Samsung teases shorter, wider Galaxy foldables ahead of Unpacked event 

A snapped chocolate bar and a trimmed photo strip — that’s how Samsung Electronics teased a major redesign of its eighth-generation foldable smartphone lineup ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked event,  set to take place in London on July 22.

The clips, released via Samsung's global Instagram and YouTube accounts, show a chocolate bar being shortened and the blank border of a photo booth strip trimmed. The imagery appears designed to signal changes to the aspect ratio and industrial design of Samsung's next-generation foldables.

"We redesigned the lineup to deliver an even broader foldable experience for the AI era, which has been built on seven generations of technological innovation and user experience," the company said.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is rumored to have a passport-style design. Unlike earlier Fold models, the new device is expected to have a wider cover screen and a shorter design, both intended to maximize use of the outer display. The device is expected to feature a 5.4-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch inner display with an aspect ratio close to 4:3 when unfolded.

The taller, narrower design that has defined the Fold lineup is expected to continue as the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.

Wider-screen foldable phones with dimensions closer to a regular paper book are emerging as the industry's key battleground as generative AI fuels demand for larger displays that can better support multitasking.

Market research firm Counterpoint Research forecasts the global foldable smartphone market will grow 20 percent this year compared to last year. It also predicted that book-style devices would account for 65 percent, up from 52 percent last year.

Apple is also reportedly preparing to launch its first book-style foldable smartphone, tentatively known as the iPhone Ultra, later this year. The device is expected to feature a 4:3 aspect ratio when unfolded, similar to the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Industry analysts expect Apple to capture 28 percent of the global foldable smartphone market this year, its first year in the market, and quickly rise as the world's second-largest foldable phone maker.

Samsung Electronics held a 40 percent share of the global foldable market last year, followed by Huawei with 30 percent and Motorola with 12 percent, according to Counterpoint Research.

But foldables may not steal the whole show at Samsung's Unpacked event. Samsung is also expected to unveil its first pair of smart glasses, the Galaxy Glass.

Samsung collaborated with Korea’s homegrown eyewear brand, Gentle Monster, on the device's design. It also runs Google's Android XR operating system and integrates Gemini, Google's generative AI tool.

Industry observers expect the device to debut in the third quarter of this year.

Unlike conventional augmented reality headsets, Galaxy Glass is expected to operate without a built-in display. Instead, it uses cameras, speakers and microphones to understand what the wearer is looking at in real time. Gemini then analyzes the scene and responds through audio.

Samsung plans to position Galaxy Glass as a cornerstone of its AI ecosystem as it competes with global rivals including Meta Platforms and Xiaomi.

Pricing remains the biggest uncertainty.

Component costs have risen as memory chip shortages continue to tighten supply. Earlier this year, Samsung raised the price of every 256GB model in its Galaxy S26 lineup — including the standard, Plus and Ultra variants — by 99,000 won ($65) compared with their predecessors. Apple has also recently increased prices on some products by as much as $300 for similar reasons.

"A decision on pricing has not yet been finalized," a Samsung Electronics source said. "But even if prices are raised, the increase will likely be more moderate than those of our competitors."

BY LEE YOUNG-KEUN [[email protected]]