I loved the blackberry passport and the surface duo so this could be a big hit for me.
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Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected
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This seems to me like a step in the right direction. The unfolded aspect ratio is really not optimal on most already existing foldables (flips and trifolds aside). Also the smaller form factor when folded is a plus on my side - loving the mini! Only downside I see is it's probably too wide to hold and use one handed comfortably.
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Short and wide, just how I like 'em! /s
In all seriousness, this is silly.
In all seriousness, this is silly.
That’s exactly the wrong attitude. You shouldn’t be “forced” to open it for normal usage.
Apple is all about forcing you to use their devices in specific ways.
It does not matter how you size it! There is no enough benefit to justify compromises! This thing will flop so hard. Even MKBHD who likes gimmicks nowadays acknowledges that two-fold is useless in terms of content consumption.
Honestly, this is more appealing to me than just a huge tall phone (if going this direction).
I'm a big fan of the 4:3 interior.
That's one of my favorite things about my iPad Mini 5
The mini is BACK! 
My problem is the width. I primarily use my phone single-handedly, meaning narrower is better for me. This is the opposite of that.
No question about it!
I'd just take this over a lot of the other Folds, if I had to.
I'm mainly commenting within the context of Folds only here.
The "phone" I want is another Mini that's as small as they can stomach making it.
It might be an instant buy for me! would need to weigh it up against a Max phone. e.g is the folding mechanism and fragility worth a 15-20% larger viewing area when watching youtube or movies in landscape
....I was really interested in this until seeing how short and wide its rumored to be.....the height is not much of a concern but the width of the screen when closed would eliminate the ability for single handed use for most people I would expect....
Cost is of course going to be an issue for some, but it will sell regardless because Apple stuff always does. Hopefully it sells enough to get a 2nd and 3rd generation and Apple continues to improve on it, but it might be like the Mini or the Air and get abandoned early on because Apple seems unwilling to wait a bit if there is not a huge initial momentum from sales.
Repairability may be a concern. Are the employees trained well enough to support device repairs in store? Do the store techs have what they need to fix the device in store or does it need to be sent out? Are the sales good enough that the parts are always on hand or do they need to be custom ordered? Do they have adequate supply of devices to swap out if they need to replace or is there a supply chain crunch? And does the cost of AppleCare or deductibles go up?
Crease will probably be viewed as a non-issue by reviewers, but long-term use will be more important. How noticeable is the crease at 6 months? How scratched up is the screen? Are there more than a few anecdotal reports on Reddit from it breaking for no reason? How prevalent are the screen issues? These are things that will affect the sales of the 2nd gen.
Width will probably be an issue. Some will find the outer screen too wide for day-to-day use one-handed. It needs to work well as a phone and a tablet, because most will be using it closed the majority of the time.
Weight may be an issue. Apple phones are already pretty beefy. Does this stay under 8 oz? Between the weight and the width, what is the hand fatigue like after a couple weeks?
The lack of FaceID will be an issue. With Samsung folding phones doing facial recognition, this will feel like a big step backwards for some.
Battery life will be an issue. This will be similar to the Air in that it can last all day, but it all depends on how you use the device and some will find it anxiety-inducing.
Multi-tasking is the biggest question mark. Does it have the full iPadOS 26-era and does that work well a screen that size? Or do we get older, simplified split-view from iPadOS 18? Or do they just do nothing of value and it is just a single app experience? Really the question is: does it do enough unfolded to justify its cost?
Repairability may be a concern. Are the employees trained well enough to support device repairs in store? Do the store techs have what they need to fix the device in store or does it need to be sent out? Are the sales good enough that the parts are always on hand or do they need to be custom ordered? Do they have adequate supply of devices to swap out if they need to replace or is there a supply chain crunch? And does the cost of AppleCare or deductibles go up?
Crease will probably be viewed as a non-issue by reviewers, but long-term use will be more important. How noticeable is the crease at 6 months? How scratched up is the screen? Are there more than a few anecdotal reports on Reddit from it breaking for no reason? How prevalent are the screen issues? These are things that will affect the sales of the 2nd gen.
Width will probably be an issue. Some will find the outer screen too wide for day-to-day use one-handed. It needs to work well as a phone and a tablet, because most will be using it closed the majority of the time.
Weight may be an issue. Apple phones are already pretty beefy. Does this stay under 8 oz? Between the weight and the width, what is the hand fatigue like after a couple weeks?
The lack of FaceID will be an issue. With Samsung folding phones doing facial recognition, this will feel like a big step backwards for some.
