Apple’s foldable iPhone could Be compact by design, not by compromise

Apple iPhone

Apple’s long-rumoured foldable iPhone may surprise many with its size. Contrary to expectations of a large, phone-first device, recent reports suggest Apple is intentionally heading in a more compact direction, and the decision appears to be rooted in how the company wants the device to be used rather than any technical limitation.

According to a report from The Information, the outer display on Apple’s book-style foldable iPhone could measure around 5.3 inches. That would make it smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the iPhone mini, a model Apple discontinued in 2022 due to weak demand. On paper, this sounds counterintuitive, especially for a premium device expected to cost anywhere between $2,000 and $2,500. But when viewed through the lens of foldable design trade-offs, the choice starts to make sense.

In a book-style foldable, the proportions of the outer and inner displays are tightly linked. A taller, more phone-like outer screen usually results in a squarer inner display once unfolded. That shape can be awkward for common tasks such as watching videos, browsing the web, or running two apps side by side. By contrast, a more rectangular inner display that supports comfortable multitasking often forces compromises on the outer screen, either making it wider and harder to grip or smaller and less conventional.

Reports suggesting Apple is targeting a roughly 4:3 aspect ratio for the inner display point clearly towards the latter approach. A 4:3 unfolded screen closely matches the proportions Apple already uses on the iPad. This would allow Apple to reuse and adapt many of its existing multitasking features, including Split View and other iPad-style layouts, with fewer compromises. In this scenario, the unfolded state becomes the primary mode of use, effectively turning the device into a compact, ultra-portable iPad rather than an oversized iPhone.

This design philosophy also explains why the outer display may be smaller than those found on rival foldables. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series and Google’s Pixel Fold models both use large cover screens that function as full smartphones in their own right. Apple appears to be taking a different path. With a smaller outer display, the folded iPhone would be better suited for quick interactions such as notifications, short replies, or basic navigation, while encouraging users to unfold the device for anything more involved.

That approach would mark a clear departure from the rest of the foldable market. Instead of treating the cover display as the main screen, Apple may be positioning it as a secondary interface. This aligns closely with Apple’s broader product design history, where the company often prioritises a single, clearly defined core experience rather than trying to make every mode equally capable.

There are, however, practical limits to how far software can compensate for size. Typing, browsing, and using third-party apps on a 5.3-inch display will inevitably feel more constrained than on larger foldable cover screens. This is where comparisons to the iPhone mini become unavoidable. The key difference, of course, is that the foldable iPhone would offer a dramatically larger screen once opened, something the mini never attempted to do.

Ultimately, the reported dimensions suggest Apple is betting that users will judge the device by its unfolded experience rather than its folded one. If customers come to see it less as a large iPhone and more as a pocketable iPad that happens to fold shut, the smaller outer display starts to feel like a deliberate and even logical choice.

Whether that bet pays off will depend on how convincingly Apple can communicate and deliver that vision. If the inner display excels at multitasking and app compatibility, the design trade-offs may feel justified. If not, the compact outer screen could quickly become a point of friction for a device carrying such a high price tag.