Samsung vs. Apple: Foldable fight begins with wide-format debuts

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Samsung vs. Apple: Foldable fight begins with wide-format debuts

Published: 30 Apr. 2026, 05:00 Updated: 30 Apr. 2026, 13:22

LEE JAE-LIM
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A render comparing Huawei's Pura X Max and Samsung Electronics' upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, leaked by prolific tipster Ice Universe [ICE UNIVERSE]

[NEWS ANALYSIS]

Samsung Electronics is set to release a wide foldable phone this July, positioning it between Huawei's recent launch and Apple's anticipated September debut of a similar form factor. The question is whether Samsung can maintain its grip on the market for a version of smartphones it first pioneered.

The upcoming launch comes as Samsung is projected to lose a sizable share of the foldable market to Apple, despite overall growth in shipments.

"Apple's entry will be a key inflection point, with the company projected to capture a 28 percent share in 2026, approaching Samsung's leading position," stated Counterpoint Research. The market tracker's forecast for this year still positions Samsung at the top of the global foldable smartphone market with a 31 percent share, though that represents a 9 percentage point decline from 2025. Apple is expected to emerge as the second-largest player with 28 percent, driven by its anticipated foldable debut this September.

What has now been confirmed is that Galaxy Unpacked in July will feature three devices: the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Flip 8, and one additional model widely expected to be the new wide foldable. Leaks emerged around the same time Huawei released the Pura X Max in April, its own take on the wider foldable format. If the specs shared by tipster Ice Universe are accurate, the new device would be Samsung's thinnest foldable to date, and more lightweight than the experimental Galaxy Z TriFold, which folds twice.

The two Samsung devices serve fundamentally different purposes. The TriFold is a pocketable tablet pushing the boundaries of hardware design, while the Fold 8 Wide, seemingly closer in size to a passport when closed, is shaping up to be a more practical everyday smartphone — one that just happens to open into something much more spacious.

Display difference
A display comparison between Samsung and Huawei's foldable lineups has been drawing significant attention online. The specs are particularly consequential for foldables, where the screen itself defines the user experience — the central question being whether the device feels natural both when folded and unfolded, a judgment that comes down largely to display proportions.

A leaked image of Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide [ICE UNIVERSE]

The Fold 8 Wide is rumored to feature an inner screen between 7.6 and 8 inches — smaller than the TriFold's 10-inch display, but still firmly in tablet territory. Against Huawei's Pura X Max, Samsung holds a clear edge in thinness: 4.3 millimeters (0.17 inches) unfolded and 9.8 millimeters folded, compared to Huawei's 5.2 millimeters and 11.2 millimeters, respectively. The Samsung device is also slightly narrower when closed at 82.2 millimeters, which should make one-handed use slightly more comfortable compared to Huawei's 85 millimeters.

Huawei wins on raw canvas size when opened, at 166.5 millimeters wide versus Samsung's 161.4 millimeters. The two also differ in display ratio: Huawei leans wider with a 4.24:3 inner and 4.4:3 outer ratio, while Samsung goes with a 4.3:3 inner and 4.7:3 outer — a configuration that may feel more balanced across apps and productivity tasks. The wider outer ratio in particular means typing feels less cramped and apps appear closer to their standard proportions, preserving a normal phone feel when folded. Huawei's inner display skews slightly more rectangular, while Samsung's is squarer and more tablet-like when open.

The pitch, in short, is a phone that behaves like a phone when closed and a real tablet when opened, a more accessible proposition than the TriFold's dual-fold ambitions, and one aimed squarely at a broader audience. If the leaks hold true, it would also mark the first commercial implementation of Samsung's creaseless display technology, first unveiled at CES 2026.

Galaxy Z TriFold is displayed at Samsung Electronics store in Jung District on Dec. 17, 2025 [YONHAP]

What consumers want
Pricing could prove to be either a key selling point or a significant barrier. An expensive price tag appears unavoidable, however, given its positioning as a high-end device and the impact of ongoing chip supply constraints, which have driven up component costs.

Multiple analysts have noted that rising chip costs threaten smartphone profitability, and a decline in the electronics giant's smartphone division seems "unavoidable."

"Rising production costs will likely weigh on the division's margins," Samsung Securities analyst Lee Jong-wook noted. "But its Chinese rivals are scaling back production due to their own cost pressures, and consumer preference for premium smartphones should continue to positively affect Samsung Electronics' product mix."

A leaked image of Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide [LUKE BAKER]

Huawei's Pura X Max starts at 10,999 yuan ($1,600). The Galaxy Z TriFold, positioned as a halo product to showcase Samsung's engineering capabilities rather than move a lot of units, launched at $2,899, an expensive price tag that reflected both its manufacturing complexity and its niche ambitions. The Fold 8 Wide is expected to come in well below that, but anticipated pricing around 2 million won ($1,350) or higher may still give cost-conscious buyers reason to pause.

Another closely watched factor is the potential return of the S Pen. Many prospective buyers say that a device marketed as a phone-tablet hybrid should come with stylus support as standard. The S Pen — a staple of the Galaxy Note series, where it was built-in — has since been demoted to an optional accessory for the Fold line, and users are pushing for its return as an integrated feature.

"Fold 7 owner here, I need the following: better cameras, a bigger battery and most definitely the S Pen," one user posted online. "If the first two are there but no S Pen […] no deal."

Another poster claiming to currently use the Z Fold 6 said the prospect of a thinner, wider design combined with the return of the S Pen is enough to make them consider upgrading. Among those already interested in the wide form factor, the debate has largely narrowed to whether to go with the standard Fold 8 — seen as the stronger camera device — or hold out for the Wide if S Pen support is confirmed. A more cautious crowd says they're waiting to see what Apple announces in the fall instead of making a rash purchase.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]