Galaxy Z Fold Wide: In summary
- Samsung is tipped to release a wider foldable in 2026
- Likely to arrive during the 22 July Samsung Unpacked event ahead of the iPhone Ultra foldable
- The squat design more closely resembles a tablet when open
- There could only be two rear-facing cameras
Samsung was the first brand to really go all in on the foldable phone concept, and although there are now plenty of competing (and in some cases, superior) options on the market, the company deserves its due for spearheading the charge to bring foldables into the mainstream. After years of getting accustomed to the Z Fold and Z Flip line-up, Samsung is now looking to bring a third style into the mix that follows a wider form factor.
Known only at this point as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide (or the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide in some circles, depending on whether Sammy uses the generation number), this phone will seemingly launch alongside the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 – set to be the usual July Unpacked event – but instead of having the taller aspect ratio that we’ve all come to expect, it’ll follow a more squat build that’ll make it feel more like a traditional tablet when unfolded.
So far as we can tell, the whole thing has come about as a means of competing more directly with the upcoming iPhone Ultra (aka the iPhone Fold, which Samsung is supplying displays for), Apple’s first folding phone, which is set to release later this year and may also follow a wider form factor.
We now know a fair bit about the Galaxy Z Fold Wide thanks to various leaks and rumours, which we’ve rounded up below along with our expert analysis. We’ll keep updating this page up to the Z Fold Wide’s official announcement.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
When will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide be released?
In summary
- 22 July is the expected launch date
- Multiple rumours suggest this is when the next Unpacked event will take place
- Likely to launch at the same time as the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8
Although it has yet to be officially confirmed, all signs now point towards the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide as being unveiled on 22 July during the next major Samsung Unpacked event.
During this same event, Samsung will also launch the standard Z Fold 8 as well as the more compact Galaxy Z Flip 8. Don’t be too surprised if the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 also makes an appearance, as Samsung does tend to lump these products together during the same event.
There’s even a rumour about Samsung’s very first smart glasses making an appearance during this July Unpacked, so there’s a lot for Samsung fans to get excited about.
Given Samsung’s supposed plans to beat Apple to the punch with its own wide-framed foldable, it makes perfect sense for the Z Fold Wide to be launched around this time as it’ll give the company a sizeable headstart as we anticipate seeing the iPhone Ultra in September.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
For context, here are the release dates of previous phones in the Galaxy Z Fold series:
- Samsung Galaxy Fold – September 2019
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 – September 2020
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 – August 2021
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 – August 2022
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – August 2023
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – July 2024
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 – July 2025
Sources: ET News | Korea Economic TV | Seoul Economic Daily
How much will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide cost?
In summary
- No concrete price details yet
- The phone might be cheaper than the standard Z Fold 8
This is where things get interesting. Even though there are no major rumours floating around about the actual price of the Galaxy Z Fold Wide, we would be surprised if it wasn’t made available as a more affordable alternative to the standard Z Fold 8.
The reason, as far as we can tell, is that Samsung has had to remove a few features from this wider foldable in order to accommodate the different design.
The problem is that, given recent price rises to both the Galaxy S26 range and existing Samsung phones in Korea, including the Z Fold 7, the Z Fold 8 is almost guaranteed to come in at a higher price than its predecessor.
Whether that means the Z Fold Wide then adopts the original £1,799/$1999.99 price of the Z Fold 7 remains to be seen.
To get some idea of the price bracket the Z Fold Wide will be working with, here’s the price history for previous Z Fold handsets:
- Samsung Galaxy Fold – £1,900/$1,980
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 – £1,799/$1,999
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 – £1,599/$1,799
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 – £1,649/$1,799
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – £1,749/$1,799
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – £1,799/$1,899
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 – £1,799/$1,999
What specs and features will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide have?
