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2026 is going to be another big year for Samsung's foldable phone lineup. While the extravagant Galaxy TriFold has just been discontinued, the company is still experimenting with different kinds of foldable devices. We're expecting to see the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide, which is shaping up to be exactly what it sounds like.
But how is this new wider foldable going to compare to the upcoming to the Galaxy Z Fold 8? If the name is anything to go by, it's going to have a wider design. The question is though, is this going to be a case of two phones separated by design, or is Samsung going to do more to help the Z Fold Wide stand out? Especially when you consider all the other foldables have been utilizing a wider design for years.
Article continues belowSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Price and release
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is all but guaranteed to arrive in late summer, either in July or August. Samsung has been quite inconsistent with the release of its foldables the last few years, so we can't really narrow it down more than that.
As for the price, we're looking at at least $1,999, which is what Samsung sells the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for. However, with the increasing cost of components, including RAM, and the constant threat of tariffs, we wouldn't be surprised if that price tag increases this year. However, since the price already rose by $100 last year, and we didn't see a price hike on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, that may not happen.
The Galaxy Z Fold Wide is more of a mystery, and while we suspect it may launch in the Summer alongside the Z Fold 8, that isn't guaranteed. The last two "special" foldable models, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition and Galaxy TriFold, debuted in October and December, respectively, and Samsung could follow that same lead for the wider model.
Price is equally a mystery, and the final price tag is going to depend on how different it is compared to the Z Fold 8. Don't expect anything less than $1,999, though.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Design & Display
Design is the area we know the most about when it comes to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold Wide, thanks to a variety of leaks. The Z Fold 8 is shaping up to be a very typical Samsung foldable, with only slight differences from the Z Fold 7. However the Galaxy Z Fold Wide is shaping up to be something very new — or at least, it will be in the looks department.
According to leaked renders the Z Fold 8 will measure 6.2 x 5.63 x 0.17 inches when unfolded, or 6.2 x 2.8 x 0.35 inches when folded up. Which is more or less the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The phone is also expected to come with an 8-inch folding screen and a 6.5-inch cover display, alongside standard features like the 120Hz refresh rate and AMOLED panelling.
Samsung is also rumored to be employing "laser drilling" technology to reduce the crease in the Z Fold 8's display.
Meanwhile, the Z Fold Wide is expected to measure 4.87 x 6.35 x 0.19 inches when unfolded, and 4.87 x 3.23 x 0.38 inches when folded. That means the Z Fold Wide will be significantly shorter than your typical Z Fold, but will make up for some of that with a much wider profile. It's not quite square-shaped, but it's pretty close to it.
Screen-wise, we're apparently getting a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch cover display. While both of these are officially smaller than the Z Fold 8, the difference in aspect ratio should help make up some of the difference — even if it doesn't make up everything.
The Wide is actually a lot closer in size to the likes of the iPhone Fold, which is set to be released later this year. Which means Samsung might be experimenting with this new design to see how its own Wider foldables compare to Apple's very first foldable release.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Cameras
We expect that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will come with all the same camera upgrades as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — plus a few of its own. That means we should see the return of the 200MP camera lens, alongside a new 50MP ultrawide lens — up from 12MP.
The telephoto lens won't be getting quite as big an upgrade, according to Galaxy Club, rising from 10MP to 12MP with the same 3x optical zoom. Both hole-punch cameras are expected to stay the same, so you'll likely be taking 10MP selfies for at least another year.
Design leaks suggest that the Galaxy Z Fold Wide will miss out on the third camera lens, instead packing in a dual-camera setup. While we haven't heard about what those cameras might be, I guess that Samsung will opt for a setup similar to the Galaxy S25 Edge.
If that's the case, we should see a pairing of main and ultrawide camera lenses, and hopefully with the same 200MP and 50MP resolution as the Galaxy Z Fold 8. However, we're going to have to wait and see what Samsung reveals later this year.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Performance
Samsung rarely releases a new Z Fold model without the flagship Snapdragon chipset — which means it's likely that the Z Fold 8 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
You shouldn't expect the custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip to make an appearance, though. Samsung hasn't released a foldable with the overclocked chips, and with the rising cost of phone production, we don't expect it to change that this year.
It's possible that the Z Fold Wide will follow that example, since the Z Fold SE and Galaxy TriFold both had Snapdragon chips. But since Samsung has been pushing its own Exynos chips more in recent years, there's always a chance it'll come powered by the Exynos 2600.
I don't think that's likely, but it's still a very real possibility. After all, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 comes with an Exynos 2500, rather than a Snapdragon 8 Elite. Thankfully, though, my testing showed that the Exynos 2600's performance on Galaxy S26 isn't that much different from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite. So it's not like the Z Fold Wide would miss out on power if this does happen.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Battery & charging
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 may actually come with some upgrades to battery and charging, which will likely please every foldable fan out there. According to rumors we may see the phone come with a 5,000 mAh battery, which is the same size as the Galaxy S 26 Ultra and a notable boost compared to the Z fold 7's 4,400 mAh.
Leaks also suggest that the foldable's charging speed could increase from 25W to 45W. It's still slower than the 60W charging that Samsung added to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it's still a significant boost to wired charging.
It's still unknown what sort of battery tech Samsung will employ in the Galaxy Z Fold Wide. Considering the phone is slightly smaller than the Z Fold 8, and only marginally thicker, we may see Samsung employ a smaller battery pack.
That said, since there are likely to be some missing components, the least of which is the lack of a third camera, there may still be room for a full 5,000 mAh. But until we hear some more concrete rumors, all we can do is speculate.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Outlook
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is shaping up to be a very similar kind of phone to its predecessors. There are a few major upgrades rumors, but for the most part you know that Samsung is going to release the same sort of thing it always does. The Z fold 8 is a known quantity, and that means we probably won't be hugely surprised by what the next Galaxy Unpacked has to offer.
The Galaxy Z Fold Wide is still something of a mystery to us all. While there have been rumors and leaks giving us some idea of what to expect from the phone's design, there's a lot we still don't know. Is it simply going to be a squatter version of the Z Fold 8, or will Samsung do a little more to help differentiate the phone from the rest of the Z Fold lineup?
At this point, we just don't know, and we're just going to have to be patient and see just how it compares to the Z Fold 8.
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