Samsung Galaxy Fold outer screen: a brief historical overview
The Z Fold 5 outer screen (cover display)
But what do these numbers actually mean? All in all, the display aspect ratio denotes the proportional relationship between the width and the height. I’ll avoid the math and how this is calculated and I’ll jump straight into real life.
Here’s for visualization:
Do we want tall and elegant or wider but comfy?
I didn’t like my Z Fold 3 or 4 because of the narrow aspect ratio of the outer screen. Yea, it was easy to hold in one hand, but everything looked off on it and typing was hard for me.It made me feel like I absolutely needed to open them to actually have a good experience and I didn’t like that it felt like a tablet first that could fold up.
The front screen is too small for videos.
Its not just videos though, many apps aren’t optimised for such narrow screens, keyboard is kinda too cramped too.
That said, the external screen isn’t the most comfortable thing to dual-thumb type on. And if you slap a case on it, letters near the edge of the screen require concentrated effort to hit correctly. The problem is further emphasized if you choose to use gestures for navigation — trying to swipe in 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, found that typing on a narrow and tall screen is a bit hard
Of course, for many that isn’t a deal breaker, but what if Samsung could make the outer screen even more comfortable to use? Typing on a wider screen would feel less cramped, and you won’t have to open the Fold each time when you need to chat or watch a video. Also, you’d get a better experience in apps, as all of them are optimized for a wider screen anyway.
Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open form factor
The leak shows an alleged image of the Fold 6 sporting a wider outer screen, more like the one we have on the Pixel Fold and the OnePlus Open.
An image from a patent suggesting Samsung is interested in making the Fold wider
I don’t know about you, but at least half the time I check my phone, it’s for notifications or something else that literally takes a second, and in those cases, I don’t need to be bothered to open the phone. The Pixel Fold works with me here, while I always feel like I am fighting the Galaxy Fold and its weird size in those cases.
The Pixel Fold in Tabletop mode
You get the gist. I don’t mean that everyone will be pleased if the Fold shows up wearing a new outer display. But, many will be. A wider outer screen also means comfortable Flex mode as well (Flex mode is the same as Tabletop mode on the Pixel, basically using the lower half of the phone as a tripod or a keyboard, and the top part of the display as a display. Like, a miniature laptop, but fancier), as it gives you more space to tap and lowers the chance you tap on something you didn’t intend to.
The OnePlus Open has a similar form factor to the Pixel. It’s again sporting a wider outer display, which you can use for many everyday things, just like a regular phone.
The OnePlus Open and it’s cover display
To summarize, if Samsung has decided to go the route of the wider outer screen, you will be getting the following benefits from the ‘redesigned’ Fold 6:
- Outer screen is more comfortable to type as its wider and the keyboard not as cramped
- Videos are nicer to watch on it
- Apps will look better (they won’t have to be optimized to run on a taller and narrower screen)
- Flex mode is improved with more space for controls and actions
Of course, we also have the bigger internal display to use. But many times as we run around through our daily lives, we don’t have time to use the bigger display, or it’s not comfortable (imagine having to reply to a message in a crowded subway, for example, and you have to unfold the display). The big internal display is more for when you’re working, or being creative, and not when running out and about.
All in all, the tall screen on the Fold doesn’t really give you a choice which display to use: you have to unfold the phone to type faster, for example. But a wider screen gives you that choice – to unfold or not to unfold, basically. And as I like to say, having choice is better than no choice. And isn’t that what a foldable phone is all about?
