The iPhone Duo has been reported to be unable to play two videos simultaneously:

Apple’s first foldable model, the iPhone Duo, although equipped with dual screens (inner and outer) and supporting multitasking modes such as split-screen and picture-in-picture, cannot play two videos simultaneously.

Whether it’s split-screen, picture-in-picture, or placing the video on two separate screens, the currently playing video will automatically pause once the second video is opened.

The root cause of this problem lies in the audio management mechanism that iOS has long used. When using a phone, if a user opens a social media app with audio while playing music, the music will often automatically stop playing.

The underlying principle is that the later-launched application will seize the system’s main audio output channel and take over audio playback permissions, thereby terminating the sound of the previous application.

Many users were hoping to use dual screens for two-person movie viewing, with two pairs of AirPods each providing independent audio. This solution is entirely feasible at the hardware level; however, iOS has not yet granted the necessary permissions.

In contrast, Android foldable phones allow users to play two videos simultaneously using tools. For example, with a Samsung foldable phone, installing Good Lock and enabling Sound Assistant’s multi-app audio feature allows two video apps to play audio at the same time.

Currently, the dual-screen advantages of the iPhone Duo are concentrated in split-screen office work, multi-window browsing, and dual-screen shooting; the function of playing two videos in parallel is not yet available.