This sense of fragmentation is actually related to the transformation of the core interaction of iPhone Duo: in the past, full-screen bar phones largely adopted "swipe" operations, but on iPhone Duo, more operations are "tap" on the navigation bar. 

Because in Apple's design idea, the unfolded large screen is no longer suitable for fingers to slide across the screen in a large range. Therefore, high-frequency operations such as "back" should be gathered in the control area on the right side of the fuselage, so that the right thumb can complete it directly by "tapping". 

Ifanr speculates that the current version of WeChat is still in the transition stage. Based on Apple's development specifications, applications on iPhone Duo can be roughly divided into three running states at present: 

The first type is applications compiled with iOS 27.1 and later SDK.

This is the most complete "full-performance" adaptation solution at present. Such applications can not only fully utilize the inner screen space of iPhone Duo, but also automatically move the navigation bar and toolbar of the application to the right side of the fuselage, which is convenient for thumb tapping when holding the large screen. 

At the same time, it natively supports new features specially built for foldable screens such as dynamic window scaling and fold area avoidance (ReserveRegion). 

In other words, the application can truly reconstruct according to the hardware form of the foldable screen, instead of simply stretching the window wider. 

The second type is applications compiled with iOS 27.0 SDK.

This situation is more like a "transition solution", and the current WeChat is in this stage. Although the application has been able to stretch a wide window on the inner screen and use the large screen space normally, it has not done enough in some system-level interface details — 

For example, the status bar area cannot achieve full immersive display, and the navigation bar and bottom menu bar of the application still occupy part of the vertical space of the screen (which also explains why WeChat still has black edges on the right and the bottom bar has not moved to the right as mentioned earlier). 

The third type is applications compiled with iOS 26 or earlier SDK.

This situation is relatively primitive, which is the case of the previous version of WeChat. Whether on the inner screen or the outer screen, the application can basically only be displayed in a fixed 16:9 ratio; even if you click the zoom button in the unfolded state, the aspect ratio of the picture will not change. 

Judging from the interface performance we actually experienced, this version of WeChat's adaptation obviously belongs to the second state, that is, the transition adaptation solution based on iOS 27.0 SDK. 

Objectively speaking, this version has completely solved the core pain points of large-screen vision and split-column efficiency. The inner screen experience has been greatly improved compared with the original "black edge version", and it is more than enough for daily high-frequency use as a main phone, so you don't have to worry at all. 

According to the underlying capabilities provided by iOS 27.1 SDK, WeChat obviously has greater potential to be tapped on iPhone Duo. 

Therefore, Ifanr also speculates that the "full version" of WeChat that uses the latest SDK, supports fold area avoidance and right-side navigation bar is already in intensive development, and it is believed that it will be officially launched soon. 

Will iPhone Duo support WeChat tablet mode?

As for another question that everyone is most concerned about: does iPhone Duo support WeChat tablet mode? 

At least in the current WeChat version 8.0.80, it is still not supported.

At present, the login interface does not provide the option of "log in as a tablet", so you cannot log in as a tablet. 

Ifanr speculates that this is mainly because version 8.0.80 is still an initial adaptation version for iPhone Duo. In the underlying recognition logic, WeChat still treats it as a regular bar iPhone (iOS mobile terminal). 

However, since the large-screen split layout has been arranged, it is reasonable to infer that the highly anticipated "tablet mode login" should also be promoted synchronously, and it is likely to be implemented in the next WeChat version that fully adapts to iPhone Duo. 

It is not difficult to see that on the first day of the official sale of iPhone Duo, whether it is WeChat or other mainstream large manufacturers, they have been intensively promoting the adaptation work for this new form of iPhone. Compared with the long pioneering period of the Android foldable phone ecosystem in the past, Apple's appeal has indeed made the starting speed of the software ecosystem more than one step higher. 

Friends who have already got the new phone might as well upgrade to WeChat version 8.0.80 first to make full use of the large screen of iPhone Duo; as for the final full-performance adaptation version, I think Apple and WeChat won't make us wait too long. 

This article is from the WeChat Official Account "Ifanr" (ID: ifanr), Author: Fang Junming, published with authorization from 36Kr.