Samsung is developing an original Pixel Fold-like wide-screen foldable that is expected to debut alongside the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 later in the summer of 2026. Animations spotted in early One UI 9 builds gave the first glimpse of how the device may look, and firmware files for the same model have now appeared again in another leaked One UI 9 build.
The new wide-body foldable is expected to mark Samsung's first serious move into a broader foldable shape, with the device said to use a 7.6-inch screen, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and a 4,800mAh dual-cell battery. Leaker Digital Chat Station detailed major specs in March, adding to rumors that first surfaced in September last year.
What stands out most is the aspect ratio. The upcoming device is expected to move to a 4:3 aspect ratio, a notable shift from the Galaxy Z Fold 7's 1.11.1 aspect ratio when unfolded. Apart from that change, the foldable is said not to differ much from older models, suggesting Samsung is trying to widen the formula without reinventing it.
The timing matters because Samsung appears to be aiming for this summer, when its first wide-screen foldable is expected to launch. That would place it in a market that is getting more crowded, with the company seen as positioning the device against wider foldables, including its own trifold, and possibly as a response to Apple's first foldable, which is reported to have a wider form factor.
For now, the leaked One UI 9 build is doing most of the revealing. It shows Samsung has moved beyond simply testing the idea and is now preparing the software around it, which makes a 2026 debut look more like a plan than a rumor.
