While I enjoy seeing them in action, I’ve always struggled to see the point of book-style foldable phones.
Yes, they’re better for watching media and productivity than a regular phone, but this has never been enough to justify their extravagant costs.
Instead, I’ve always looked to flip-style foldables for a more price-conscious way of adding versatility to my mobile phone experience.
What this means is that I find Samsung’s Z Fold devices boring and repetitive.
I was intrigued by Motorola’s Razr Fold, which looks ready to cement the company as the unofficial rival to Samsung in the foldable space.
Still, the high price dashed my hopes of an affordable foldable along the lines of the flip-style Razrs.
However, just when I thought all hope was gone, salvation appeared from the most unlikely of brands.
Motorola just fixed my biggest foldable problem — and Samsung should be taking notes
The Razr Fold finally fixes what Samsung broke
Other brands give us a glimpse of the future
Wide foldables are the new hot thing
Huawei’s newest foldable launches April 20, and it’s easy to spot why it’s grabbed our attention. No, it’s not the amusingly large camera module, it’s the aspect ratio.
The Pura X Max boasts an inner display aspect ratio of roughly 16:11, substantially wider than the 1.11:1 ratio of the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
This aspect ratio gives the Pura X Max a distinct appearance that reminds me of tablets like the Apple iPad Mini or the Microsoft Surface Duo (remember that!), rather than existing foldables.
To me, this aspect ratio is immediately more attractive than the standard form factor.
The experience is similar to using a tablet, and when I’ve complained before about how unfolded foldables are just awkward tablets, I immediately see the attractiveness of such a design.
Why settle for an awkward compromise when you could own a mini-tablet that doubles as a phone?
The form factor also makes the folded experience unique. Rather than settling for an uncomfortably narrow display, you can have a display perfect for media, productivity, and games — everything you want a foldable for.
There’s certainly still value in a narrower form; the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is perhaps the best current example of how good a square-style inner screen can be.
But media isn’t built for square screens, so casual users will gravitate towards rectangular aspect ratios. While Huawei’s Pura X Max might be the best modern example of this aspect ratio, it won’t be alone for long.
Apple and Samsung are preparing for the shift to wider foldables
Could this be the end of tiny tablets?
Now that the Samsung Galaxy S26 release is over, our focus has turned to Samsung’s summer lineup of foldables. While a new Z Fold and Z Flip are on the cards, the manufacturer is expected to release a new, wider Z Fold.
According to leaked firmware for the Z Fold 8 Wide, the device will boast a 7.6-inch inner display with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
This ratio is noticeably more rectangular than the 1.11:1 aspect ratio of the Z Fold 7, but still more square than the Pura X Max.
But Samsung isn’t the only manufacturer building wider foldables.
The long-awaited “iPhone Fold” is apparently set for launch later this year, and will feature an aspect ratio akin to the Pura X Max.
A leaked dummy unit of the foldable was shared in early April of this year (via The Verge), indicating a wider aspect ratio than Samsung’s or Motorola’s current foldable lineup.
However, its dimensions were not leaked, so we can’t tell yet whether it will be closer to the Pura X Max or the Z Fold 8 Wide (my money’s on the former). Regardless, it’s a clear sign of things to come.
Wider foldables are coming, and that’s a good thing
A simple aspect ratio change is all this form-factor needs
While I think the prices will still put me and many others off, I’m glad to see the move to a wider aspect ratio for foldable phones.
They make the devices far more useful for their intended purposes than existing, narrower foldables, as they emulate tablets better.
Indeed, Apple’s decision not to rush into competing with foldables is a good thing, as heralding the new era of foldable phones with an iPhone would be perfect marketing.
Nevertheless, I’m a little sad to see that Motorola’s newest foldable may immediately be overshadowed by the upcoming wave of wider smartphones.
The Moto Razr Fold is shaping up to be perhaps the best foldable yet.
Still, excellent hardware and fast charging speeds cannot compete with the first foldable iPhone, which, regardless of its quality or value, will inevitably drown out all other mobile news on announcement day.
Perhaps it’s a good thing Motorola, Samsung, and Huawei are releasing their foldables ahead of time; they need to get their sales in now.
