Apple iPhone Fold ‘Inspires’ a New Generation of Rival Foldable Phones

The Samsung TriFold's wide shape will be the new normal thanks to the likely popularity of Apple's iPhone Fold. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg

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The very threat of Apple’s iPhone Fold has clearly had an impact on the smartphone market because we’re seeing new foldables shapes, from several companies, for the first time in years. The new Apple device moves away from the tall and skinny design of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series, to a (rumored) wider, shorter 4:3 aspect ratio.

The idea is that a wider foldable phone should deliver a superior video consumption experience; more of the screen can be utilized with less letterboxing (the black bars above and below the video).

The existence of the iPhone Fold, combined with the fact that anything Apple creates draws massive attention, has prompted rival Android manufacturers to release their own versions of wide and tall foldables. Huawei was quick out of the blocks with its new Pura X Max announcement this week.

Samsung, too, will release its Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide this summer. Rumored specifications suggest it will feature a 8.1-inch internal display and a 6.5-inch cover screen. That isn’t a million miles away from the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s display, but leaked CAD images show that the new shape is entirely different. The Google Pixel 11 Pro is expected to adopt a wider design as well, with the more Motorola Razr Fold Honor Magic V6 also landing this year.

Apple Sets New Design Standard With iPhone Fold

It’s not to say these companies are copying Apple, but the timing can’t be ignored. Samsung has released seven generations of foldable phones to date and is only switching up the design in the same year Apple releases the iPhone Fold, despite users asking for a widescreen design for years. Huawei’s Pura X Max also marks that company’s first widescreen foldable phone.

Ultimately, this is good news for both buyers and Android manufacturers. Foldables are becoming mainstream, with global shipments growing 14% YoY in Q3 2025 to reach an all-time quarterly record.

There is a hunger for innovation, not just in design, but in the overall smartphone experience. Book-shaped foldable phones offer that via multi-tasking (running several apps side-by-side), new camera tools, and tent mode media consumption (using the phone to prop itself up instead of a stand). Apple entering the market will boost the popularity of the genre and drive sales for all involved as users become more comfortable with an entirely new smartphone design.

That increased attention will benefit Android manufacturers because they can be more nimble with specifications and siphon off newly interested foldable buyers from the big brands. Battery technology, in particular, is where smaller smartphone makers can win big.

The iPhone Fold Won’t Beat These Battery Sizes

The Huawei Pura X Max, Motorola Razr Fold, and Honor Magic V6 will all utilize silicon-carbon batteries. For the uninitiated, silicon-carbon batteries replace traditional graphite anodes with silicon-carbon composites, allowing for up to 20% higher energy density without the extra size.

The effect on battery life can be massive. Some reviewers have found that phones using silicon-carbon battery technology, such as the Oppo Find X9 Pro, are clocking in over 10 hours of screen-on time after heavy use—roughly three to four hours more than a standard lithium-ion powered smartphone. This is the next battleground for manufacturers, and nowhere is that extended battery life needed more than in a foldable phone.

The reported 7.8-inch screen of the iPhone Fold, or the 8.1-inch display of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, will burn through power. Also, unlike a tablet, a foldable phone must be slim enough to fit in a pocket, which leaves limited space for traditional lithium-ion batteries.

Silicon-carbon is the answer because it packs more power into the same physical footprint. There have been some historical concerns about increased swelling and and shorter overall lifecycles of silicon carbon batteries, but manufacturers have mitigated this with new flexible coatings that act like tiny shock absorbers, holding the silicon in place as it expands and shrinks so the battery stays stable and lasts much longer.

This is why Samsung hasn’t wholly adopted the technology yet (although the company has stated it is testing the safety of silicon-carbon batteries). I suspect Apple will be equally cautious; it is unlikely to release an entirely new category of device and introduce a potentially volatile new battery technology alongside it.

Apple Will Be Behind Its Android Rivals With iPhone Fold Battery Life

Other Android rivals don’t share these concerns. We’ve already seen silicon-carbon tech in the aforementioned Oppo Find X9 Pro and other Chinese smartphones. These companies hold a competitive advantage in one of the most important features to smartphone users, and they will make that clear when all of the wide foldables have been released by the end of the year.

Don’t be surprised to see raw battery life performance tests comparing Apple and Samsung foldable phones against Honor Magic V6 and Huawei Pura X Max rivals used repeatedly in marketing materials by those companies. The difference will be stark, and it will convince some users to move away from Apple and Samsung.

That is precisely why we’re seeing a deluge of new foldable phones this year: there’s a small window to steal away customers from the iPhone Fold. Samsung and Apple will eventually be forced to adopt silicon-carbon technology, but they might not do so just yet. For now, their Android rivals can capitalize on the gap in capabilities.