Ask any Galaxy Z Fold owner and they will tell you what makes Samsung's notebook-style foldable phone different from others Its odd aspect ratio makes it feel much narrower in the hand when closed than a standard slate phone However, the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 could see a major design refresh

Rumors of a major redesign were widespread even before the Z Fold 5 was released last summer, but a new tip from tipster source Ice Universe suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is still the case Specifically, this reliable source claims that the foldable will adopt a more square aspect ratio on its inner display, which would essentially change the overall form factor of the foldable

Samsung has dominated the field for years, consistently releasing the best foldable phones that put their closest competitors to shame Last year, however, we witnessed a sudden change that exposed Samsung's complacency

The switch to a relatively square aspect ratio is good news for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 The reasons for this are as follows [It was absolutely difficult to handle the 231:9 aspect ratio of the Z Fold 5's cover screen display, from typing on the screen to reaching into any of the four corners If the Z Fold 6 has a wider cover screen as a result of the square aspect ratio of the inner display, then having a foldable would feel more natural

As we can see from other foldable devices that look square when unfolded, such as the OnePlus Open and Google Pixel Fold, the display aspect ratios are 10758:1 and 6:5, respectively Even with the outer screen, typing on the keyboard is easier because the layout is less cramped, especially when you are tapping furiously on the screen with both thumbs

Another reason to change to a square aspect ratio is that the Z Fold 6 could be thinner For years we have accepted the Z Fold line as the de facto standard for notebook-style foldable phone design, but the OnePlus Open redefines it by flaunting an ultra-thin design at 046 inches folded

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 will trim even more fat by ditching its predecessor's current design Stretching the design to accommodate a more square-looking aspect ratio could result in a skinnier Galaxy Z Fold 6 with better weight distribution This is mainly due to the huge size camera hump on the back that we noted in our review of the OnePlus Open, which makes it feel top-heavy

Of course, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 reportedly will have a similar camera arrangement to the previous model, so there isn't a very noticeable hump on the back

And finally, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 may improve its ability to handle multiple apps simultaneously with the implementation of multitasking Split screens have worked effectively on Samsung's past foldables, but could be enhanced by a square aspect ratio on the inner screen

We praised OnePlus Open for nearly perfecting multitasking with the Open Canvas feature, which dynamically extends running apps beyond what the inner screen can display This is a nifty way to display multitasking on a folding phone, but Samsung could enhance this by seamlessly switching between apps

It will be interesting to see how Samsung evolves this in the Galaxy Z Fold 6, as Open Canvas does not support more than three apps at a time; it is possible to run four apps simultaneously, but this would not only require processing power, but also require those RAM to keep the apps in memory is also needed

These are three major reasons why the change to a square aspect ratio is good news for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but Samsung still has much to do to redeem itself in this area Most notably, the fold in the center of the main display was an eyesore on the Galaxy Z Fold 5

Furthermore, many of the halo features of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will likely tie in in some way with some of the Galaxy AI features already introduced in the Galaxy S24 series, perhaps even exclusively for the company's foldable phones On top of that, its utility could also be amplified by having a dockable S Pen, which Samsung has apparently been working on based on past patents

In any case, Samsung can't afford to repeat last year's second-guessing by choosing to take baby steps with the Z Fold 5