Samsung Wide Fold Aims to Rival Apple’s 2026 Foldable

Key Takeaways:

• Samsung’s rumored “Wide Fold” reportedly unfolds to ~7.6 inches (5.4" folded) with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
• Apple’s first foldable is said to open to ~7.7 inches (5.3" folded) and favor a wide, iPad-like 4:3 ratio.
• Both devices are expected to use OLED panels and target a Fall 2026 launch window.
• The 4:3 “passport” format favors reading and creative work but can add black bars to conventional video.

Overview

Samsung is reportedly developing a new foldable called the Wide Fold that will more closely mirror the display shape Apple is pursuing for its first foldable iPhone. The details come via Korea’s ET News and have been amplified by other industry reports.

The leaks suggest both companies are converging on a similar experience: a compact folded phone that expands into a tablet-like screen better suited for reading, photos, and productivity.

Display specs: how close are they?

According to the machine-translated ET News report, Samsung’s Wide Fold will use an OLED panel that measures about 5.4 inches when folded and about 7.6 inches when unfolded. An unnamed industry source described it as a “passport” type with a 4:3 screen ratio when open.

Separately, The Information previously reported Apple’s foldable will be roughly 5.3 inches folded and 7.7 inches unfolded, with an aspect ratio similar to Apple’s larger iPads when viewed in landscape. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has offered earlier takes suggesting the device could resemble “two iPhone Airs stuck together.”

Why the 4:3 aspect ratio matters

A 4:3 screen is more square than the long, narrow displays typical of most smartphones. That shape improves the experience for reading e-books and documents, viewing photos, and creative tasks such as design or image editing.

The trade-off: most landscape video and some portrait content won’t fill the full width or height of the screen, producing black bars or letterboxing — an effect already visible on Samsung’s squarer Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Launch timing and market context

Multiple reports place both the Wide Fold and Apple’s first foldable in a Fall 2026 timeframe. Samsung’s move would be preemptive competition against Apple but also signals that both companies see demand for a wider, tablet-like foldable format.

If these leaks hold, 2026 could be the year foldables shift from phone-first experiments into devices designed around reading, creativity, and multitasking — with Samsung and Apple aiming similar form factors and use cases.