Another major Android brand is gearing up to launch a wide candy-bar phone. According to the latest rumors, Xiaomi is working on a non-folding phone with similar screen dimensions to the cover display of the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Xiaomi to launch wide candy-bar phone
Xiaomi is allegedly working on a wide-screen slab phone. | Image by Weibo
The latest brand to hop on the newest wide-screen trend seems to be Xiaomi. According to prolific Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station, the smartphone manufacturer is developing a wide-screen-ratio non-folding phone.
The tipster posted on Weibo that a certain Android brand is getting a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Normally, these scanners are reserved for foldables, as placing an optical or ultrasonic fingerprint scanner under the flexible inner screen is not viable at the moment, but in this case, the leaker specifically notes that the phone is not a foldable.
Xiaomi wide phone specs and features
Digital Chat Station didn't share much detail about the upcoming phone, besides that side-mounted fingerprint scanner, but we can deduce some of the specs.
Given that the company recently launched the Xiaomi 18 Fold, it's safe to assume that this new wide non-folding model could use a similar screen to the cover panel of the 18 Fold. Xiaomi's latest iPhone Duo competitor features a 5.38-inch cover screen with an aspect ratio close to 3:2.
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As for specs such as chipset, camera system, and battery, it's anyone's guess at the moment. But this wide-screen trend is getting stronger.
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Do you think this wide-screen form factor trend will stick, or is it just a phase?
Not the first wide-screen candy-bar
Huawei was the first brand to test the wide-screen non-folding form factor with the Pura X View. | Image by Huawei
Huawei was the first Chinese company to test the smartphone waters with a wide non-folding phone. The company launched the Huawei Pura X View, which broke several records in the first week of its debut, selling more than 280,000 units in just five days.
Oppo is also expected to join the wide-screen trend with its own model — the Oppo Reno X. This wide candy-bar is rumored to feature two 200 MP cameras on its back, suggesting flagship specs and a premium price tag.
Vivo and Honor are allegedly also working on their own interpretations of this new form factor, and we might be witnessing a shift in smartphone design.
The era of the wide-screen slab phone is nigh (welcome back, Phablet!)
Could we see a wider version of the iPhone? Why not! | Image by Apple stretched
Everything new is a well-forgotten old, as the proverb goes. The iPhone Duo and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 gave birth to a completely new form factor, and many companies decided to explore the non-folding version.
To be completely fair, Huawei was the first big brand to launch a wide-screen foldable, and also the first to test the non-folding variant with the Pura X View.
As this new form factor is getting more and more popular, we might see a Galaxy S27 Wide or an iPhone Wide sooner rather than later, but many of you still remember the phablet devices from the 2010s.
These big-screen slabs were quite popular, but not the most comfortable devices to use, especially one-handed. That made companies opt for taller and narrower phones to offer a level of one-hand comfort, but it seems that this trend has gone full circle.
My personal experience with these new wider devices is a mixed bag. The iPhone Duo is uncomfortable to use folded, as is the Galaxy Z Fold 8. I haven't tried any of the wide slab phones yet, but I suspect the user experience will be very similar.
What do you think of the wide-screen trend? Do you think it will stick or that it's just a phase?
Read more news about the 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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