What you need to know
- Samsung’s own One UI 9 software leaked the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and corroborated the existence of the rumored Wide Fold codenamed H8.
- The Wide Fold appears to be shorter and wider, giving the cover display a normal phone shape instead of a narrow strip.
- Its rear camera design mirrors the Galaxy S25 Edge, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 looks virtually identical to the Z Fold 7.
Samsung typically keeps its upcoming hardware secret until a flashy Unpacked event. This year, though, its own software is revealing the details.
The folks at Android Authority got their hands on a build of Samsung’s One UI 9, which gave away details about the upcoming foldables.
If you’ve kept up with foldables, you know people often complain about the Z Fold’s narrow, “remote control” cover screen. Samsung made small improvements with the Z Fold 6 and 7, but One UI 9 now reveals a new model, codenamed “H8” and called the Wide Fold, is on the way.
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Leaked images from the software show a device that’s much shorter and wider. The cover display finally looks like a regular smartphone instead of a thin strip of glass.
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On the back, the Wide Fold features a camera housing similar to the Galaxy S25 Edge design. This aligns with earlier animations observed in February, confirming Samsung’s commitment to this shorter and wider form factor.
Android Central’s Take
Honestly, I’m having a hard time seeing the “innovation” in Samsung finally admitting that a phone-sized cover screen is actually useful. It’s taken the company almost 10 years to realize we don’t want to type on a screen as narrow as a KitKat bar. Calling it a “Wide Fold” feels like it’s selling us a fix for a problem Samsung made. The bigger screen and better battery are great for productivity, but I can’t help but expect a high “Ultra” price tag for this so-called new form factor.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (codenamed Q8) appears largely unchanged in design compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, according to One UI 9 assets.
That said, it might be inappropriate to call it a lazy update just yet. Even though the outside looks the same, earlier leaks suggest the Z Fold 8 will finally get the battery upgrade fans have wanted. It’s expected to have a 5,000mAh battery and 45W wired charging, which is a big improvement and should help it compete with Chinese rivals on battery life.
These new devices are expected to launch in July, following Samsung’s usual mid-summer schedule.