iPhone Fold screen may wrap around the case

So we swap the crease for scratches, cracks and oily thumb prints....highly unlikely.
I'm not convinced Apple will launch a foldable either, by the time they're ready, the fad will be over in China, just as it's over in the Western world.

I hope not. That’s a stupid idea. Huawei tried that for their first model and it was mocked and a failure. There’s no easy way to protect a folding screen.

In a long line of bad ideas, this one moves to the top. Not only don't we need a phone that's twice as thick as the one we currently have, with a hinge designed to fail as rapidly as possible, but now you tell me they're considering putting the part that scratches the most on the outside? What sentient being thinks this is possibly a good idea?

Not going to happen. 

melgross said:

I hope not. That’s a stupid idea. Huawei tried that for their first model and it was mocked and a failure. There’s no easy way to protect a folding screen.

It's not a stupid idea, nor was it mocked (at least by most reviewers - though some will mock anything for a click). 

Mate X:

"The Huawei Mate X might be the first foldable phone you seriously consider paying gobs of money for in 2019. Its solid-feeling hinge allows this handset to fold up, transforming from full 8-inch tablet into a more-traditional-looking 6.6-inch and 6.38-inch smartphone with a screen on either side. It feels like you're holding the future in your hand, just know that your transformative euphoria over this phone comes at a very high price."

Mate Xs:

"A foldable phone that expands into a tablet has been thought of as the next form factor for mobile devices. Huawei has thrown conventional design out of the window with Mate Xs by placing the foldable screen on the outside and we think this design makes great sense as you're not stuck with a secondary smaller display"

Mate Xs2:

"This unique, wraparound foldable design opens up a wealth of advantages, showcased by the Mate Xs 2's predecessor. These include a thinner body, a larger tablet screen, and a comfortable front display when in smartphone mode. That's versus the hyper-tall 25:9 cover screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Z Fold 3 that's super-narrow."

(All comments from Tech Radar). 

It is an idea that, like most folding options, has pros and cons. 

You protect a folding screen by looking after it. You protect an outer folding screen by taking extra care. Especially given the asking price. 

Even slab phones are used in pouches and users slip them in and out. They are perfect for 'outside screen' folders.

The main advantages are, ehem, twofold. 

Less screens on device and and a thinner overall design. 

In the case of the above mentioned Huawei variants, most of the hardware is placed in a balanced 'grip'. A single strip that allows the rest of the phone to be extra thin. 

And don't forget the model mentioned here is the XS2. The third model  of the design.

It's all a question of options. How many types of folding options are there? Or you fold 'in' or you fold 'out' (although tri-folding phones are coming, it seems). That is it. 

Huawei has brought both types to market. 

If you fold 'in' you need an extra screen. If you don't fold in, you don't, but the tradeoff is the screen is less protected. Let's forget for a moment that phones that fold 'in' also have that extra screen facing down on a surface when it gets fully opened. 

I will mention though that the frames are designed so as to keep the screens off of flat surfaces. 

That does not eliminate the tradeoff completely. 

You choose what you prefer based on your needs/preferences/budget...