The First Wide Foldable Is Here: How Huawei Outpaced Apple And Samsung

InnovationConsumer TechThe First Wide Foldable Is Here: How Huawei Outpaced Apple And SamsungByDavid Phelan,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about lifestyle techFollow AuthorApr 22, 2026, 07:00am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Huawei Pura X MaxHuaweiIf you’ve kept away from folding phones because the unfolded shape isn’t great-looking because it lacks the proportions of a tablet, Huawei has just launched the Pura X Max, the first phone that’s so wide when folded, it’s a proper tablet shape when opened. Its launch beats Apple and Samsung to the punch. Huawei Pura X MaxHuaweiIt unveiled the Pura X Max in China and it’s already available to buy there. It’s not the first wide phone — Microsoft released the Surface Duo in 2020 but that was made up of twin screens rather than one flexible display. And the passport shape is nothing new: BlackBerry even released a model called the Passport because it exactly matched the shape and size of a paper passport. That 2014 phone had a QWERTY keyboard at the base of the display, and it didn’t fold. Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold also opened out to be a tablet shape, thanks to its two-fold design, but that’s already sold out and unavailable to buy. And it wasn’t wide when it was folded shut.Huawei Pura X MaxHuaweiMORE FOR YOUThe Shift To Wide: Challenging Apple And SamsungHowever, Huawei’s launch of the Pura X Max begins the move to wider foldables, a design that it’s thought is already enchanting designers at both Apple and Samsung. The Samsung wide phone could launch as soon as August, followed just weeks later by the iPhone Fold (which may be called the iPhone Ultra).The Huawei design is noticeably different from rivals, with a squat shape because of its width when closed. There’s a 5.4-inch cover display that opens to a 7.7-inch internal screen. Huawei’s Triple CamerasThe rear of t...