What you need to know
- A tipster allegedly discovered an animation for Samsung’s “Wide Fold” hidden in its early One UI 9 test build.
- The animation shows just how much wider over the Galaxy Z Fold 7 the Wide Fold’s cover and internal displays are.
- Past rumors claim the device is being tested with One UI 9 already, and that it’s launch is expected in the U.S., Korea, China, Canada, and more.
We’re seeing more and more instances of the “Wide Fold” mentioned, and this new report claims to have spotted Samsung’s instructional animation for it.
Tipster AssembleDebug (Android Authority) reportedly discovered evidence of Samsung’s “Wide” Galaxy Z Fold after digging through an alleged early One UI 9 build. There’s pretty much one animation on a loop in this early build, which supposedly shows off the phone’s cover and internal displays. With help from a Telegram user, the tipster was able to surface the animation.
The short clip shows the device’s cover display, which is noticeably larger (wider, even) than what the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has today. It looks like the instructional animation is about notifications on the cover display, as it shows what would happen if the user swipes up toward the clock.
The animation shifts to opening the phone. It’s hard to tell, but it seems like the internal screen will get a little wider, too. There doesn’t appear to be much else in Samsung’s early code for the model. As the tipster mentions, no animation shows the rest of the phone’s design, namely its rear camera array.
It’s looking more real
We got confirmation that Samsung is preparing to host its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25, but our attention keeps shifting to the “Wide Fold.” A few days after that announcement, rumors surfaced, claiming that Samsung had already started testing its Android 17 (One UI 9) OS, and that the “Wide Fold” is a part of it. This rumor was extremely barebones, only picking up on the supposed firmware version number the company is using for the model.
It lines up with what was reportedly found for the Flip 8 and Fold 8, though slightly modified.
Another “Wide” rumor claims that Samsung could debut the phone in Korea and China, as well as the U.S., Canada, and other global regions.
Android Central’s Take
The funny thing is, we thought regular book-styles were giving us the “tablet treatment.” Considering what this rumored animation shows, it looks like the “Wide Fold” might focus on that type of experience even more for consumers. The way this’ll be marketed remains to be seen, as well as the Galaxy AI features (because you know Samsung’s got it loaded up). I just can’t stop imaging the potential. The potential for games, videos, scrolling—everything. Needless to say, I am intrigued—so far.
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