Samsung’s theme this year reflects that bigger is better if you do it right, as is so with the release of the Galaxy Z TriFold. The phone sold out again in under ten minutes after they restocked recently, despite costing $2,900 for the 512GB model.
If you missed it last week, the brand has confirmed a wider Galaxy Z Fold model. Early One UI 9 builds revealed official animations for the Wide Fold design tied to the codename H8.
Fold Wide 8 looks more like a tablet than predecessors
Android Authority discovered a wider Galaxy Z Fold hiding inside an early One UI 9 build, which is based on Android 17. While digging through leaked system files, they found official setup animations.
It showed a foldable with a noticeably broader design than the current model. The files were tied to the codename H8, which had already been linked to a rumored “Wide” Fold (SM-F971U).
Frankly, the render doesn't tell much about the upcoming phone, other than… er… well, it's going to be wide. It shows a foldable device opened flat, but the proportions do appear more tablet-like than before, rather than tall and narrow.
The bezels appear evenly spaced, and the UI panels are spread out more horizontally. There're visible visible camera cutouts on the outer display, and the right inner display.
Electronic Times (ETNews) did mention last month that Samsung plans to produce one million units of the Wide Fold. They say it will have a 7.6-inch foldable OLED display when opened with 4:3 aspect ratio, and a 5.4-inch outer display.
Wide Fold may arrive in Q3 of 2026
Last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7 got aggressive discounts recently, although the promotion has ended. It's telling that the Z Fold 8’s launch is closer than we think. It's customary for brands to boost quarterly revenue before a refresh, afterall. Although “sooner” could mean 4–6 months, not weeks.
Samsung was offering $400 off the Galaxy Z Fold 7's base retail price of $1,200 in the USA without a trade-in.
It's unlikely we'll see the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide at the Unpacked event. But word on the street is it'll launch in the third quarter (Q3) at the Galaxy Z series Unpacked event, alongside the Fold 8 and Flip 8. Basically, late July or early August 2026.
February 25 packs plenty of promises for Samsung's future. The event has been confirmed to be held in San Francisco.
Based on leaks and promotional hints, the spotlight will likely be on the Galaxy S26 lineup, including the S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra. There's a slight display bump for the base model rumored, and battery increase to 4,300mAh, among other minor upgrades.
If you haven't already, enter the Samsung Gulf contest to win a Galaxy S25 FE and Galaxy Watch 8. Comment your predictions on what will be announced at the Unpacked event via the social media accounts. Then use the hashtag #GalaxyUnpacked in your comment.
If you're right, you'll win the Galaxy S25 FE smartphone or Galaxy Watch 8 wearable. You cannot exchange them for another device or for cash. Also, you must live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, or Oman.
