Wide Foldable Phones Emerge as the Next Battleground
Wide foldable phones with tablet-style foldable displays are fast becoming the new focus of the foldable phone competition. Vivo and Honor are both developing book-style devices that open into broader, more tablet-like canvases instead of tall, narrow screens. Leaks suggest these models will not arrive before the first quarter of 2027, but their designs already hint at a strategic shift away from compact flip phones toward productivity-centric formats. This trend builds on earlier experiments like Huawei’s Pura X Max and coincides with Samsung’s reported plans for a Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, which adopts a 4:3, passport-style aspect ratio. At the same time, Apple is rumored to be readying its first foldable iPhone, potentially called the iPhone Ultra. With multiple brands converging on wider displays, the next phase of foldables will revolve less around novelty and more around how well these devices can replace small tablets.
Vivo’s Crease Management Technology and Wider Strategy
Vivo appears poised to use crease management technology as its key differentiator in the wide foldable race. The upcoming Vivo X Fold 6, expected to refine the folding display experience, is tipped to deliver noticeable upgrades in crease performance, directly targeting one of the biggest complaints about current book-style foldables. Beyond smoothing the fold, the device is reportedly being developed as Vivo’s most imaging-focused foldable yet, suggesting a premium camera system to match its expanded screen. While it is unclear if a truly wide Vivo model will launch this year, leaks indicate the company may gradually pivot its foldable strategy toward wider, book-style designs. This would align Vivo with the emerging industry consensus that larger, more balanced inner displays are better suited to multitasking, split-screen work, and media consumption than the taller formats that defined early foldable generations.
Honor’s Tablet-Style Foldable Targets a Horizontal Experience
Honor is taking a more deliberate, longer-term approach to wide foldable phones, but its design ambitions are clear. Leaked imagery shows a prototype with a triple rear camera array and a secondary display on the back panel, packaged in a noticeably wider body than most current foldables. When unfolded, the device is expected to offer a horizontal, tablet-like viewing experience, emphasizing comfort for video, gaming, and side-by-side apps. This orientation could appeal to users who treat their foldables as small tablets first and phones second. Although detailed specifications remain unknown, reports point to a launch window in the first quarter of 2027, positioning Honor’s device as a late entrant but potentially a refined one. By committing early to a wide form factor, Honor signals that it sees long-term value in larger canvases, even if it arrives after Samsung’s Z Fold 8 line and Vivo’s X Fold 6.
Samsung, Apple and the Acceleration of Foldable Phone Competition
Samsung’s plan to split its next foldable flagship into a standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 and a Z Fold 8 Wide underscores how seriously it takes the tablet-first format. Both models are rumored to feature large internal screens and high-end chipsets, with the wide variant adopting a 4:3 aspect ratio for a more traditional tablet feel. This move, combined with Apple’s expected iPhone Ultra foldable debut, is driving rivals to respond faster and more aggressively. The convergence of Samsung, Vivo, Honor and Huawei around wider foldables is likely to accelerate innovation in display durability, hinge engineering and crease management technology. It also reframes the category: instead of being niche status gadgets, wide foldables are evolving into productivity tools that can handle work apps, media, and gaming in one device. For Samsung, the growing crowd of wide-tablet competitors could force a rethink of how it balances phones, tablets and foldables in its broader ecosystem.
