- Wider foldable Samsung rumored to be in development
- The first builds of One UI 9 may have given us our first look
- Both this phone and the iPhone Fold will arrive in 2026
There have been repeated rumors that Samsung will launch a larger version of the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 to directly take on the iPhone Fold, and we may now get our first look at its design, courtesy of One UI 9.
Builds for Samsung’s major 2026 software update were recently leaked and the Android Authority team found an interesting animation hidden in the code. It shows what appears to be a book-style foldable with wider screens than the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
The animation also matches the codenames associated with this foldable phone, so these are likely the dimensions and aspect ratios we can expect. We also take a brief look at the software design and the screen unlocking process.
At the moment it is not clear when this “wide fold” could see the light. He The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is due in July, if Samsung sticks to its normal schedule, so any variations on that model may appear a couple of months later.
Battle of the folding
Samsung Wide Fold 5.4″/7.6″ 4:3 iPhone Fold 5.35″/7.58″ 4:3 pic.twitter.com/9hWLKMIym1December 24, 2025
So why isn’t the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 the direct competitor of the iPhone Fold? Why is this “wide fold” also necessary? Well, the idea is that Apple’s foldables will have wider screens than the conventional book-style foldables on the market today.
In other words, the phone will be more square in shape when closed and wider when open. That means we could be in line for a significant battle between Apple and Samsung later this year, with both devices arriving sometime during 2026.
Of course, we now also have the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold in mind, which means there are even more options for those who want their foldable screens to be even bigger, although that phone is very expensive and very hard to get at the moment.
All of this is not confirmed or official for now, although there is increasing evidence that Samsung will launch more foldables than normal this year; Apparently, Apple is also thinking about introducing a clamshell-style foldable.
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