Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: Release date, price, and specs

Table of contents

When and where is Samsung announcing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide?

Why this launch matters more than usual

Is it called the Wide or just the Galaxy Z Fold 8?

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: Specs at a glance

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: What is the difference?

How much will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide cost?

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide?

Samsung is about to change how its foldable phones are named, how many book-style foldables it sells at once, and possibly how the rest of the industry thinks about wide foldables. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide comes as Apple is preparing its first foldable iPhone. Samsung is not waiting around.

Here is everything you need to know about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide ahead of its expected launch.

When and where is Samsung announcing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide?

Samsung is widely expected to announce the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide at Galaxy Unpacked on July 22, 2026, in London. The date was first reported by Korea Economic TV and has since been confirmed by SamMobile, Android Authority, Tom’s Guide, and Android Police, among others. As of mid-June 2026, Samsung had not issued an official media advisory, so treat this as a very strong rumor rather than a done deal.

The choice of London is significant. Samsung has historically held its summer Unpacked events in Seoul, New York, or San Francisco. London puts Samsung front and center in Europe, one of Apple’s strongest premium markets, just months before Apple is expected to announce its own foldable iPhone.

If Samsung follows its usual pattern, pre-orders will open the same day as the announcement, with devices shipping to customers roughly two weeks later, putting availability in early August 2026.

Alongside the Wide, Samsung is expected to announce:

• Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (the traditional tall foldable, successor to the Fold 7)
• Galaxy Z Flip 8
• Galaxy Watch 9 series
• Galaxy Glasses, Samsung’s first AI smart glasses running Android XR

Why this launch matters more than usual

Three things make the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide more than just another Samsung hardware refresh.

First, Apple’s foldable iPhone is coming. Widely referred to as the “iPhone Fold” or “iPhone Ultra,” Apple’s first foldable is expected in September 2026 at a starting price above $2,000. Samsung’s July launch gives the Wide a roughly two-month window in the market before Apple ships a single unit. Apple’s device is also rumored to use a wide, near-4:3 design, which means the two phones will be aimed at the same type of buyer.

Second, Samsung is launching two book-style foldables simultaneously for the first time. Previous Unpacked events gave you the Fold or the Flip. This year, you get the Wide, the Ultra, and the Flip 8 all at once. Samsung is splitting its Fold line into two distinct devices: a wide, lighter model for media and multitasking, and a taller, camera-rich model for power users who need zoom and the biggest screen.

Third, Samsung is betting heavily on this device. Korean supply chain reports citing ETNews say Samsung initially planned around 1 million units and then increased that by 200,000 to 300,000, putting the Wide’s production at parity with the standard Fold while trimming Flip 8 output. Samsung does not quietly add to production runs for devices it is unsure about.

Is it called the Wide or just the Galaxy Z Fold 8?

This is where things get confusing, and you deserve a straight answer before you go any further.

For most of the pre-launch leak cycle, industry insiders referred to the two 2026 foldables as the “Galaxy Z Fold 8″ (the tall successor to the Fold 7) and the “Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide” (the new wide model). Late in development, Samsung appears to have flipped the naming.

A Bluetooth SIG certification filing confirmed the name “Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra” for model SM-F976, which is the tall Fold 7 successor. That means the wide model, SM-F971U, is expected to launch simply as the “Galaxy Z Fold 8.” So the device this article is about will very likely be sold at retail without the word “Wide” in its name at all.

This article uses “Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide” throughout to avoid confusion with the Ultra, but when you walk into a store, the wide model will probably just say “Galaxy Z Fold 8″ on the box.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide specs

1. Display

The inner display is a 7.6-inch LTPO OLED panel with a 4:3 aspect ratio. This is the first Samsung foldable to use a 4:3 inner display, making it shorter and wider than any Fold that came before it. Think iPad mini proportions rather than a tall, narrow smartphone screen. Both panels support 1-120Hz adaptive refresh, HDR10+, and a peak brightness of up to 2,600 nits.

The cover screen is 5.4 inches with a 4.7:3 aspect ratio. That wider cover screen is a meaningful improvement over older Fold cover displays, which were so narrow they were barely useful for anything beyond checking notifications.

2. Processor and performance

The Wide runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the same overclocked chip found in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This is confirmed across virtually every leak and supported by FCC filings. No Exynos variant has been reported for the 2026 Fold line.

RAM options are 12GB or 16GB (LPDDR5X), with storage at 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB (UFS 4.0). There is no microSD slot. Some reports suggest the Wide may top out at 512GB while the 1 TB option is reserved for the Ultra, but this is unsettled.

3. Battery and charging

The Wide is expected to carry a roughly 4,800mAh battery, which would make it the largest battery ever put in a Samsung Fold-style device. For comparison, the Ultra is expected to have a 5,000mAh battery. Wired charging comes in at 45W, a significant step up from the 25W on the Z Fold 7, supported by a China 3C certification. Wireless charging is reported at between 15W and 25W, though this remains unconfirmed.

