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Hmm, you do have a few valid points.

For me, the Fold 7 does look nice. Albeit, I am not a social media user (X, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky), and would only really benefit when watching YouTube (which I do quite often).

For the moment, I am still on the fence. I suppose, time will tell...

I don’t use social media either. For me, the benefit comes from websites that don’t format well to mobile and video content. This is where the iPhone Fold could be better than the Fold 7… The Fold 7 has a near square aspect ratio inner display that from what I have experienced with the pixel 9 pro fold, has similar format issues to mobile as it’s a non standard aspect ratio.

The iPhone Fold is rumored to have an aspect ratio similar to an iPad so it should function very similarly to an iPad… Apple is prioritizing the inner display functionality over having the outer display feel like a normal phone.
 
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As a current 16 Pro Max user, the height of the folding iPhone will be such a great change. Lord do I hate reaching up on my current iPhone.
After using iOS 26 for a week, I'm realizing that a lot of their push to hide or reduce navigation on scroll is likely related to this new form factor having a shorter screen.

On current hardware it feels like a bad tradeoff. But here it might be more valuable to feeling like the shorter screen is more usable.
 
I gotta say, I think Apple is onto something here… Unfolded feels just like an iPad Mini. I’ll gladly take the more square folded state for this iPad like unfolded layout.

iPhone 16e for comparison.

IMG_1532.jpeg


IMG_5815.jpeg
 
Even in its folded state it's going to be awesome. You'll be able to reach the top easily (remember those days?!?!) and that super wide screen will be a pleasure to type on.

I am so very hyped for this device.
 
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Even in its folded state it's going to be awesome. You'll be able to reach the top easily (remember those days?!?!) and that super wide screen will be a pleasure to type on.

I am so very hyped for this device.
I have mixed feelings about the front screen. Right now I have a Pro Max which I can’t reach the top nor the far left side (using right hand) with one hand, even using a phone grip. I can use Reachability as a somewhat passable workaround to reach the top, but there’s no software help to reach the far left side so I have to do difficult hand gymnastics when using my phone one-handed (sometimes rotating my phone in my hand 90 degrees). The shorter screen of the foldable would totally solve the reaching top problem, but it’s supposed to be even (slightly) wider than the Pro Max which will make it even more difficult to reach the far left side. I’m hoping Apple implements a horizontal Reachability to help me reach the far side.
For typing, I always use the Quickpath keyboard which doesn’t benefit from a wider screen. I actually use the squished right-hand keyboard on my Pro Max because I usually swipe with one hand.

That said, I don’t think there’s a perfect size/ratio for a book style folding phone for me. The rumored size/ratio is probably the best option.
 
Great thread!

@iZac and @kaplag, you're both wizards as far as I am concerned. So many people are hoping for a Galaxy Fold form factor, whereas I am with both of you in loving the mini phones. I hadn't heard of the Pura X until this thread, but I'm in love with it, and hope these rumors (and your concepts!) hold true.

I hate the larger size phones Apple is throwing at us, and as such the foldable/inside screen aspect of a folding phone don't really serve me any. I guess I've been maybe thinking an iPad would be fun, so that would pretend as my iPad. I'm sold on this thing if only for that outside screen. We need smaller phones.

I'm humbled that so many of you are suggesting MacRumours use my renders, I'd just be happy if they did their own with the rumoured sizes in mind - anything to stop them using the dodgy one they have that's completely the wrong size.
Haha, a friend and I got into it a while ago because MacRumors has terrible renders. They've improved a little since then, but they're still pretty had to look at more often than not. I'd gladly take these over theirs. I parrot what you've been saying, their foldable renders are just generic wish casting and don't really support the leaks. I highly implore @Joe Rossignol to take a look at this thread and the supporting leaks, and preferably, forward it to whomever is doing the renders.

Awesome file @Zackmd1! I've got a version printing now and will be done in 4 hours, then I gotta print the next.
 
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Nice to see other people excited for a folding iPhone! And I agree with everyone wishing these news sites would use iZac's renders which are way more accurate.

The new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 keynote yesterday answered some questions I had worried about for the Fold. How do you handle portrait vs. landscape camera sensors on the back of the phone when it changes orientation? Well now with their new square selfie cameras that crop to either mode, I could totally see them bringing an evolved version of that to use as the rear cameras.

And after seeing the plateau on the iPhone air, it has me thinking if they widened it they would totally have room for 2 cameras just like in the fold rumors. Plus the fact they were able to bring the A19 Pro to the iPhone Air and get similar battery life to the 16 Pro, It's all looking good for the future of the iPhone Fold.

The rounded sides on the Air would also probably come to the fold too. I been watching a lot of Galaxy Fold 7 review videos and a common complaint I saw was that it was hard to open because the hinge was stiffer but also because the sides are completely flat. One reviewer even mentioned needing fingernails to get enough purchase to open the Fold 7. I'm thinking rounded edges would totally be easier to open and Apple's always been pretty good about the feel of things like hinges, for example the macbook air m2 being able to be opened with 1 hand while flat on a table, can't do that with a lot of laptops in the same weight class. Just hope the price isn't tooo insane. And I hope app developers give some love to the new shorter screen size and that apple figure out the keyboard in a satisfying way.

One thing that I haven't really seen talked about was how on every foldable there's a raised frame on the folding screen. The hubbub is about how apple is getting rid of the crease but what about the raised bezel present on every foldable to this day? I would imagine the swipe up gesture being annoying having that popped out frame where it is. I feel like this is a technical limitation because of how folding screens work but could be cool if Apple or anyone figured out how to make a folding screen without the raised bezel.
 
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