Battery life will be an issue. This will be similar to the Air in that it can last all day, but it all depends on how you use the device and some will find it anxiety-inducing.
Multi-tasking is the biggest question mark. Does it have the full iPadOS 26-era and does that work well a screen that size? Or do we get older, simplified split-view from iPadOS 18? Or do they just do nothing of value and it is just a single app experience? Really the question is: does it do enough unfolded to justify its cost?
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I'm a little befuddled by this talk of single-handed use. Can you use a Pro Max single-handed? That's one of the top-selling iPhone models.
Yeah it would be nice to be able to use the foldable one-handed, but it feels like that ship has already sailed.
I may not be typical in that I love my iPhone 13 mini, and dread the day when I am forced to "upgrade" to a phone that doesn't comfortably fit in my front jeans pocket. When I read about the specs of the folding iPhone, I secretly imagined what's described in this article, a phone that, when folded, fits even more comfortably in my pocket. An outer display with an aspect ratio that accommodates reading much better than the very-narrow iPhone mini display, and an inner display that rivals my iPad mini. Would I pay >$2,000 for the love child of these two devices? If the execution is as good as we all hope, I probably would.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the iPhone mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led some people to wonder why Apple would settle on such a compact form factor.
Using The Information's reported dimensions, content creator Ben Gaskin has shared some images and video of a printed version of the device (embedded below) that help envision what it could look and feel like in the hand. They also hint at Apple's design strategy, suggesting it is related to an unavoidable trade-off between the outer and inner displays of a book-style foldable.
A taller, phone-like outer screen generally leads to a more square inner panel once unfolded, which can be awkward for many types of content, like videos and two open windows in Split View. Conversely, a more rectangular inner display that better supports multi-window use inevitably forces the outer display to become wider or smaller, making it less comfortable to hold and less conventional in use.
Reports suggesting Apple has opted for a roughly 4:3 aspect ratio on the inner display strongly suggest Apple is favoring the latter approach. A 4:3 inner display would allow Apple to more easily transfer established multitasking features from iPadOS into a foldable form. Here the unfolded state becomes the main mode of use, prioritizing a lightweight, ultra-portable iPad experience over a stretched-out smartphone.
That said, the iPhone Fold in its closed state is likely to feel more like a smaller everyday phone than other foldables on the market. Compare the rumored 5.3-inch outer screen size with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which has a 6.5-inch front display, or the Google Pixel Pro Fold, whose cover screen comes in at 6.3 inches. Indeed, the iPhone Fold's front display would be smaller than almost all current major foldables, suggesting Apple is deliberately diverging from the "outer screen as primary phone" philosophy.
When choosing size, Apple will of course have a very deliberate product strategy in mind. While Samsung and Google largely treat the cover display on their foldables as a full-time smartphone screen, Apple may see the device's folded state as a secondary experience, suited to notifications, quick replies, and other glanceable interactions, while reserving the main experience for when the device is unfolded.
However, software too has its limits. If users expect to browse, type extensively, or use third-party apps in the folded state, no amount of interface refinement will fully overcome a physically smaller canvas. That's what makes the comparison to the iPhone mini so notable – especially for a device expected to command a price premium of anywhere between $2,000 and $2,500, which would make it Apple's most expensive ever iPhone.
Ultimately, the rumored dimensions suggest Apple is betting on the value of the unfolded experience rather than the comfort of the folded one. The company seems willing to accept a smaller, less conventional outer display if it ensures the inner display can shine at the system and app level. If users come to think of the device not as a larger iPhone, but as an iPad that happens to fold into a pocket, the design trade-offs start to look far more intentional, and far more Apple-like.
16:9 video playback on 7.7-inch display vs. 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max display (image credit: @BenGeskin).
What do you think of the alleged dimensions of Apple's rumored foldable iPhone? Let us know in the comments. The "iPhone Fold," which some are calling it, is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September 2026.
Article Link: Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected
what befuddling about the talk of single handed use??? That;s a main point of contention I feel for a lot of phone buyers...Can i do EVERYTHING single handedly on the PM? No. But most things I want to use only one hand for can be done.
This is one of two fold designs that make any sense: short and wide two-fold. The other one may be released as a „Pro“ (or „Ultra“) version two years later: narrow and tall tri-fold.
That’s so untrue. Examples? Unless you mean putting AirPods in your ears… yes that is specific way Apple forces you to use them. LOL
This seems like the “perfect” foldable device! I’m really excited for this, and looking forward to it if true. I like that Apple are taking a different approach to the screen ratio compared to others.