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Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold8 is the lightest book-style foldable phone on the market, but that’s not the headline. Based on analyst reports, it’s a preview of Apple’s long-rumored folding iPhone, expected this fall.
The device is squatter and wider than Samsung’s previous foldables. It’s shaped like a passport, similar to Google’s Pixel Fold, with a 5.5-inch external screen and a 7.6-inch display within.
The Fold8 dimensions nearly match the iPhone maker’s not-yet-released version—5.35 inches outside and 7.58 inches inside—reported by the supply-chain sources of David Naranjo, associate director at Counterpoint Research.
Apple doesn’t comment on future products, but it has long incorporated Samsung display technology into iPhones.
Why go wide? The shape suits how most people use phones, such as watching videos and browsing the web, says Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of devices at IDC. Samsung and Apple are likely trying to find a more mainstream audience for foldables, he adds.
The previous Galaxy Fold models are typical phone-shaped rectangles when closed, and Samsung is continuing the same elongated look with its new Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. The double-wide inner display is intended for productivity, like using two apps simultaneously. From our testing, it’s handy when you want to take notes while viewing a presentation.
The new Fold8 has an inner screen that better resembles your laptop screen or a horizontal tablet display, so desktop-optimized webpages and wide-format TV shows look more natural.
Samsung also thinned and flattened the display. And in a demo it definitely felt sleek and light. Folded, the two screens are just one millimeter thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro (with just one screen), and the Fold even weighs a tad less.
A folding-phone concern for years has been the “crease”—where the inside display dips between the two halves. Samsung worked to make this indentation less visible when the screen is completely flat. Minimizing the crease is a priority for Apple, says Naranjo.
Foldables are still a niche category, making up just 1.6% of smartphones sold last year, according to Counterpoint. They’re aimed at big-screen lovers and on-the-go multitaskers.
There is such a thing as too big: Samsung’s massive 10-inch Galaxy Z TriFold didn’t land, and the company discontinued the model after a few months. Plus, on all foldables, that interior screen comes with trade-offs: The flexible panel has a soft polymer top layer that can be easily punctured. And the hinge can break down over time. Samsung says its hinges are designed to be opened and closed dozens of times a day.
But that tiny market is growing—and fast. This year, IDC data forecasts that foldable shipments will grow by 20% compared with last year, while smartphone sales overall fall by 14% as the memory-chip crisis drives steep price increases.
Foldables command a premium. Samsung’s Fold8 starts at $1,900, while the Fold8 Ultra will cost $2,100. Jeronimo estimates Apple’s folding iPhone will cost around $2,500. This fall will be a real test of whether well-heeled customers really want a giant phone that folds in half.
Write to Nicole Nguyen at [email protected] and Natalie Kaufman at [email protected]
