iOS 27 now brings the ability to use a wider variety of Apple’s default apps in horizontal landscape mode on the iPhone. For the first time, you can use Music, Podcasts, Fitness, Health, Reminders, Home, Assignments, Apple Watch, Find My, Weather, Dictaphone app and the Apple TV Remote in landscape view.
While landscape mode isn’t an entirely new feature, as it was available in iOS 26 and earlier for some apps like Maps, Calendar, Files, Notes, and Mail, iOS 27 extends this support to many more applications. This extended landscape mode may come in the run-up to the “iPhone Ultra”, Apple’s first foldable iPhone, expected in September 2026.
Landscape mode with Apple apps
Supporting landscape view by default in more Apple apps is useful for several reasons. First, you improve the user experience on larger screens. The iPhone Pro Max models in particular benefit from the extra space offered by landscape display.
In addition, landscape mode provides an ideal experience for video calling and viewing content. In addition, a wider view provides more space for productivity and multitasking. For example, you’ll see improved tables in Notes, more details in Weather, and a clearer view of albums and lyrics in Music. This makes the iPhone much more suitable for tasks that previously required an iPad.
Clue to foldable iPhone
The expanded landscape mode in iOS 27 is a possible indication that Apple is preparing software for a foldable iPhone. UI elements for the iPhone Ultra have already been found in the first beta of iOS 27, including code that refers to a foldable device. Apple develops the software before the hardware device is available, which is a typical strategy for major releases.
Now that Apple has adapted more apps for landscape mode, it looks like the foldable iPhone is getting closer. In addition, iOS 27 also shows Live Activities in the Dynamic Island in landscape view, allowing you to monitor background processes on the larger screen without having to open the app. Landscape mode would be ideal for a 7.8-inch open screen. This makes the iPhone Ultra a real alternative to the iPad for multitasking.
iPhone Ultra in short
The iPhone Ultra is Apple’s first-ever foldable iPhone, with a book-like design that opens from a 5.3- to 5.5-inch external screen to a 7.6- to 7.8-inch internal display. When fully opened, the device is only 4.5 millimeters thick, which is remarkably thin for a foldable smartphone. The iPhone Ultra features a dual-camera system on the back, as well as a selfie camera on the front and inside.
In terms of technology, the iPhone Ultra is equipped with an A20 chip, which is based on a 2nm process from TSMC, and offers a minimum storage capacity of 256 GB. With a starting price of over $2,000, this will be Apple’s most expensive smartphone yet, and is scheduled to launch in September.