Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 may get a passport-style variant to rival Apple’s iPhone Fold
The company's "Wide Fold" could come with a smaller cover screen and a wider folding display
📱 It looks like Samsung might go blow-for-blow with Apple’s iPhone Fold
👀 The company is rumored to introduce a “Wide Fold” that’s more passport-like
📐 This would match the rumored design of the foldable iPhone
🤷 The new foldable doesn’t have a name yet
📅 It’s rumored to land in the fall of 2026
Samsung has been a pioneer in the foldable smartphone market since the beginning, but it looks like it could become a follower to whatever Apple cooks up next year. A new report from ET News says that Samsung will introduce a new “Wide Fold” smartphone that’ll match the design of the first foldable iPhone, which is said to be more passport-like than other foldables on the market. While it certainly could be the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8, it sounds like the phone could be an entirely new device altogether in Samsung’s lineup.
The Samsung Wide Fold (as it’s currently known as) is rumored to come with a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch foldable display, both of which will be OLED. This is roughly the same size as the iPhone Fold, which is said to have a 5.3-inch cover screen and a 7.7-inch folding display.
The key factor here is the aspect ratio; both phones will reportedly have a 4:3 folding screen, which is the same ratio as tablets like the iPad. The cover screen will have a wider aspect ratio than on other foldables, too, hence giving it a passport-like shape when closed. It could resemble the original Pixel Fold, for reference.
The unique shape will help differentiate Apple’s foldable from others on the market, and by the looks of it, it could help developers optimize iPad apps quickly for the device since they’ll share the same aspect ratio. Meanwhile, it seems like Samsung thinks there’s something interesting about this size, and it wants to join in on the fun and have an Android-powered alternative that isn’t brick-shaped like the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
While the wider aspect ratio is ideal for reading books, playing games, and such, it isn’t great for movies or YouTube videos since you’ll get huge black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. That being said, this is about the only downside to such a screen size, since the rest of the experience (multitasking, web surfing) will likely be superior to doing it all on a normal smartphone screen.
Samsung is rumored to introduce the new “Wide Fold” sometime in the fall of 2026, right around the time that Apple debuts the iPhone Fold.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. 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.