Samsung Is Launching Two Fold Phones in 2026 - Here's Everything We Know
Samsung isn't just refreshing its foldable lineup this year — it's expanding it.
Alongside the expected Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8, Samsung is reportedly preparing an entirely new foldable: the Galaxy Wide Fold. It's shorter, wider, and designed with a near-square display that looks more like a tablet than a phone when unfolded.
Both the Z Fold 8 and Wide Fold are expected to launch at Samsung's summer Galaxy Unpacked event in July 2026. Here's everything the leaks and certifications are telling us so far.
Galaxy Z Fold 8: The Evolution
The Z Fold 8 is the direct successor to last year's Z Fold 7, and the upgrades this time around look meaningful.
Design & Display
- Nearly crease-free inner display — Samsung debuted new "laser-drilling metal plate" hinge technology at CES 2026 that dramatically reduces the visible fold line
- ~7.6-inch inner OLED at 120Hz refresh rate
- 6.3-inch cover screen — slim, tall form factor consistent with the current Fold design language
- Thinner and lighter — rumored at ~200g (down from 215g on the Z Fold 7 and 239g on the Z Fold 6)
- 21:9 aspect ratio when folded — standard tall phone feel
Performance
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 (or equivalent) in the US and China; Exynos 2600 in other markets
- Up to 16GB RAM with storage starting at 256GB
- 5,000mAh battery — a big jump from the Z Fold 7's 4,400mAh
Other Rumored Upgrades
- Improved camera system with upgraded ultrawide lens
- Better S Pen integration
- Samsung AI features baked into the foldable experience
- 25W wireless charging with Qi2 support
Galaxy Wide Fold: The Game-Changer
This is the one that's turning heads.
The Galaxy Wide Fold (internal codename "H8") is a completely new form factor — not a replacement for the Z Fold 8, but a companion to it. Samsung is reportedly producing 1 million units, which signals this isn't a limited experiment like the $2,899 Z TriFold.
What Makes It Different
The aspect ratio changes everything:
| Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Galaxy Wide Fold | |
|---|---|---|
| Cover Screen | 6.3 inches | 5.4 inches |
| Inner Display | ~7.6 inches | ~7.6 inches |
| Folded Ratio | 21:9 (tall, narrow) | 18:9 (shorter, wider) |
| Unfolded Ratio | ~21:18 | 18:18 (near-square) |
| Feel | Phone → tall tablet | Compact device → square tablet |
When unfolded, the Wide Fold becomes an almost perfectly square display. That's a fundamentally different experience than the tall rectangle of previous Folds.
Why Go Wide?
- Better for multitasking — the square layout fits two apps side-by-side without either feeling cramped
- Better for video — less black-bar cropping on most content
- Better app compatibility — many tablet apps are designed for squarer aspect ratios
- Smaller cover screen — the 5.4-inch front display is more compact and pocketable than the Fold 8's 6.3-inch panel
Who Is It For?
Samsung designed this as a direct counter to Apple's rumored iPhone Fold, which is expected later in 2026 with a similar 4:3 inner display ratio. By launching in July, Samsung gets a potential head start of several months.
The Wide Fold is aimed at users who:
- Want a foldable but find current Folds too tall and narrow
- Use their phone for productivity and multitasking
- Want something closer to a mini tablet than a stretched phone
- Are considering waiting for Apple's foldable
Rumored Specs
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 chipset (same as Z Fold 8)
- 25W wireless charging
- Flagship-tier cameras (likely shared with or similar to Z Fold 8)
- Global availability — GSMA database shows variants for US, China, Canada, Korea, and Europe (model number SM-F971)
The Full 2026 Foldable Lineup
Samsung's summer event could feature three foldables:
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 — the premium book-style foldable (iterative upgrade)
- Galaxy Wide Fold — the new wider form factor (brand new design)
- Galaxy Z Flip 8 — the clamshell flip phone (expected refresh)
Add in the Galaxy Z TriFold that launched in January 2026 at $2,899, and Samsung will have four distinct foldable form factors on the market simultaneously. No other manufacturer comes close to that range.
What This Means for Accessories (and Magnetic Cases)
Here's where it gets interesting for anyone who uses MagSafe or Qi2 accessories.
Foldables need cases even more than regular phones. The hinge mechanism and flexible display make them inherently more delicate, and the investment is higher — the Z Fold 8 will likely start around $1,799-$1,899, and the Wide Fold could be in a similar range.
But foldable cases have historically been terrible at one thing: magnets.
Most foldable cases either skip magnetic functionality entirely, or use weak magnets that barely hold a charger in place. That's because the folding mechanism makes magnet placement tricky — you need strong magnets that don't interfere with the hinge, the NFC antenna, or the wireless charging coil.
With Samsung confirming 25W wireless charging and Qi2 support on their 2026 foldables, the demand for proper magnetic cases is about to spike. Users will want:
- Magnetic mounts that actually hold a heavy foldable securely
- Qi2 charger alignment for efficient 25W speeds
- Magnetic wallet and accessory compatibility
MagBak is already preparing a fresh take on magnetic cases for foldables — designed to bring the same N52-grade magnet strength that iPhone and Galaxy slab-phone users rely on into the folding form factor. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to launch.
Timeline: What to Expect and When
- Now – June 2026: More leaks and spec confirmations as Samsung finalizes hardware
- July 2026: Galaxy Unpacked event — official reveal of Z Fold 8, Wide Fold, and Z Flip 8
- Late July / Early August 2026: Pre-orders open, devices ship within 2-3 weeks
- September 2026: Apple's rumored iPhone Fold announcement (Samsung's head start window)
The Bottom Line
Samsung isn't playing defense anymore. With four foldable form factors in 2026, they're covering every angle before Apple enters the market.
The Z Fold 8 is a solid evolution — thinner, lighter, and finally crease-free. But the Wide Fold is the real story. A squarer, more tablet-like foldable experience at a mainstream price point could be the device that convinces people foldables aren't just a novelty.
We'll be watching this closely and updating as more details surface. If you're planning to pick up either device, bookmark this page — we'll have accessory guides ready at launch.
Thanks for reading!
— MagBak Team