On the hands of the folding iPhone dummy: The internal and external screens have the same 3:2 ratio, the volume button is placed in a reasonable position

Today I had the opportunity to try out a model that is said to be Apple's folding iPhone and place it next to the Galaxy Z Fold8 I use every day. Although this is just a model and the final commercial design is still a big question mark, when I directly hold and observe closely, I see that this device has very interesting approaches, especially the way Apple calculates the screen ratio and button placement. Video here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19JDHgQJZE/ All opinions in this article are my speculations based on this dummy version, which may be different from the official version released next month.

3:2 screen ratio is consistent inside and out

When I put this model into the scanner to measure the display ratio, the thing that surprised me the most was that both the external screen and the opened screen had almost the same ratio, about 3:2.

From my personal perspective, the 3:2 ratio is a very good move. Compared to the 4:3 ratio or traditional long ratios, 3:2 has a slightly wider width, helping to display today's entertainment content very balanced. When you watch horizontal videos or vertical videos in 16:9 format, this 3:2 ratio will help minimize the excess black borders at the edges, providing a wider viewing space, that's what I'm imagining.

Most important is the seamlessness of the visual experience. Normally, when you are surfing and reading a news page on the external screen and then turn on the device to continue reading on the large screen inside, our eyes will not need to take time to adapt to a completely different aspect ratio. What I find better is that if Apple makes the ratio the same from the outside to the inside, it will be easier for them to set a ratio standard for the application, from there it will be easier for app makers to optimize the app for the folding iPhone or iPhone Ultra, that's all I think.

The location of the volume button is very reasonable

A small but extremely valuable ergonomic detail that I find on this model is that the two volume up and down buttons are moved to the top edge of the device.

When experiencing current folding phones, I sometimes still have difficulty repositioning the volume button every time I turn the camera to different angles. If Apple really puts this key cluster on the top of the device like on the folding iPhone model, adjustment operations will become much more convenient. Whether you hold the phone with one hand on the outside screen or open the inside screen completely to work, your fingers can reach the button very naturally without having to change your holding position.

Characteristic curved lines and camera cluster

In terms of overall design, the size of this model is quite similar to the Z Fold8. However, instead of making the edges evenly square, Apple still seems to want to retain the familiar four-cornered curved language that has appeared throughout the iPad, MacBook or AirPods. When the device is folded in half, the edges on both sides may not look perfectly symmetrical. I hope Apple will do something so it doesn't get bumpy like this dummy version.

The back of this model has a dual camera cluster, I guess there will be a wide angle and a super wide angle, quite similar to previous leaked sources. On the inside screen, it seems to retain the front camera to serve FaceTime video calling needs. Even though I know this camera is necessary for work, I personally still hope that in the future the internal screen can be completely flat and optimized for the most complete content viewing experience.

In short...

Overall, this folding iPhone model gives me a feeling of excitement because it brings a fresh breeze in design, looking forward to next month. The calculation of the 3:2 screen ratio and smart button placement makes me feel that Apple is still very good at hardware design (if the iPhone actually folds like this model). How do you like this layout of Apple? Please comment...

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