Samsung aims to produce around 1 million units of its upcoming "Wide Fold" device, in an attempt to directly rival Apple's rumored foldable iPhone expected later this year.
According to Korea's ETNews, the Wide Fold will see Samsung's largest initial production run for a special model in the past three years. The device is said to feature a 7.6-inch foldable OLED display with a 4:3 aspect ratio when unfolded, and a 5.4-inch cover screen.
Apple is expected to introduce a foldable iPhone this fall with a similar 4:3 inner display ratio. When folded, users will interact with a 5.3-inch outer display that is shorter and wider than a typical iPhone screen, while unfolding it will reveal a larger 7.7-inch iPad-style screen, according to The Information.
Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to sell somewhere between 8 and 10 million units by the end of the year, assuming it launches in 2026 and isn't pushed back into early next year. Either way, it appears that by matching the device's aspect ratio, Samsung is wasting no time going after Apple in a space that the Korean tech giant has so far dominated.
A source quoted in the report says the Wide Fold "is not considered dramatically harder to build than [the] TriFold," and Samsung may increase output depending on the market response. The upcoming Galaxy Z TriFold is expected to have only a limited run of around 200,000 units, compared to the Wide Fold's projected 1 million units. Samsung is expected to launch the TriFold device on January 30, starting at $2,899.
ETNews reports that the Wide Fold will debut alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 at Samsung's Q3 Unpacked event in July. If so, that's a change from previous years, when Samsung staggered its special models to avoid cannibalizing sales from its main lineup.
Samsung's overall foldable shipments reportedly exceeded 6 million last year, and the company expects that figure to climb with the Wide Fold joining its portfolio. Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September.
