Apple, Huawei, and Samsung have introduced foldable smartphones featuring aspect ratios closely mirroring passports, signaling a shift from elongated form factors to wide formats grounded in historical geometric standards.

Key Developments and Technical Context

On the morning of October 23, 2026, a customer in Vietnam collected their iPhone Duo on its first release day at Minh Tuấn Mobile.

When folded, the iPhone Duo measures 117.8mm high and 84.1mm wide, compared to the standard International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) passport size of 125 x 88mm.

Huawei released the Pura X in China in March 2025 with a 16:10 internal screen ratio, followed by the hingeless 5:3 Pura X View in September 2026 and the Pura X Max in April 2026.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8 in London on July 22, 2026, featuring a 4:3 internal screen and a 16:10 external screen, while developing wide-screen Fold models for the 2027 Galaxy Z9 generation.

Strategic Analysis and Industry Implications

Adopting an aspect ratio close to the square root of 2 (√2:1) allows foldable devices to maintain geometric consistency between exterior and interior screens, helping applications scale layouts more smoothly during transitions.

The simultaneous arrival of wide-aspect foldables from major manufacturers could pressure third-party app developers to update their user interfaces throughout 2027.

Outlook and Key Factors to Watch

Whether the upcoming wide foldable models from vivo, Honor, or the Galaxy Z9 series in 2027 will officially debut according to reported schedules remains unconfirmed.

Whether the new screen aspect ratios can overcome the one-handed usage habits of mainstream consumers or face resistance due to high retail prices and software adaptations.