Rumors about a folding-iPhone circulated recently after analyst Ming Chi-Kuo suggested that a device a bit larger than the iPhone 12 Pro Max will go on sale in 2023. However, as 9to5 Mac noted, we still don’t know one crucial bit of information – how it will actually fold.
But there are two different ways of designing a folding iPhone that opens up to reveal an 8-inch display. First, there is a vertical fold, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. What you get there is a device slim enough to fit into a jacket pocket, which then opens up into a rather wide iPad mini-like display. The alternative is a horizontal fold, like the 2019 Motorola Razr. What that gives you is a super-pocketable device that opens up into an even larger Pro Max – creating more vertical space rather than more horizontal room.