How 2026 became the year of the passport-style foldable phones
Book-style foldable phones have always been about a tall aspect ratio that opens up into a tablet-sized display, until 2026, when phone makers altered the shape. Instead of the long pencil-box shaped layout, foldable phones have started to evolve into passport-shaped devices with wide cover screens and even wider main screens.
Driven by a desire for better ergonomics, utility and comfortable one-handed typing, smartphone manufacturers have overwhelmingly embraced a new footprint – the short, wide, “passport-style” form factor. Huawei showed its first on the Pura X Max for the Chinese market, and Samsung followed it up with the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
