Is Samsung finally going to make a foldable that you can use folded as well?

Is Samsung finally going to make a foldable that you can use folded as well?،

We're still a few months away from the official reveal of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but the rumor mill has started spinning. An interesting rumor circulating on the Internet concerns a “redesigned” Z Fold 6, and more specifically: the phone would have a wider and overall thinner exterior screen.

I'm focusing on the larger exterior screen in this article. Samsung's Folds have, from the start, sported a somewhat strange and tall exterior screen; However, most of Samsung's competitors in the foldable device market sport a larger screen. Recent examples include the Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open, foldable phones that let you use the outer screen more comfortably. Let's explore what I mean.

Samsung Galaxy Fold exterior screen: a brief historical overview

Since the OG Fold in 2019, Samsung has stuck to a particular size for its outer screen (the one you use when the phone is folded). The display ratio of the Galaxy Fold 3's outer screen was approximately 24.5:9, a bit lower than that of the Fold 2 (25:9), but still a very tall and narrow screen. The Fold 4 changed things up a bit with another unique aspect ratio of 23.1:9, which the Fold 5 stuck to.

The Z Fold 5's exterior screen (cover screen) - Will Samsung finally make a foldable that you can also use folded?

The Z Fold 5's exterior screen (cover display)

But what do these numbers really mean? Overall, the display aspect ratio indicates the proportional relationship between width and height. I will skip the math and how this is calculated and get straight to real life.

So, let’s put the numbers into perspective. THE OnePlus Open, for its part, has an aspect ratio of 20:9 for its exterior screen, the Galaxy S23 Ultra sports an aspect ratio of 19.3:9, the Pixel 8 of 20:9 and the iPhone 15 approximately 19.5:9. As you can see, the OnePlus OpenThe exterior screen of is much closer to a normal phone than that of the Fold. THE Pixel folding is slightly wider, at 17.4:9.

Here is for visualization:

Do we want clothes that are tall and sleek or looser but comfortable?

A narrow, tall exterior screen on the Fold might look pretty and interesting enough, but after all, it's designed for people, not just looks. But the general opinion (of course, exceptions are always present) is that it is not as practical as it should be. Let's explore some of the criticisms regarding the tall and narrow screen. User phero1190 on Reddit says:

I didn't like my Z Fold 3 or 4 because of the narrow aspect ratio of the exterior screen. Yes, it was easy to hold in one hand, but everything felt weird and typing was difficult for me. It made me feel like I absolutely had to open them to have a good experience and I didn't like that feeling. like a tablet first that could fold.

We also have opinions like that of the user manek101:

The front screen is too small for videos.
It's not just about videos, many apps aren't optimized for such narrow screens and the keyboard is also a bit too cramped.

Our own press, who reviewed the Fold 5, noted about the exterior screen:

That said, the external display isn't the most comfortable thing for dual thumb typing. And if you hit a case on it, the letters near the edge of the screen require concentrated effort to hit correctly. The problem is further compounded if you choose to use gestures for navigation – trying to swipe from the side of the screen for a “back” command while you have a case on can feel jarring.

Many users, including our own Press K, have found it a bit difficult to type on a narrow, tall screen. Will Samsung finally make a foldable that you can also use folded?

Many users, including our own Press K, found it a bit difficult to type on a narrow, tall screen.

Of course, for many this isn't a deal breaker, but what if Samsung could make the outer display even more comfortable to use? Typing on a larger screen will feel less cramped, and you won't have to open the Fold every time you need to chat or watch a video. Plus, you'll get a better experience in apps because they're all optimized for a wider screen.

Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open form factor

The leak shows a purported image of the Fold 6 sporting a larger exterior screen, more similar to the one we have on the Pixel folding and the OnePlus Open.

An image of a patent suggesting Samsung wants to expand the Fold - will Samsung finally make a foldable that you can also use folded?

An image of a patent suggests Samsung wants to expand the Fold

THE Pixel folding is completely different. It comes with a 5.8″ OLED screen, which is technically smaller than the 6.2″ size of the Galaxy Fold 4, but in reality, due to its larger dimensions, you can comfortably use the screen. Pixel folding without unfolding.

I don't know about you, but at least half the time I check my phone is for notifications or something else that literally takes a second, and in those cases I don't need to worry about opening the phone. THE Pixel folding works with me here, while I always feel like I'm fighting against the Galaxy Fold and its odd size in these cases.

The Pixel Fold in Table mode

You understand the gist. I don't want to say that everyone will be happy if the Fold appears with a new exterior screen. But many will be. A larger outer screen also means a comfortable Flex mode (Flex mode is the same as Table mode on the Pixel, essentially using the bottom half of the phone as a tripod or keyboard, and the top part of the screen as a display. Like a miniature laptop, but more sophisticated), because it gives you more space to operate and reduces the chances of tapping on something you didn't intend to.

THE OnePlus Open has a similar form factor to the Pixel. It once again sports a larger exterior screen, which you can use for many everyday things, just like a regular phone.

The OnePlus Open and its cover screen

To summarize, if Samsung has decided to go the route of a larger exterior screen, you will benefit from the following benefits of the “redesigned” Fold 6:

The outer screen is more comfortable to type on because it is wider and the keyboard is not as narrow
Videos are more enjoyable to watch on it
Apps will look better (they won't need to be optimized to run on a larger, narrower screen)
Flex mode is improved with more space for commands and actions

Of course, we also have the largest internal screen to use. But many times, when we run around in our daily lives, we don't have time to use the larger screen, or it's not comfortable (imagine having to respond to a message in a crowded subway, for example). example, and you had to unfold the display). The large internal screen is intended more for when you're working or being creative, not when you're on the go.

Overall, the Fold's large screen doesn't really give you a choice of which display to use: you have to unfold the phone to type faster, for example. But a larger screen gives you a choice: to unfold or not to unfold, basically. And as I like to say, it's better to have a choice than no choice. And isn't that foldable phone that's all ?