Samsung’s ‘Wide Fold’ Takes Direct Aim at Apple’s 2026 iPhone Fold

A foldable smartphone shown half-open, highlighting its hinge design on a clean marble background. Image Credit: Amanz / Unsplash

Samsung is developing a wider book-style foldable smartphone with a 4:3 inner display aimed squarely at Apple’s first foldable iPhone, with both devices expected to launch in fall 2026.​

Samsung’s so‑called “Wide Fold” is being built around a 7.6‑inch inner OLED screen and a 5.4‑inch outer panel, using a 4:3 aspect ratio when opened that is closer to a passport or small notebook than Samsung’s current, taller Galaxy Z Fold line. Apple’s foldable iPhone is understood to target a similar 7‑inch class inner screen, around 7.58 inches, also at 4:3, positioning the two devices in direct competition on size and format.​

The shift to 4:3 moves away from the narrow, tall layout of the Galaxy Z Fold7, which offers a 6.5‑inch outer display and an 8‑inch inner panel with 21:9 and 20:18 aspect ratios, respectively. Industry sources say the more square layout is designed to make the device feel more stable in the hand and reduce cropping when viewing web pages, documents and photos, at the cost of wider black bars on widescreen video.​

People familiar with Samsung’s plans say the Wide Fold will join the company’s foldable range alongside the next Galaxy Fold, expanding the autumn lineup to two Fold models plus a Flip device. The conventional Fold8 is expected to retain the size and aspect ratio of the Fold7, leaving the Wide Fold as the main format experiment in the portfolio.​

Apple is expected to introduce its first foldable iPhone at its usual iPhone launch window in September 2026, effectively putting the company’s debut into the same season as Samsung’s wider device. The timing sets up a direct contest in the premium foldable segment between the world’s two largest smartphone vendors by shipments.​

According to one industry figure cited by Korean outlet ETNews, the Wide Fold will pair its 7.6‑inch inner screen with a 5.4‑inch outer display and use a “passport‑type” 4:3 layout when unfolded. The same report says Apple’s foldable design also targets a 4:3 inner aspect ratio, underscoring how both companies are converging on similar ergonomics after several generations of taller Android foldables.

Beyond screen format, Samsung is preparing to differentiate with charging hardware by adding 25‑watt wireless charging support to the Wide Fold, a speed level first slated for the flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra and described as the fastest wireless rate yet on a Samsung smartphone. The move highlights how foldable development at Samsung is now being paired with upgrades in battery and charging technology rather than treated as a standalone niche.

The change in form factor also reflects a broader strategic push as Samsung seeks to defend its early lead in foldables against a high‑profile entrant from Apple. With both companies now aligning on screen size and aspect ratio, competition is set to shift to software optimization, ecosystem integration and long‑term durability as the category moves from experiment toward mainstream premium hardware.