The wide-screen slab phone is coming back! This all started with the new wide-fold form factor. It was actually Huawei that pioneered the new design with the Pura X earlier this year, and the big guys hopped on that train with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the iPhone Duo.
But the most interesting thing happened afterward. These wide fold devices gave companies a crazy idea. Why not offer a wide-screen non-folding phone? It was again Huawei that explored this opportunity with the Pura X View, and it seems that this new design is going to stick.
Reception of the wide slab phone has been overwhelmingly positive
Poll
1086 Votes
What do you think of this wide, non-folding form factor?
Not only did the Pura X View crush sales, managing to move 250,000 units in just four days, but people seem genuinely interested in this new form factor. We asked our readers what they think of the new wide-screen non-folding form factor, and the results were surprising.
Almost half of the 1,000+ voters said they want to try it, and another 18% voted that they thought it was great. That's a healthy interest toward the return of the phablet. To be fair, one-quarter of the voters said this form factor looked uncomfortable. But is everything new just a well-forgotten old?
The Phablet is making a surprise return
Old smartphone trends are coming back. A phablet from the 2010s. | Image by India Today
It's not just our readers. The world seems to like these wide devices, practical or not. China is the early adopter of the novelty, with several brands developing their own renditions of the wide-screen slab phone.
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Oppo is working on a Reno X model featuring a massive 400MP camera system on its back, Honor is also gearing up to launch a wide-screen candy-bar phone, and the latest rumors suggest that Xiaomi has joined the bunch with its own interpretation, sporting the dimensions of a folded Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Some of you might remember the term my colleagues invented back in the 2010s when phone screens started to become massive (by the standards back then). The "phablet" is a composite word from "tablet" and "phone," and it was in use for a couple of years before companies realized these wide devices were pretty difficult to use one-handed.
The wide-screen slab phone may be a mistake
We used to make fun of phablet devices back in the day. | Image by Alphr
I don't want to be a killjoy, but this new form factor is very annoying and impossible to navigate with one hand. I tried the iPhone Duo and it was very awkward in a folded state; the same goes for the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Some of my colleagues have been trying to find positives about all this, but to me, this form factor is a step in the wrong direction.
Now, I haven't tried a wide slab phone yet, as we're trying to source one out of China, but I remember how even "small" phablets felt unmanageable back in 2012. I also don't think our hands have grown significantly enough for us to come back to this form factor.
But the reality is that people are bored with normal tall and narrow smartphones; they all look the same. And we're not talking just in the context of a certain brand. All slab phones go for the camera plateau nowadays, and their overall shape is also very similar, even down to the radius of the corners.
So, people want something different. Whether or not it is better, time will tell.
Read more about this new wide-screen form factor here:
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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