- A wider Samsung foldable is reportedly in development
- Early versions of One UI 9 may have given us a first glimpse
- This phone and the iPhone Fold should arrive in 2026
There have been repeated rumors that Samsung was going to release a larger version of the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 to take on the iPhone Fold directly, and now we can get our first look at its design – thanks to 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 larger screens than the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
The animation also matches the code names associated with this foldable handset, so it’s likely these are the dimensions and proportions we can expect. We also get a brief overview of the software overview and the screen unlocking process.
At the moment, we do not know exactly when this “broad fold” could see the light of day. THE The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected in July, if Samsung sticks to its normal schedule, so any variations on this model may appear a few months later.
Battle of the Foldables
Samsung Wide Fold 5.4″/7.6″ 4:3iPhone 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 to the iPhone Fold? Why is this “wide fold” also necessary? Well, the idea is that Apple’s foldable will have larger screens than conventional book-style foldables on the market today.
In other words, the phone will be more square in shape when closed and wider when opened. This means we could be in line for a major battle between Apple and Samsung later this year, with both devices expected to arrive sometime in 2026.
Of course, we also now have to consider the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, which means there’s even more choice for those who want their foldable screens to be even bigger – although that phone is very expensive and very hard to get hold of right now.
All of this is unconfirmed and unofficial at the moment, although it’s increasingly clear that Samsung is going to release more foldables than usual this year – Apple is also planning to introduce a flip-style foldable as well, apparently.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
