Why Samsung, Apple could be pushing foldables towards wider screen design

With Samsung and Apple reportedly exploring wider foldable designs, the category could be shifting focus from making devices thinner to improving usability, media consumption and everyday practicality

Almost seven years ago, Samsung introduced the world's first mainstream foldable smartphone. The South Korean technology giant, along with several other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that entered the segment later, has spent the past few years refining that original idea.

 

That has led to most book style foldables looking broadly similar today, with a regular slab smartphone like design when folded and a squarish tablet like screen when unfolded.

 

There have been notable improvements along the way. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 brought IPX8 water resistance to the category. OPPO, Vivo and Samsung gradually redesigned hinges to eliminate the wedge shaped gap when folded. Every generation has become thinner and lighter, making foldables feel increasingly closer to traditional flagship smartphones. Creases have become less noticeable, durability has improved, and software has matured enough for most apps to adapt seamlessly between the cover and inner displays.

 

 

For years, however, almost every company seemed to be solving the same problems while following the same design language.

 

That may finally be changing.

 

Samsung is set to host its Galaxy Unpacked event today, where it is expected to introduce a new Galaxy Z Fold with a noticeably wider cover display, while retaining the traditional tall Fold design under an Ultra branding. Apple, too, is reportedly preparing its first foldable iPhone with a similarly wider, shorter footprint instead of the narrow design that has become synonymous with foldables.

 

If those reports prove accurate, the foldable market could be entering its first major design shift since Samsung introduced the category.

 

The obvious question is why.

 

Having used several foldable smartphones over the last few years, one thing has stood out consistently. The biggest compromises today are no longer thickness, hinge quality or durability. They are about usability. A wider foldable could potentially address several of those everyday annoyances. At the same time, it could introduce an entirely new set of trade offs.

What to expect from Samsung and Apple

Most reports around Samsung's upcoming foldable suggest the company is experimenting with a shorter and wider design instead of its familiar tall and narrow Fold. The idea is likely to make the cover display more suitable for typing and for taking quick actions while also giving the unfolded display a more tablet-like aspect ratio. Samsung may continue offering the existing design alongside it instead of replacing it outright.

Apple is likely taking a similar route for its first foldable iPhone. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has repeatedly reported that Apple's foldable will focus on reducing compromises compared to existing devices, with analysts like Ming-chi Kuo pointing towards a wider passport style design instead of a tall outer display.

 

If two of the largest smartphone makers arrive at the same conclusion independently, it suggests the industry believes the current Fold design has reached the limit of what incremental refinements can achieve.

This is not the first time someone has experimented

Interestingly, the idea itself is not new.

 

Google arguably took the first step with the original Pixel Fold in 2023. Unlike Samsung's tall Fold series, Google's first foldable featured a noticeably wider cover display. The device also unfolded into a landscape oriented tablet rather than a square one.

 

Huawei pushed the idea even further with its Pura X models. Instead of making the phone taller, Huawei opted for an unusually wide outer display and a compact overall footprint, creating something that sits somewhere between a traditional foldable and a flip phone.

 

Neither device defined the market, but both demonstrated that there is more than one way to build a foldable.

 

Samsung and Apple adopting a similar philosophy could finally make the wider format mainstream.

How wider foldables could make more sense

The biggest advantage of a wider foldable may not be when it is folded, but when it is opened.

 

Today's book style foldables have gradually become wider over the years and the cover screen is no longer the compromise it once was. For most everyday tasks such as messaging, browsing or navigation, modern foldables can comfortably be used without unfolding them.

 

The limitation becomes apparent after opening the device.

 

Because most Fold smartphones unfold into a nearly square display, videos rarely use the entire screen. Movies and YouTube videos often end up with thick black bars above and below the content, reducing the actual viewing area. A wider inner display could make much better use of the available space for entertainment, which remains one of the biggest reasons people buy large-screen devices in the first place.

 

A shorter and wider design could also make the phone itself feel more compact. Rather than carrying a tall device that can be difficult to use one handed, users could get a smartphone that occupies less vertical space in the pocket while still unfolding into a large display. In some ways, it could bring back the idea of compact smartphones without sacrificing screen size.

Could it also replace flip phones?

Perhaps not immediately, but it could blur the distinction between the two categories.

 

Flip phones appeal primarily because they become compact enough to fit comfortably into smaller pockets while still opening into a full sized smartphone. Book style foldables, on the other hand, prioritise productivity and multitasking through a larger inner display.

 

A wider foldable sits somewhere in between.

 

When folded, it resembles a compact smartphone rather than an unusually tall device. When unfolded, it still offers a larger screen for media consumption, reading or productivity.

 

If that balance works well, it raises an interesting question about the future of flip phones.

 

The Verge has also suggested that Samsung may eventually rethink its foldable portfolio as new form factors arrive. If consumers begin preferring a compact book style foldable that delivers both portability and a larger display, the gap between Flip and Fold devices could narrow significantly.

The trade offs cannot be ignored

Of course, changing the shape of the phone is not without consequences.

 

Software optimisation could once again become a challenge. It has taken Android developers several years to properly optimise applications for today's foldable aspect ratios. Most major apps now transition smoothly between the cover and inner displays, but introducing another unconventional screen shape could require developers to revisit those optimisations.

Battery is another concern. Foldables only recently started closing the battery gap with traditional flagship phones thanks to thinner components, improved hinges and higher density batteries. A shorter and more compact chassis leaves engineers with less flexibility in arranging internal components.

 

The wider cover display itself could also introduce new compromises.

 

While typing may become easier, reaching across the screen with one hand could become more difficult because of the increased width. The phone may feel shorter, but not necessarily easier to use single handed.

 

Then there is multitasking, arguably my favourite feature on book style foldables.

 

The current Fold aspect ratio allows two applications to sit side by side, almost like using two regular smartphones together. A wider inner display could improve video playback, but it may reduce the amount of vertical space available when running two apps simultaneously. Depending on how the aspect ratio changes, productivity could actually take a step backwards for users who primarily buy foldables for multitasking.