# Yuchen Jin argues foldable phones could suit coding agent control

> Original title: I previously argued that terminals and IDEs are the wrong interfaces for coding agents.

- Source: Yuchen Jin
- Published: 2026-10-26T17:01:50.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/bjlupe9nijazjl3elqqydwmvv
- Original: https://x.com/Yuchenj_UW/status/2114764450494623910

## Summary

Yuchen Jin says terminals and IDEs are the wrong interfaces for coding agents, and phones were worse for coding because typing is slow and screens are small. He argues that since developers no longer write code by hand, a foldable iPhone could serve as a control plane for a fleet of agents, for delegating tasks, tracking progress, reviewing work, and watching remote computers. He believes foldable phones could enable a new category of agent-native apps.

## Post

I previously argued that terminals and IDEs are the wrong interfaces for coding agents.

Phones used to be even worse for coding. Typing is slow, screens are tiny, and navigating a codebase is impossible.

But we’re no longer writing code by hand. So the iPhone Duo makes sense.

What I actually want isn’t a mobile IDE, but a control plane for a fleet of agents: delegating tasks, tracking progress, reviewing their work, occasionally intervening, and even watching them operate my remote computers.

I believe foldable phones can unlock an entirely new category of agent-native apps.