Passport-sized foldable phones are taking over: Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and Apple join the race

Foldable phones are changing shape again.

After years in which most book-style foldables became increasingly thin while retaining a tall smartphone-like profile, a different design is gaining momentum: a device that is noticeably shorter and wider when closed, then unfolds into a broad, almost tablet-like screen.

They are increasingly being described as “passport-sized” or “wide” foldables. Passport-sized is not an official smartphone category, but the description makes sense: instead of looking like an unusually thick conventional phone when closed, the latest devices have a squatter, broader footprint that can resemble a passport or small notebook.

Huawei has already put the concept on sale in China. Samsung has taken a similar approach to the global market with its Galaxy Z Fold8. Xiaomi is preparing another foldable for September, while leaks suggest Oppo and Honor are exploring comparable designs.

And on September 9, Apple could give the form factor its biggest push yet.

For UAE buyers, the clearest example is already on sale.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8 on July 22 and officially released it in the UAE on August 7. Unlike the taller Galaxy Fold models that came before it, Samsung describes the Fold8’s new form factor as “wider, shorter and more pocket-friendly”.

When closed, the Galaxy Z Fold8 measures 123.9mm tall, 81.9mm wide and 9.7mm thick. It weighs 201 grams.

That relatively short, broad shape houses a 5.5-inch cover display. Opening the phone reveals a 7.6-inch main screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, creating a wider canvas for reading, videos, gaming and running apps side by side.

It is a substantial change from the shape that defined much of Samsung’s Fold series, giving the new model a passport-like appearance that is now attracting attention across the industry.

Samsung’s importance to the trend also lies in its reach. Unlike many experimental foldable designs that initially remain limited to China, the Galaxy Z Fold8 is officially available in the UAE and other global markets.

Huawei has taken the idea further with the Pura X Max.

The phone measures just 120mm tall and 85mm wide when folded, with a thickness of 11.2mm. It has a 5.4-inch exterior OLED screen and folds out to a 7.7-inch foldable OLED display.

Huawei markets the Pura X Max specifically around its unusually broad screens, describing it as a new member of its “wide foldable” family.

Its dimensions make it one of the clearest examples yet of the passport-like folding-phone concept: considerably shorter and broader than the conventional smartphones people are accustomed to carrying.

Huawei lists the Pura X Max in China from 10,999 yuan. The company’s Chinese website shows the handset running HarmonyOS 6.1 and powered by its Kirin 9030 Pro chip.

Huawei has not announced conventional UAE availability for the Pura X Max, so buyers outside China should not assume it has received the same global release as Samsung’s Fold8.

Another major Chinese manufacturer is about to enter the conversation.

Xiaomi has confirmed that its new flagship folding phone will be called the Xiaomi 18 Fold and will launch in September.

Reuters reported on August 29 that the device will use Xiaomi’s new 3-nanometre XRing O3 processor, along with LPDDR6 memory supplied by Chinese chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies.

Xiaomi has not yet officially published the phone’s complete dimensions and display specifications.

However, leaked real-world images published by tipster Digital Chat Station and reported by Android Authority appear to show a noticeably wide book-style foldable, similar in overall concept to Samsung's new design. Those images are leaks rather than official Xiaomi product photographs, so the final dimensions and exact screen proportions should be treated as unconfirmed until Xiaomi launches the device.

That launch should provide a clearer indication of whether shorter, wider foldables are becoming a broader industry trend rather than a design used only by Huawei and Samsung.

More could arrive in 2027.

Tipster Digital Chat Station has claimed that Oppo is developing a wide foldable with a roughly 5.5-inch cover display and 7.6-inch folding screen.

The same leak, reported by Android Central and Android Authority, points to a possible first-quarter 2027 launch and to Qualcomm’s future Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series processor. Oppo has not confirmed the phone, its specifications or its release date.

Honor is also reportedly working on a similarly proportioned wide foldable.

Another Digital Chat Station leak claims Honor is testing a device with an approximately 5.5-inch outer screen and 7.6-inch inner display, along with a battery of around 7,000mAh or more. A possible first-quarter 2027 release has also been suggested.

Again, none of those details has been announced by Honor and they should be treated strictly as rumours.

Taken together, however, the reports suggest smartphone makers are increasingly experimenting with an alternative to the tall-and-narrow folding phones that have dominated the book-style category.

The biggest moment for the new form factor could come next week.

Apple has officially scheduled a special event for September 9 at 9 pm UAE time. The company has not said that a folding iPhone will be unveiled and, as of September 3, Apple has never officially announced a foldable iPhone.

But expectations are unusually high.

Reuters reported on August 26 that Apple is expected to introduce its latest iPhone lineup at the event and could unveil its first foldable iPhone. Bloomberg has also reported that Apple’s foldable is expected at the September event.

The name remains uncertain. It is routinely referred to as the iPhone Fold in reports, while some leaks have suggested iPhone Ultra, but Apple has confirmed neither.

Reported hardware points directly towards the emerging wide-fold trend.

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said Apple’s book-style foldable is expected to have a screen measuring around 5.5 inches when closed and 7.8 inches when open. Reports also suggest a 4:3-style internal display and Touch ID rather than Face ID, while estimates have placed its starting price above $2,000.

Those specifications remain rumours until Apple announces the product.

But Apple’s entrance could be particularly important for the wider foldable market.

Huawei has demonstrated that the unusual shape can work. Samsung has now put a shorter, wider Fold on sale internationally. Xiaomi is launching another foldable this month, while Oppo and Honor are reportedly developing their own takes.

Apple would not be inventing the passport-sized foldable.

It could, however, be the company that turns it from an emerging hardware trend into the next major smartphone form factor.