Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. | Image by PhoneArena
Alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Flip 8 this year, Samsung is also reportedly preparing a new phone to directly compete with the upcoming foldable iPhone. This supposed Galaxy Z “Wide Fold” will be a much wider foldable phone as the name implies, just like the foldable iPhone, and now we’ve got our first official (almost) look at the device.
Samsung Galaxy Z Wide Fold
The Galaxy Z Wide Fold looks very different from the Galaxy Z Fold 7. | Images by Android Authority
A dig through One UI code yielded some fascinating results. Samsung, as it turns out, is already preparing its software to support the new foldable phone. This pretty much confirms that the Galaxy Z Wide Fold will come out later this year alongside the traditional Galaxy foldables.As reported by multiple sources in recent weeks, the designs found in the One UI code show off a Galaxy foldable that is a lot wider than it is tall, very much like the foldable iPhone is expected to be. Of course, these designs are rudimentary at best and are missing a lot of aspects that are sure to be present on the phone, but they definitely get across how wide the Wide Fold really is.
Direct answer to the foldable iPhone
Leaked design render of the foldable iPhone. | Image by Fpt.
The Galaxy Z Wide Fold is Samsung’s direct answer to Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone. With the Wide Fold, Samsung users won’t have to switch over to Apple to try out an unorthodox foldable phone. Though the foldable iPhone isn’t the first wide-folding smartphone, it is the first such device that is practical for most of the world to use.
The leaked designs show a phone that might or might not overtake the traditional foldable design in a couple of generations. They also show a phone that might sell well just because of the novelty factor. After all, the Galaxy Z TriFold sold out in mere minutes of its release.
I’m cautiously optimistic
My initial kneejerk reaction to the foldable iPhone design was to write it off completely. Though I have decided to at least give it a chance, I’m still not really sold on this form factor. If I wanted a small tablet, I would have gotten a small tablet.Nevertheless, there is a chance that this design actually takes off. I can see the appeal of being able to carry around a folded tablet at all times, but Samsung’s really going to have to sell this thing for more than just the fact that it looks different.
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