The wide foldable format is no longer Huawei's exclusive territory. Fresh leaks from tipsters Smart Pikachu and Guan Tongxue GiM reveal that both Vivo and Honor are developing wide book-style foldables — though neither is expected to arrive this year.
The wide foldable race is officially on.
Key Points
- Tipster Smart Pikachu confirms Vivo X Fold 6 with significantly improved crease performance — and hints Vivo may gradually shift its foldable lineup toward wider book-style designs going forward
- Tipster Guan Tongxue GiM reveals Honor has been working on a wide foldable for a long time — shared an image showing triple rear cameras, a secondary back screen, and a horizontal tablet-like unfolded experience
- Honor's wide foldable is not expected until Q1 2027 — Vivo's timeline for a wide variant is unclear, with no confirmed launch year
- Huawei Pura X Max already launched, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide expected in July, and Apple's first foldable reportedly coming in September — the format is moving from niche to mainstream fast
- Vivo X Fold 6 itself is expected later this year with crease improvements — the wide shift may come in a subsequent generation
Vivo's Direction: Gradual Shift, Not Immediate Jump
Smart Pikachu's leak covers two things. First, the Vivo X Fold 6 arriving later this year brings meaningful crease improvements — a persistent complaint about the X Fold series since launch. Second, and more strategically significant, Vivo is reportedly moving toward wide book-style foldable designs as a direction for the lineup going forward.
That framing — "gradually shift" — is important. The X Fold 6 itself may not be wide. The wide format likely arrives in a subsequent model. Smart Pikachu specifically flagged the device for users who prefer large foldables, which reads as a signal that the wider aspect ratio is coming but not necessarily first.
Crease improvement alone would be a meaningful upgrade for the X Fold series. A future wide variant on top of that positions Vivo to compete directly with the Pura X Max and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide.
Honor's Wide Foldable — Triple Cameras and a Back Screen
The Honor leak is more visually specific. Guan Tongxue GiM shared an image revealing the design direction — a wide form factor with a triple rear camera setup and a secondary display on the back panel. When unfolded, the device offers a horizontal tablet-like orientation rather than the tall portrait layout of conventional book foldables.
The secondary back screen is an interesting addition. Huawei's Pura X Max went without one — Honor appears to be keeping it as a differentiator. Combined with triple cameras and a wide inner display, the device sounds more ambitious than a simple form factor copy.
Q1 2027 is the expected window. That gives Honor time to refine the design while watching how the Pura X Max and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide perform in the market.
Why Everyone Is Going Wide
The wide foldable format addresses the main criticism of book-style phones — tall, narrow inner displays that feel more like stretched phones than genuine tablets. A wider aspect ratio when folded produces a near-square inner display when open, which suits split-screen multitasking, video, and creative apps far better than a tall panel.
Huawei proved the concept commercially with the Pura X Max selling out on launch day. Samsung, Apple, Vivo, and Honor are all drawing the same conclusion from that data.
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