What you need to know
- Samsung is reportedly planning a wider foldable phone to counter the iPhone Fold expected to launch later this year.
- A report claims Samsung has set a production target of one million units for its new Wide Fold in 2026.
- The Wide Fold is said to feature a 7.6-inch inner display with a wider 4:3 aspect ratio for better media viewing.
- Samsung may be rushing the Wide Fold launch again, repeating past missteps seen with the Galaxy S25 Edge.
A new report suggests that Samsung has already set production targets for a wider foldable smartphone in response to the iPhone Fold, which is expected to launch later this year.
The Galaxy S26 series may still be a few weeks away, but Samsung already appears to be preparing for the arrival of the iPhone Fold. The upcoming iPhone Fold is rumored to be wider than current foldable phones, offering a more book-like experience when unfolded.
Some earlier reports suggested that Samsung was planning to launch a new Wide Fold in response to the iPhone Fold. This device would sit alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8, and a new report now claims that Samsung has finalized its production targets for this wider foldable.
According to the Korean outlet ET News, Samsung plans to produce one million Wide Fold units in 2026. This is significantly higher than the numbers typically allocated to Samsung's special-edition foldables, suggesting the company may be planning a much broader release for this device.
Samsung sets its Wide Fold plans before iPhone Fold lands
While exact launch markets remain unknown, producing this many units suggests it could see a fairly global rollout. As for specs, the report claims the Samsung Wide Fold will feature a 7.6-inch 4:3 inner display and a 5.4-inch outer screen. That would make it noticeably wider than the current Galaxy Z Fold 7 and potentially better suited for watching videos.
That said, all of this remains subject to change. We are still early in Samsung's 2026 foldable cycle, especially considering the Galaxy S26 series itself is still about a month away.
Android Central's Take
Samsung once again appears to be getting ahead of itself by trying to preempt the iPhone Fold. We have seen this strategy before with the Galaxy S25 Edge, which launched months ahead of the iPhone Air. Both devices reportedly struggled with sales, and the Galaxy S26 Edge was eventually cancelled.
Samsung now seems to be repeating that approach with the Wide Fold, attempting to launch it before fully understanding how the market will respond, seemingly in an effort to capture some of the hype around a wider foldable phone.
