Android Foldables May Follow Apple's Wider iPhone Duo, Android Authority Says

Android Authority noted that Apple's moves into new product categories or design directions are often followed by Android brands. It pointed to the super-thin iPhone Air rumors, after which Samsung entered the category with the Galaxy S25 Edge last year, and to rumors that the Galaxy S27 Ultra redesign is heavily inspired by the iPhone. The article also said that after Apple introduced Liquid Glass with iOS 26, most major Android OEMs except Google added similar glassy and translucent elements to their Android skins.

That pattern is expected to repeat with the iPhone Duo, the article said. The question is less whether Android manufacturers will adopt wider foldables and more when they will do so. Samsung has already moved to a much wider form factor with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which Android Authority said looks quite similar to the iPhone Duo when unfolded. A recent leak of the Razr Flex also suggests Motorola is preparing to enter the wider foldable market, according to the article.

The article's author said years of using foldable phones, including the original Google Pixel Fold, the crease-less OPPO Find N6 launched earlier this year, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8, have made the traditional tall-and-narrow design difficult to return to. On such devices, the cover display is usually too narrow for comfortable typing, apps can feel cramped, and the inner display is often taller than it is wide. Rather than feeling like a tablet, the article said, it can feel like two phones placed side by side, and many Android apps still do not scale well to that shape.

Wider foldables are not perfect, Android Authority said. They are less convenient for tasks such as answering a call on the cover screen. But the author said typing on a wider cover display has been a relief and, in an odd way, recalls the BlackBerry era. A wider inner display also makes more sense for watching video because it produces less letterboxing, leaving smaller black bars above and below content and using more of the large screen.

Android Authority argued that Android foldables are well positioned to adopt the wider design because they often offer more than Apple in the same category or price bracket. The iPhone Duo is described as impressive, with Apple apparently solving some of the biggest foldable problems, including the crease, and offering proper IP68 dust and water resistance. But the article listed shortcomings: no telephoto camera, which means no dedicated optical zoom lens, and a body that is quite thick and heavy for a modern foldable.

Android foldables have matured nicely over the past few years and address some of those shortcomings, the article said. Xiaomi has already launched an iPhone Duo competitor, the Xiaomi 18 Fold, which fits a dedicated telephoto camera. OPPO showed months before Apple, with the Find N6, that an almost crease-free foldable is possible. The article concluded that for probably the first time in years, Android brands copying Apple's direction with the iPhone Duo would be a great thing.

Editor's Summary

Apple has entered the foldable market with the wider iPhone Duo, and Android Authority expects Android manufacturers to follow that design direction. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and a leaked Motorola Razr Flex already point to wider foldables, while models such as the Xiaomi 18 Fold and OPPO Find N6 show how Android makers could combine the form factor with features Apple's device lacks. The article argues that copying Apple's wider design would be a welcome change for Android foldables.