New Samsung Galaxy Z 'Wide Fold' foldable to receive broader release than Galaxy Z TriFold

ETNews claims to have shed new light on the availability of Samsung's rumoured Galaxy Z 'Wide Fold'. To recap, the company is expected to deliver the Galaxy Z Fold8 this summer as a replacement for the existing Galaxy Z Fold7 (curr. $1,599 on Amazon). At the same time, it seems that Samsung is developing a second book-style foldable too.

According to industry sources cited by ETNews, Samsung hopes to sell far more of this second foldable than either the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition or Galaxy Z TriFold. While those pair exist in the tens or hundreds of thousands, ETNews reports that Samsung intends to produce around 1 million 'Wide Fold' devices, which it may be developing under the model number SM-F971U.

For context, this volume would represent less than half the number of Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z Fold7 devices that Samsung hoped to sell during their lifecycles. Nonetheless, Samsung appears to have greater confidence in the 'Wide Fold' than the Galaxy Z Flip7 FE, of which the company expected to ship around 700,000 units.

Currently, Samsung's 'Wide Fold' is rumoured to unfold to a 7.6-inch display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Closing the device should provide a 5.4-inch cover display too, which would be closer in size to the Oppo Find N2 than the Galaxy Z Fold7. Incidentally, Oppo is rumoured to be returning to this smaller book-style foldable with the Find N7 before the end of the year. Thus, it seems that Samsung and Oppo are preparing themselves for the iPhone Fold, which is also expected to leverage a smaller form factor than conventional book-style foldables.