Foldable Apple phone: Will the iPhone mini form factor return as a "Passport"?
Unfolded foldable smartphone displays are known to have a somewhat unusual aspect ratio. Apple apparently wants to solve this in a special way.
Printed iPhone Fold based on leaked CAD images: A bit unusual at first glance.
(Image: Subsy / MakerWorld)
Foldable phones offer a large screen when unfolded, but it doesn't match what you're used to from tablets, which is why you get black borders when watching movies and apps don't fit nicely in terms of aspect ratio. The reason: The external display is intended to be roughly the size of a normal phone when the device is closed. Apple seems to have finally reached a compromise with its long-awaited iPhone Fold: the company is reportedly aiming for a display ratio of just over 4:3. This can be inferred from information from the IT news service The Information.
A wider iPhone mini
This reported that the external display of the iPhone foldable will be 5.3 inches. This is pretty much what you know from the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini (from 2021 and 2022) – but wider and shorter. When unfolded, the inner screen is said to be 7.7 inches. The arrangement suggests that Apple's foldable phone will have more of a passport format (albeit larger) than the usual "book style" foldables. How this roughly looks is demonstrated by hobbyists: Printed on X and in the form of a 3D-printed dummy published on MakerWorld.
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The 4:3 form factor would set Apple's device apart from previous foldables. The mock-ups show that it would be quite comfortable to hold. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini also fit perfectly in a pocket and were very popular with certain target groups. A partial revival of this design would therefore be welcome. Apple discontinued the mini family after two generations because it apparently sold poorly – after that came the Plus model, which was larger than the standard iPhone. This was replaced in this year's iPhone lineup by the slim Air model.
Is Samsung also involved?
Interestingly, Apple is not the only one interested in new form factors for foldables. Samsung is reportedly also close to adding a "Wide Foldable" to its lineup, as reported by media from South Korea.
Instead of 6.5 inches externally like the Galaxy Z Fold7, the next generation is said to go down to 5.4 inches. Here too, a 4:3 aspect ratio is being aimed for. The next Galaxy Fold is expected next year – just like the iPhone foldable, which is likely to be released in September.
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