Samsung's rival to the iPhone Fold just leaked – here's what it could look like
The Galaxy Z Fold Wide has made its first appearance
📱 Samsung’s upcoming “Galaxy Z Fold Wide” just leaked in new renders
📐 The device has a wider, stubbier form factor than the rumored Fold 8
📸 It has two rear cameras and a much wider foldable display
🍎 The device is rumored to be Samsung’s answer to Apple’s iPhone Fold
📅 The Galaxy Z Fold Wide is likely to launch this summer
Samsung is making a big move to compete with Apple’s first folding phone. The company has been rumored to release a new version of the Galaxy Z Fold that’s wider and shorter than the Fold 7 to give customers an Android-powered alternative to what the iPhone Fold is rumored to look like, and we just got our first look at the device in a set of renders courtesy of OnLeaks and Android Headlines.
📱 “Galaxy Z Fold Wide” is an accurate name
The mysterious Galaxy Z Fold Wide has an interesting design that’s a lot shorter and wider than the Fold 7, with a 5.4-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch foldable screen. These are a lot smaller than what the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8 will include, but are also completely different shapes.
Why a wider foldable like this? It could be good for reading e-books or having a wider screen to watch movies, which is something I personally enjoyed when I tested the original Google Pixel Fold a few years ago. That phone had a passport-like design which was unique at the time, and it quickly became my favorite foldable form factor. Apple is expected to offer something similar in the iPhone Fold later this year, and Samsung clearly wants to ensure there’s an Android alternative.
The Z Fold Wide (as it’s currently called, at least) will have a smaller camera bump than the Fold 7 due to the lack of a third camera sensor. The corners will still be boxy, and it’ll still be pretty thin; Android Headlines says the phone will measure 4.9mm thick when it’s open, which is just over half a millimeter thicker than the Fold 7.
It’s not clear what kind of specs we’re working with yet, but there’s some speculation it’ll include a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and a 5,000mAh battery. The real sell here will be the passport-like form factor, so the specs likely won’t be as bombastic as something like the Fold 8 or the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The new device will be Samsung’s next iteration of its foldable lineup, after it experimented with the Galaxy Z TriFold earlier this year before killing it off. Whether the shorter, wider device will appeal more to customers is unclear, but we should find out later this year; the company is expected to announce the device this July or August alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8.
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Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.