Why Wide Foldable Phones Are Becoming the Next Battleground
Wide foldable phones are emerging as the next major battleground in mobile design, promising tablet-style foldable experiences without sacrificing everyday portability. Unlike tall, narrow foldables, wide “book-style” devices unfold into broader, more square-like canvases that are better suited for split-screen multitasking, productivity apps, and immersive video. Huawei helped ignite this trend with the Pura X Max’s wide form factor, and Samsung is now doubling down with its Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, including a rumored Z Fold 8 Wide that uses a 4:3, passport-style aspect ratio. At the same time, Apple is reportedly preparing its first foldable iPhone, expected to be branded as the iPhone Ultra. This convergence signals that wider internal displays are becoming the definitive direction for next-generation foldables—and it is precisely this space that Vivo and Honor now intend to enter.
Vivo’s Strategy: Better Crease Tech and a Shift to Wider Designs
Vivo is positioning its upcoming X Fold 6 as a stepping stone toward wider tablet-style foldables, with a clear focus on improving the foldable smartphone crease. Tipster Smart Pikachu reports that the X Fold 6 will deliver noticeable upgrades in crease performance, a longstanding pain point that has undermined premium foldables’ appeal. Refining this hinge and display stack is critical: users increasingly expect book-style devices to feel closer to seamless tablets when unfolded. Vivo is also said to be developing the X Fold 6 as its most imaging-focused foldable to date, hinting at a push to combine camera prowess with an expansive canvas. Although it is not yet clear whether a truly wide Vivo Honor foldable will debut alongside the X Fold 6, leaks suggest the company plans to gradually transition its foldable lineup toward broader, book-style designs that better compete with Samsung’s Z Fold family.
Honor’s Tablet-Style Foldable: Design, Features, and Long Road to Launch
Honor is taking a more patient route but aiming squarely at tablet-style foldable experiences. Leaks from tipster Guan Tongxue GiM show a prototype with a noticeably wider form factor than today’s typical foldables, designed to deliver a horizontal, tablet-like viewing experience when unfolded. The device reportedly combines a triple rear camera system with a secondary display on the back panel, a layout that could enable glanceable information and camera previews without opening the main screen. This aligns Honor’s ambitions with Samsung’s Z Fold series, but the brand is on a longer schedule: current reports point to a launch window no earlier than the first quarter of 2027. That extended timeline gives Honor more room to refine hardware and software while watching how Samsung’s wide Z Fold 8 variant, Vivo’s evolving lineup, and Apple’s first foldable shape consumer expectations.
Competing with Samsung and Apple in the Wide Foldable Era
Vivo and Honor’s moves are best understood as a direct response to Samsung and Apple’s escalating foldable strategies. Samsung is set to refresh its Galaxy Z Fold line with both a standard Z Fold 8 and a Z Fold 8 Wide, each featuring large internal displays and high-end silicon, signaling that it views wide foldables as a distinct, mainstream category. Apple’s rumored iPhone Ultra foldable, expected around the same time, will likely bring a tightly integrated ecosystem and tablet-like workflows to this segment. Vivo’s focus on crease improvements and imaging, combined with wider book-style designs, aims to undercut Samsung’s lead by addressing user pain points head-on. Honor, meanwhile, is betting on a polished, tablet-style foldable that arrives once the market has matured. Together, these Vivo Honor foldable efforts could finally give users serious alternatives to Samsung’s and Apple’s tablet-style dominance.
