Samsung is planning to release an entirely new style of foldable phone this year with a wider screen than the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8. We’ve already seen CAD images and the device has received GSM certification that cements its existence. Now, images from One UI 9 confirm the wider display and give us an early look at the UI layout.
Samsung One UI 9 Leak Confirms Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide
SamMobile spotted the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide’s model number—SM-F971B—in an early build of One UI 9, which also includes UI images and confirms the phone’s wider display.
The images clearly show a widescreen display when the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide is unfolded, rather than the more square design of the current Galaxy Z Fold 7. Previous leaks have claimed that the new device will have a 4:3 aspect ratio, which makes it more like a tablet (and closer to the viewing experience of the Galaxy Z TriFold, as SamMobile points out) and better for watching videos, which suffer from letterboxing on previous Galaxy Z Fold phones.
You can see how the two display design styles compare in the mockup Samsung tipster Ice Universe created below.
There are no new images of the new foldable phone when it’s closed, but it is expected to be more squat than the tall Galaxy Z Fold 7 and look more like the original Google Pixel Fold or Microsoft Surface Duo. Or, indeed, the upcoming iPhone Fold, which is reportedly going for a similarly wide display style.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide Specifications
According to CAD images obtained by Android Headlines, the Wide Fold features a 5.4-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch inner display. For reference, the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to sport a 6.5-inch cover screen and a larger 8-inch inner screen.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 will have a similar aspect ratio to the Galaxy Z TriFold. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
The Wide Fold reportedly measures 4.9mm when unfolded and 9.8mm when folded. This makes it thicker than the standard Galaxy Z Fold 7 (4.2mm/8.9mm), which suggests room for a larger battery or S Pen support. A bigger battery makes the most sense if the phone is aimed at power users watching full-screen video.
One controversial detail revealed in the renders is a camera downgrade: the Wide Fold features only two camera sensors instead of the three found on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Dropping the telephoto lens hints at Samsung seeing the new foldable as more of a tablet than a flagship smartphone.
Why Is Samsung Switching Up The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Design Now?
The easy answer would be the threat of the iPhone Fold. Samsung simply cannot let Apple own the wide foldable market on day one. Apple’s iPhone Fold has likely played a role in Samsung’s decision-making; it’s not uncommon for the rival companies to release similar products at the same time, as they did with the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge last year.
But I think there’s more to the story than that. Samsung has long demoed different foldable phones, tablets, and even laptop shapes at tech trade shows over the years dating back to 2013. But the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition in 2024, which featured a wider screen than the standard Fold 6, got the ball rolling.
A year later, Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which was significantly slimmer than its predecessors and as slim as a standard smartphone when closed. The Korean company repurposed the device-slimming technology it used in the Galaxy S25 Edge to shave a huge 3.2mm (folded) off the Galaxy Z Fold 7 without losing battery life or making any other hardware compromises.
That slimmer profile, and the positive response to the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, appear to have combined to make the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide possible.