The Wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 Comes More Into Focus
The rumor mill for Samsung’s foldable lineup is officially shifting into high gear. While many of us are currently testing One UI 8.5 on our Z Fold 7s, a new leak buried deep within a build of One UI 9 has given us yet another look at a device that looks remarkably different from the tall, narrow "remotes" we’ve grown accustomed to. The "Wide" Galaxy Z Fold is more than just a rumor, it's starting to show up in the software animations.
Spotted first by SamMobile, a new animation within One UI 9 depicts a device with a significantly different aspect ratio. We’re looking at a 4:3ish profile that feels more like a passport than a traditional phone. One of the most telling details is the wider app drawer grid; that animation shows an eight-icon-wide layout. For context, the Z Fold 7 defaults to six. This suggests an increase in horizontal real estate, even though the device still sports the familiar Samsung search pill.
To get a real feel for how this would sit in the hand, I headed over to MakerWorld and found a 3D print someone had made based on the leaked dimensions and design of the “Wide” fold and the ergonomics tell an interesting story.
A lot of people argue that if you just rotate a Z Fold 7, you get a wide screen. That’s true, but "wide" in this context refers to the aspect ratio of that inner display. This device will open into a roughly 4:3 aspect ratio that is much more tablet-like than the near square inner screens of the current crop of foldables.
One possible benefit of this design is the much shorter cover display which leads to less of a vertical stretch. Because the device is shorter, you can actually reach the top of the screen with one hand. No more using apps like Quick Cursor just to pull down your notification shade or reach UI elements at the top of the screen. This feels like a return to the form factor of the original Pixel Fold; short, reachable and potentially more natural for typing on the front screen than the narrow displays we've seen lately. This rumored wide fold is essentially the same width as an S26 Ultra, so If you can handle a flagship slab, you can handle this.
Samsung probably won't call it the "Galaxy Z Wide," so the name remains a mystery. Maybe we are looking at the Galaxy Z Passport? Whatever they end up calling it, we’re expecting to see it launch alongside the standard Fold 8 sometime this summer.