Samsung’s wider Galaxy Z Fold 8—dubbed the ‘Wide Fold’—will land at the summer Galaxy Unpacked event, ET News has confirmed. Initially, the device had been expected to land in the fall to compete directly with Apple’s iPhone Fold, but a July launch for this new Galaxy Z Fold 8 variant now appears to be nailed on.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide Model Will Land In Q3 2026
ET News didn’t offer a specific date or month for the launch of the Galaxy Wide Fold. However, it did report that the phone will release at the Unpacked event in “the third quarter,” alongside the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8.
Samsung’s summer release event usually takes place in July or August, both of which fall into Q3. Samsung tipster Ice Universe also pointed toward a July release in a post on X earlier this month.
ET News also reports that Samsung is planning to produce 1 million units of the Wide Fold, which signals that the company is expecting the Galaxy Z Fold 8 “Wide” to sell well. For context, new and unusual Samsung handsets typically start with smaller production numbers. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition and Galaxy Tri-Fold started off with only 500,000 units and 30,000 units respectively, according to ET News.
These often launch at different times of the year to avoid taking the limelight away from the device they’re based on. The Galaxy S25 Edge, for example, was released last May, while the Tri-Fold landed in December 2025.
Samsung Wide Fold Won’t Replace Standard Galaxy Z Fold 8
It’s clear now that the Samsung Galaxy Wide Fold is an entirely separate product from the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8 series. Both will launch this year, alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 8. One of the main criticisms about the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s predecessors has been the tall aspect ratio, which doesn’t suit landscape videos. The foldable screen is big, but a full-screen video doesn’t display much larger than it would on a regular-sized phone’s screen.
ET News claims that Samsung will solve this with the Wide Fold’s 4:3 aspect ratio and 7.6-inch inner display when unfolded. It also has a 5.4-inch cover screen, which suggests a squatter and more square shape than the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Check out Ice Universe’s mockup of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide’s new aspect ratio below.
Samsung is clearly doubling down on this wider aspect ratio, with the Tri-Fold (which just got its U.S. release date) and now this wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 version. Why the company waited until its 8th generation of foldables to address one of the device range’s biggest problems is a mystery. But it’s no coincidence that Apple’s iPhone Fold, which will similarly go for a wide-screen design, lands this year.
