Samsung quietly showed consumers a few ways a future Fold could look, and one concept stands out: a wider, almost square inner display that reads more like a mini‑tablet than a tall phone. The images appeared in a company survey that industry watchers have since flagged, and while a survey is hardly a product announcement, the render set maps to other crumbs — like a mysterious SM‑F971U entry in a GSMA database — that suggest Samsung is at least sketching this design in earnest.
What the renders show
Viewed folded, the device appears closer to a conventional phone in width — roughly an 18:9 aspect ratio, according to the leaked details — but unfold it and you get an almost square 18:18 canvas. That geometry would put it in pixel space similar to Google’s original Pixel Fold when closed but give you a broad, near‑square interior that’s better suited for two‑pane apps, note‑taking, and landscape media without heavy letterboxing.
Observers have compared the silhouette to Microsoft’s Surface Duo in footprint, but the important difference is the single continuous flexible panel rather than two separate displays bridged by a hinge. Some leaked imagery and writeups even describe a “passport” or short‑and‑wide Fold concept — a mini‑tablet on the outside that opens to a larger internal tablet — which flips the usual Fold tradeoffs: more inner real estate at the cost of a chunkier closed phone.
The technical clues and caveats
Beyond the survey renders, the model SM‑F971U (market name H8 in one database listing) turned up in GSMA records. Samsung typically uses SM‑F9xx for Fold devices, so that number lines up with a Fold‑style family member — though historically Samsung’s internal naming schemes can be cryptic, and an entry in a database does not guarantee a shipping product.
There are sensible engineering challenges here. A squarer inner panel distributes stress differently across the hinge and the foldable glass stack; Samsung would have to tackle crease management, hinge durability, and heat/battery packaging in a body that’s wider but perhaps shorter. On the flip side, a broader chassis could buy space for bigger batteries, more efficient vapor chambers, or larger camera optics.
Why Samsung might try this
Form factor is literally an experience. The current tall Fold design makes a lot of sense for reading timelines and one‑handed use, but many users still feel forced to open the device for simple tasks. A wider cover display that behaves more like a standard phone when closed — and a squarer internal canvas when open — could strike a better everyday balance for people who want tablet‑level productivity without carrying a separate tablet.
For developers and power users the advantages are concrete: fewer awkward aspect conversions in apps, simpler two‑pane layouts, and a less cramped split‑screen mode. Samsung has already pushed One UI toward large‑screen optimizations; a different inner aspect ratio would push partners and app makers to rethink responsive layouts yet again.
Context: not Samsung’s only experiment
This wide Fold concept isn’t happening in isolation. Samsung has been testing a range of form factors — from clamshell flips to the recently showcased Tri‑Fold prototype — and the company’s survey appears to be a formal way of collecting consumer feedback on several design directions. If you’re following Samsung’s foldable roadmap, the Tri‑Fold work — which explored adding extra folding segments — is one visible example of that experimentation and suggests the company wants multiple answers to different user needs. Read more about Samsung’s folding experiments in the Tri‑Fold coverage Samsung’s Tri‑Fold Prototype: A Bold Step — With Compromises — Into Next‑Gen Foldables.
Samsung is also expanding beyond phones into XR and other form factors, which matters because innovations in displays, sensors, and hinge tech often cross‑pollinate across product lines. For a look at how Samsung is stretching into adjacent hardware categories, see the Galaxy XR rollout briefing Samsung Prepares Global Push for Galaxy XR: What the 2026 Rollout Means for Android XR.
What this could mean for the market
If Samsung greenlights a wide Fold, it would reposition the device as a productivity‑first option — potentially pre‑empting any similar moves from competitors, including the much‑rumored Apple foldable. That said, the route from survey render to retail product is littered with pivots. Companies test dozens of concepts; only a handful survive cost, supply chain, and software feasibility checks.
Still, the timing makes sense. Foldable shipments keep growing each year, and consumers are starting to think seriously about a single device that can replace both phone and small tablet. A squarer Fold could be the ergonomics answer that nudges a chunk of mainstream buyers over the edge.
So for now this is interesting, not inevitable: evocative renders and a database listing are enough to watch closely, but we’ll need certification filings, supplier chatter, or an official tease before penciling a launch date on calendars. In the meantime, Samsung’s survey is a reminder that the company is still experimenting aggressively with what a Fold can be — not content to let one shape define the category.