Why the ‘iPhone Fold’ can do what even the Google Pixel Fold can’t

Flips have opened the door to a whole new world of smartphones in the last few years, but somehow the entire Android market has settled on just two things – clamshell flip phones and book-style devices that simply open to double the width of a regular smartphone screen. As the inevitable “iPhone Fold” is approaching, however, it seems that Apple is looking to revive the brand of Android products, including the Google Pixel, which it once tried, but failed to continue, and there is a clear reason why that happened.

Pixel Fold, Oppo Find N, and the lost form factor

In the early days of folding, there were a few important forms floating around. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold had a long exterior display that opened up to a vertical interior display. Huawei and others toyed around with foldable devices that opened outwards and became wider when folded, similar to a regular smartphone.

But Oppo took a different route with its original Find N fold.

That machine was a small and sturdy notebook. It was cramped, but it delivered a great hardware experience. The phone’s external display was wider and shorter than most smartphones, leaving the internal display much wider and tablet-like. It wasn’t perfect 16:10 for media use, but the wide aspect ratio left the door open for some fun. Oppo stuck to this by getting the N2 the following year in 2022, which was an excellent piece of hardware.

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Fast forward another year, and we got Google’s first foldable, the Pixel Fold.

While that device was inherently flawed in a few key ways (which only got worse with age), the Pixel Fold still delivered a great experience.

It took the same design that Oppo has been using – a short and tight external display that opens up into a wide canvas – and just got a little bigger. That opened the door to this whole idea of ​​putting a tablet in your pocket. Google’s aspect ratio made this a better media device compared to the Galaxy Z Folds of the time, and left a large horizontal surface for apps to stretch out on their tablet layouts.

It was ahead of its time.

Samsung took the lead, but apps made today’s reality

That lost form factor was a smart idea, but it didn’t stop Samsung from moving with its long and thin Galaxy Z Fold design, which was often criticized for the lack of usability of the external display.

But, as I discussed in a post back in 2022, the problem with the form factor used by Oppo at the time and later the Pixel Fold comes down to apps. The simple fact of the time was that, despite the fact that most Android applications are very good on large displays, the aspect ratio often causes many problems. For every app that worked well on a wide folding canvas, there were a few that bordered on unusable.

To me, it was clear at the time that the Galaxy Z Fold’s setup was superior to the apps available at the time, and that remained true for a while. In my recent review of the Pixel Fold, I talked about how Google has done most of its own Fold wide display, but how third-party apps have left a gap in how you can use the phone.

The taller, more square internal display may not be ideal for some applications, but the natural reality was that these displays performed better on average for applications. When an app struggles to adapt to a large canvas, it often comes down to horizontal layouts. Unless it’s a full-screen tablet, most Android apps don’t know what to do with the Pixel Fold’s extensive mid-form setup. But a wide canvas that still focuses on portraiture? That is very forgiving. Don’t get me wrong, as a Galaxy Z Fold 7 owner, I encounter quirks in apps all the time, but the experience is on average pretty solid these days.

If we could go back, I think there are a few things that could have been done differently, but mostly it’s timely. Google has made a big push on Android over the past few years to make apps responsive to different screen sizes. That’s important for collapsible folders, as well as all other Android features that work both today and in the future – mirrors, desktops, etc. Did Google do the same 5 years ago, before When the Pixel Fold first came out, I thought that switching from the “passport” form factor to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold/Pixel 10 Pro Fold form factor would be impossible.

Google confirmed that 9 on 5 Google that the reason for the change was in open applications both shows because, in the end, Google had to admit that Android applications at that time – even that long ago – were not ready for that design.

Apple is changing the game in the only way it can…

But now, that wide-form thing is coming back.

Apple’s iPhone Fold is coming, and all leaks point to it reviving the form factor that the Pixel Fold first tried and ultimately failed with.

iPhone Fold, as you can read about it 9 on 5 Macit is said to have a wide aspect ratio with a 5.3-inch external display and a 7.7-inch internal display. Compared to the original Pixel Fold – 5.8-inch external and 7.6-inch internal – it also helps capture what’s coming.

It sounds like Apple intends to make an iPhone that will evolve into an iPad. It looks a little fancy compared to the form we’re used to in Android folders, but that’s not really a bad thing.

So, why would the “iPhone Fold” succeed when even the Google Pixel failed?

Applications.

When Google struggles to make major changes to the Android app ecosystem, developers often use changes from Apple immediately. That’s not to say that Android developers aren’t looking for what’s new, of course, it often takes a long time for major changes to make their way to everyone. As such, Android devices must be built around apps, when the script is flipped for iOS – apps are forced to adapt to the devices. Not all the new changes that Apple presents to the world get the adoption of many developers, but the form changes, in particular, are often taken seriously, as we have seen in the past with the new sizes of the iPhone and iPad.

…and, as always, everyone tries to copy you

Apart from the challenges mentioned with this form factor and Android operating system, Apple’s push in this market is, of coursepushing a lot of brands to copy faster.

Samsung is working on the “Wide Fold.” Honor is said to be working on its own version as well. And Oppo, the brand that came up with this form, is expected to launch the Find N7 with an aspect ratio later this year after three generations of Galaxy-like devices.

It’s probably funny, to be honest.

Android brands came up with this form factor a few years ago, quickly ditched it with seemingly zero interest in bringing it back, but now they’re scrambling to make their own just because Apple is getting into the game.

Will it work this time? It’s possible! Android apps, as mentioned, have gotten a lot better for folding in the last few years since the Oppo Find N2 and Pixel Fold came into play. Those improvements should translate well to this new batch of devices. I think there’s a good chance we’ll see more of these “broader” folders for a while to come.

But having two differences is not enough. The foldable market, while growing, is still a niche, and it would be ridiculous for every foldable brand to produce two of these devices every year. Over time, I think we’ll see some brands stick with the current setup, while others focus on a new form factor.

Sounds very responsive, right?

Then again, that’s been the playbook for most Android brands over the past few years. Just look at Samsung. 2025 saw the company release the slim Galaxy S25 Edge just to beat Apple in the market, the device ended up being a hit. Now, the Galaxy S26 series has ditched all the outdated upgrades that were expected to come just in the name of matching Apple’s 17-inch pricing.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Are you looking forward to these spacious folders? Do you think Android brands will stick with the new form factor? Think the apps are ready? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

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