Every sign we have is pointing to a more expansive Galaxy Z-series launch than usual this summer. In addition to follow-ups on last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7, we’re also expecting Samsung to bring a wider book-style foldable to market, just in time for Apple to allegedly launch a similar product. After several months of vague rumors and some software leaks, we’re finally getting some more concrete spec details.
As shared on Weibo by noted leaker Digital Chat Station, this summer’s upcoming wide Galaxy Z Fold — which we don’t have an official name for just yet — is shaping up to rock a familiar design, albeit not one that’s all too familiar to Samsung fans (via SammyGuru). With a 7.6-inch internal screen focused on providing a wider, media-friendly display, it’s actually sounding quite a bit like Google’s original Pixel Fold, which also rocked a 7.6-inch display in a landscape-focused orientation.
Now, that’s not to say Samsung’s redesigned foldable will look identical to Google’s 2023 release. In fact, the large bezels surrounding the Pixel Fold’s main display meant that, despite looking like a different shape in practice, Google and Samsung both utilized 6:5 aspect ratios for their foldables that summer. The difference came from orientation, with the Pixel Fold rotating Samsung’s once-typical display shape and size 90 degrees. It wasn’t until later foldables, such as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 7, that we saw both of these brands adopt an even squarer, nearly 1:1 shape for their main displays.
On the other hand, this wider Galaxy Z Fold should have a completely different aspect ratio, and judging by some leaked renders through official Samsung software, it’s looking like 16:10 is the shape we should expect. That’s a big difference compared to 6:5 (or 12:10, for closer ratio comparison), comparable to all sorts of Android tablets. While I’d love to draw a comparison to Samsung’s own 16:10 Galaxy Tab series, considering the screen size, Google’s Nexus 7 lineup from nearly fifteen years ago seems like a more apt comparison — just, you know, with improved bezels.
It’s curious to see Samsung using a smaller display than what’s on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 right now, but when you consider the change in shape, it makes a little more sense. Even utilizing an 8-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio could make the outer display too wide to comfortably type on. That was occasionally an issue Google ran into, something not helped by its asymmetrical bezels.
Aside from its display size, today’s leak also points to some not-so-surprising specs, including a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Samsung’s wide foldable might also include a 4,800mAh battery thanks to its dual-cell architecture, a capacity that sounds surprisingly large until you learn that the typical Galaxy Z Fold 8 might beat it anyway.
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