The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide is not official yet, but this dummy unit that we got a hands-on gives us an early look at how Samsung’s wider foldable could feel in the hand.
At first, it shares a strong design resemblance with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It has a similarly flat frame, squarish build, slim construction and vertically arranged rear cameras. The biggest difference is immediately noticeable, though: this version is considerably wider and shorter. Oh, and a dual-lens camera instead.
Almost like an iPhone Ultra when folded
When closed, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide has an aspect ratio that feels much closer to the iPhone Ultra than Samsung’s traditionally tall and narrow Fold design. This makes the cover display feel more like a Blackberry Passport smartphone and more comfortable for typing, browsing and using apps with two hands.
The wider proportions may look unusual beside the regular Galaxy Z Fold, but they feel surprisingly natural once you hold the device. It almost resembles a compact passport-sized tablet when folded.
A more tablet-like inner display
Opening the device reveals a wide, almost square inner display. The additional horizontal space should be useful for multitasking, reading websites, editing documents and running two apps side by side with content looking like a normal smartphone
The crease remains visible on this dummy model. However, these details may not represent the final retail hardware.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Early impressions
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide feels like a wider interpretation of the Fold 7 rather than a completely new design. It keeps Samsung’s familiar foldable styling but changes the proportions and aspect ratio for a new market and audience. Samsung has not officially confirmed the device, so its name, design and specifications could still change before launch.
We can expect the Unpacked event sometime this July-August.
