It's unlikely, but could we see Sony's long-rumored foldable Xperia F at MWC?

Apple isn't the only phone manufacturer that has yet to dip a toe in the foldable pool. One such company is Sony and back in 2019, there was speculation that the company was working on a foldable called the Xperia F (for "foldable"). With a rumored 21:9 aspect ratio, it is believed that Sony's first foldable will be a clamshell foldable similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Razr+.

As published in Sumaho Digest (via Gizmochina), an alleged Sony insider rattled off some information that might explain why Sony isn't going full speed ahead in the foldables market. This insider reportedly said that it is her determination that 70% of first-time foldable users return to a traditional smartphone with their next purchase. This isn't based on any specific evidence that she has and is not officially Sony's position on the matter.

Still, the Sony insider says that if she is correct, the penetration of foldables in the global smartphone market should start to decline following the initial surge in foldables that we have witnessed over the last few years. If this data is legit, in the short term, foldable smartphone sales will continue to grow but will eventually decline as many of those who try them return to the traditional form factor with their next phone.

The rumored Sony Xperia F is believed to sport a 7-inch 4K resolution display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. That would make the internal display slightly wider than the 22:9 screens on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Razr+. 

Clamshell foldables are very popular as the Galaxy Z Flip models have been the most popular foldable phones over the last three years. Rumors also suggest that to attract buyers in what is becoming a very competitive sector for the smartphone market, Sony might add some gaming capabilites to the Xperia F.

Sony has traditionally unveiled handsets at MWC and is expected to introduce some new handsets on February 26th in Barcelona. Could we see the foldable Xperia F introduced then? So far there haven't been any renders or leaks of such a device, but there are still three weeks to go before Sony is expected to hold its MWC event. Keep your fingers crossed.