In summary
- The wide design makes the phone feel more like a traditional tablet
- Likely to have a larger 4800mAh battery
- Faster 45W charging speeds could be on the table
- No telephoto lens, with just two rear-facing cameras
- Could miss out on a 200Mp main camera for a 50Mp alternative
A whole new design philosophy
When the very first rumours of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 began to drop, the existence of a second version quickly became apparent as a prolific tipster spotted the appearance of a Samsung phone on the GSMA product database that hinted at something different than what we’re used to.
The device in question has the model number ‘SM-F971U’ listed, which corresponds with that of previous devices in the line-up (the Z Fold 7 was listed as SM-F966).
Credit: Onleaks, Android Headlines
However, the market name (also known as the codename) is typically listed as a Q, followed by the number of the device in question – the Z Fold 7 was Q7 as an example. This new product is listed as H8, which indicates a deviation from the norm. Since then, we’ve had near enough confirmation of the Fold Wide’s existence through pre-release renders.
These renders show the Z Fold Wide as having a 5.4-inch outer display, which hides a larger 7.6-inch panel within. That’s much squatter than the 8-inch interior display of the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it’ll make the phone feel more like a widescreen tablet when opened. It’s also estimated to be just 4.9mm thick when unfolded, jumping up to 9.8mm when closed.
It’s actually not the first of its kind with the Huawei Pura X Max already official and the likes of Oppo, Vivo and Honor all reportedly working on similar wide models.
Credit: SamMobile
A look into the firmware being developed for the Fold Wide has given us a glimpse of what the new phone might be like to use. With a wider profile on the inner display, apps are laid out more like how they would be on a traditional tablet, unlike the square frame that’s currently occupied by the Z Fold 7. With the wider screen in tow, it isn’t hard to imagine this phone being better suited for streaming films and playing games.
This visual comparison of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold Wide dimensions really helps it hit home just how different the new form factor will be.
Android Headlines
We’ve also heard word that the phone will weigh roughly 200g, which would make it more pocketable than the 215g Galaxy Z Fold 7, but take this particular tidbit with a grain of salt until we know more.
Sources: Smartprix | ET News | Ice Universe | Android Headlines (2) | SamMobile | Techmaniacs
An unfortunate camera downgrade
As eager as we are to get our hands on Samsung’s new foldable, there is one fly in the ointment that may scare off potential adopters. Much like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, the Z Fold Wide will only have two rear-facing cameras, ditching the telephoto lens completely.
Given that foldables have often struggled to compete with the camera set-ups of traditional candybar-style flagship phones, this could be a notable step backwards unless Samsung can deploy some impressive computational processing to pick up the slack.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The situation only gets worse as more recent rumours now have it that the two sensors on the back will be a 50Mp wide and a 50Mp ultra-wide, meaning that the phone will also be ditching the main 200Mp sensor that the Z Fold 7 pinched from the Galaxy S25 Ultra. If this ends up being the case, that’s a pretty paltry excuse for a phone that’s guaranteed to be closer to £2000/$2000.
As much as we envision the wider form factor as being more preferable for certain things like gaming and watching TV, it’s hard to imagine that it’ll have enough of a draw to warrant settling for a worse camera system. If you ask us, it’s starting to feel like the iPhone Air all over again.
Source: Techmaniacs
Improved charging and battery life
At the very least, while the Z Fold Wide’s cameras leave a lot to be desired, there are likely to be a few upgrades in the battery department that should have a positive effect on everyday use. For starters, the battery itself might be a larger 4800mAh cell, which is a notable increase on the 4,400mAh equivalent of the Z Fold 7.
Working in tandem with that increased battery size are faster 45W charging speeds. Samsung has been fairly stingy with battery upgrades in its phones as of late (just look at the virtually unchanged Galaxy S26+) but it’s good to see that that hasn’t been the case here, particularly as foldables need a decent battery life to help you make the most of their larger screens.
Source: Techmaniacs
That’s all we know about the Galaxy Z Fold Wide for now, but as mentioned earlier, we’ll keep our ears to the ground for any more news in the coming days and weeks to keep this article updated.