4. Cameras

The Wide uses a dual-rear-camera setup: a 50MP main sensor with OIS at f/1.8 and a 50MP ultrawide at f/1.9. There is no telephoto lens. If you want optical zoom, the Wide is not the device for you.

Both rear cameras support up to 8K video at 30 fps and 4K video at 60 fps. The selfie cameras are 10MP on both the cover and inner displays, without autofocus or OIS. The main sensor is reported to be a new 50MP unit with a native 24MP output mode.

5. Build and design

Leaked dimensions put the Wide at 161.4mm wide by 123.9mm tall, with an unfolded thickness of 4.3mm and a folded thickness of 9.8mm at the hinge. Weight is reported at around 201g, lighter than the Ultra at roughly 215g and lighter than many flagship phones that do not fold at all (the Pixel 10 Pro XL weighs 232g).

The frame is Armor Aluminum, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the cover and an IP48 rating for dust and water resistance. The fingerprint reader is side-mounted.

On the crease: Ice Universe reports that both 2026 Fold devices will have a significantly improved crease, comparable to that of the OPPO Find N6, which currently leads the category. SammyGuru and ZDNet Korea add that the Wide may use a thicker ultra-thin glass layer (around 60 micrometers versus 45 micrometers on the Ultra), which could make the Wide’s crease less visible. Other reports are more cautious and suggest a noticeable but modest improvement. Nothing is confirmed until launch.

6. Software

The Wide ships with Android 17 and One UI 9 out of the box, potentially making it, along with the Ultra, the first devices to receive stable One UI 9 ahead of the Galaxy S26 series. It includes the full Galaxy AI suite and Gemini Intelligence, Google’s agentic AI layer that handles multi-step tasks across apps.

The company is committing to seven years of OS and security updates.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: Specs at a glance

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: What is the difference?

The company is launching two book-style foldables at the same event, and the differences between them are real and worth understanding before you spend close to $2,000.

The Wide is built around a different idea. Its 7.6-inch 4:3 inner display is actually wider in landscape orientation than the Ultra’s larger-on-paper 8-inch panel, giving you more usable screen width for side-by-side apps and less letterboxing on video. It is also lighter, thinner, and expected to cost less.

What you give up is camera capability. The Ultra has a 200MP main sensor, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a larger battery. If you take a lot of photos and value zoom, the Ultra is the one to get. If you want the lightest foldable with the best split-screen experience and do not shoot in telephoto, the Wide makes more sense.

How much will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide cost?

Samsung has not officially confirmed a price. Estimates from reliable sources cluster between $1,799 and $1,999 in the US. SamMobile puts the figure at around $1,800. PhoneArena reports the range as $1,799 to $1,999 and notes it could match the Z Fold 7’s original $1,999 launch price if it inherits the plain “Galaxy Z Fold 8″ name.

For context, the Ultra is expected to start at $1,999 for 256GB, $2,199 for 512GB, and $2,499 for 1TB, based on leaks from tipster Anthony (@TheGalox_) corroborated by SammyFans and SamMobile.

Prices across the board are being pushed up by a global memory shortage. AI data centers are consuming more and more high-bandwidth memory, which squeezes supply for consumer devices. Counterpoint Research says mobile DRAM prices have risen close to 70% since early 2025. Samsung co-CEO T.M. Roh told Reuters in January 2026 that some price increases are “inevitable.” Samsung quietly raised Z Fold 7 prices by about $80 on higher-storage tiers in April 2026, signaling what is likely to come with the Fold 8 line.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide?

The answer depends on what you actually do with your phone.

Buy the Wide if you watch a lot of video, use split-screen apps regularly, and want the widest Android foldable that fits in a pocket. The 4:3 inner display and lighter build make it the better productivity and media device of the two Folds. At a price expected to be at or below $1,999, it also has a clear advantage over Apple’s foldable iPhone if Apple launches above $2,000 in September.

Skip the Wide if camera quality is your top priority. No telephoto and no 200MP sensor means you are giving up real zoom capability compared to the Ultra or even Samsung’s own Galaxy S26 Ultra. Camera-first buyers should go straight to the Z Fold 8 Ultra.

If you already own a Z Fold 7, the Wide is a sideways move rather than a clear upgrade. The new form factor is compelling, but you are trading a three-camera system for a two-camera one. Upgrade only if the wider, more tablet-like screen genuinely appeals to how you use your phone.

On timing: do not rush a purchase just to beat Apple to a foldable. If the iPhone foldable matters to you, wait for Apple’s September event and compare. Apple’s supply is reportedly constrained at launch, but the specs, especially a near-invisible crease, could shift the market. Samsung’s two-month head start and lower price are advantages, but they are advantages worth weighing properly before committing.

The full picture will only become clear on July 22, 2026, when Samsung officially announces the devices. Every spec, price, and even the name in this article is based on supply-chain reports and certification filings. Treat this as your preparation, not the final word.