What do you do when a rival’s design suddenly looks irresistible? According to multiple industry whispers, Samsung is doing what big tech does best: iterating fast. New leaks suggest the company is developing a wider, passport-style foldable — nicknamed the “Wide Fold” — while also prepping the next Galaxy Z Fold 8 with noteworthy camera upgrades.
A wider book, not just another fold
Reports paint the Wide Fold as a deliberate move toward a squarer, more book-like display: think a 4:3-ish inner screen that reads like an open notebook. ETNews and subsequent outlets claim the main panel will land around 7.6 inches with a cover screen near 5.4 inches. That’s a different design philosophy from Samsung’s recent long-and-narrow Z Fold lineage, and it’s clearly inspired by the rumored dimension choices for Apple’s iPhone Fold.
Why bother? A wider aspect ratio can make reading, productivity and split-screen apps feel more natural — less awkward letterboxing, fewer odd crop issues. It’s a UI-first decision as much as a hardware one. Samsung has been experimenting with unusual foldable experiments lately (its tri-fold prototype, for example, shows the company is willing to trade internal complexity for new form factors) and the Wide Fold would slot into that exploratory streak. See Samsung’s tri-fold prototype for context (/news/samsung-galaxy-trifold-unveiled-at-apec-showcase).
Cameras: incremental but meaningful upgrades
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 appears to be following a clearer, evolutionary path. Multiple leaks — from GalaxyClub to industry reporting picked up across outlets — suggest Samsung will keep the 200MP main sensor introduced in the Fold 7, but upgrade the supporting optics.
Key rumored camera changes:- 200MP main camera stays.
- Ultrawide jumps from 12MP to a 50MP sensor (paralleling high-end S-series parts).
- Telephoto climbs slightly to 12MP with a 3x optical zoom.
- Selfie cameras remain 10MP on both inside and cover displays.
A 50MP ultrawide is the standout here: it can yield more detailed wide shots, help with higher-resolution video capture from the wide lens, and reduce some of the processing compromises you get with smaller ultrawide sensors. Samsung often shares sensors across flagships; expect sensor strategies discussed in previews of the Galaxy S line to overlap here (/news/galaxy-s26-preview).
Design trade-offs and tech choices
Not everything will be grand gestures. The Wide Fold rumors mention features such as 25W wireless charging — solid but not class-leading — and point to Samsung retaining punch-hole front cameras rather than pushing under-display tech, at least where image quality matters most. Apple’s rumored use of under-display cameras for a seamless interior screen is an aesthetic win, but it comes with compromises for low-light and clarity. Samsung seems to be prioritizing practical image performance over an invisible camera.
Crease reduction, bigger inner screens, faster charging and the possible return of the S Pen are all part of the rumor stew. But space is finite inside a foldable chassis; periscope zoom modules and the largest batteries remain hard to pack in without a thicker hinge or other concessions.
Timing and strategy: reaction, or preemptive parity?
Sources indicate a fall 2026 target for the Wide Fold, which would neatly position Samsung to follow — and counter — whatever Apple does with its foldable iPhone. That timetable gives Samsung room to polish hardware and software ergonomics while leveraging manufacturing scale to keep pricing competitive.
This is also a market-sentiment play. Apple’s entry into foldables will reshape expectations: the bar will not just be durability and hinge refinement but also how a device feels in the hand and how content scales. Samsung’s answer appears twofold: keep pushing the Fold line forward (Fold 8’s camera and battery improvements) while adding a form-factor option that matches a different use case (the Wide Fold).
What to watch next
Leaks are just that — leaks. But the pattern is clear: Samsung is hedging. It isn’t abandoning its long, book-style Fold DNA, nor is it ignoring the appeal of a squarer, more notebook-like screen. Expect further detail drips on display materials, crease mitigation, hinge engineering and software multi-window tweaks in the coming months.
If you care about mobile photography, the Fold 8’s stronger secondary optics could make it feel closer to Samsung’s top-tier S-series devices without giving up the foldable magic. If you care about reading and productivity, the Wide Fold might be the experiment that finally makes a foldable feel like a pocketable tablet.
Either way, the next year should be an interesting one for foldables — a rare moment when design cross-pollination between two giants could actually expand the category rather than merely shuffle it around.
Related reading: Samsung’s tri-fold experiments hint at the company’s appetite for new shapes (/news/samsung-galaxy-trifold-unveiled-at-apec-showcase). For how sensor choices in Samsung’s flagship line bleed into its foldables, see our Galaxy S26 preview (/news/galaxy-s26-preview).