Samsung plans to launch a "wide-fold" phone next year to compete head-on with the iPhone Fold.

Image source: Jiemian Image Library

On December 22nd, according to Cailian Press, Samsung plans to launch a "wide-fold" mobile phone in the autumn of 2026, aiming to compete head-on with Apple's first foldable-screen mobile phone, the iPhone Fold.

Industry insiders said that Samsung's "wide-fold" mobile phone will be equipped with a 7.6-inch inner screen and a 5.4-inch outer screen, both made of OLED material, with a screen ratio of 4:3. When unfolded, it will resemble a passport. This phone is expected to support 25W wireless charging, making it one of the fastest wireless-charging phones in Samsung's lineup.

Compared with conventional foldable phones, the inner screen ratio of the "wide-fold" phone is closer to the display effect of a tablet. For example, Samsung's 4:3 ratio and Huawei's Pura X's 16:10 ratio. Huawei's Pura X is currently the only wide-fold mobile phone product in the industry. This ratio was popular in devices such as monitors and TVs before the 2010s, providing a wider horizontal field of view and a more efficient split-screen operation experience. It is more suitable for browsing web pages and photos and can display more text than wide screens.

Notably, Apple is also expected to release its first foldable-screen mobile phone, the iPhone Fold, in the second half of 2026. According to Tianfeng Securities analyst Guo Mingji, the unfolded size of the iPhone Fold is similar to but slightly smaller than that of the iPad mini, with an inner screen size of 7.76 inches and an outer screen of 5.49 inches. However, due to the lag in development progress, the iPhone Fold may face a shortage before the end of 2026.

Guo Mingji pointed out that Apple believes that before smart glasses replace smartphones, the foldable screen is the core evolution direction of the mobile phone industry. Therefore, Apple has internally designated the foldable iPhone Fold as a "must-launch product" for next year.

In addition to Samsung, Apple, and Huawei, there are reports that brands such as OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor also plan to launch "wide-fold" mobile phones next year.

Omdia data shows that in the first half of 2025, the global shipments of foldable-screen mobile phones remained at around 6.6 million units. Among them, the Chinese market was the main highlight, with a year-on-year increase of 32.8%, mainly driven by Huawei's Mate and Pura X series.

The agency believes that as competition intensifies and clamshell models become more affordable, the foldable-screen market may see growth again next year. Canalys (now merged into Omdia) predicts that the shipments of foldable smartphones will surge by 51% year-on-year in 2026 and will continue to drive market momentum in 2027.

Image source: Omdia

However, the foldable-screen market will still be a niche market, accounting for only a low single-digit percentage of the overall smartphone market. According to Omdia's analysis, for most manufacturers, the core purpose of foldable screens is to demonstrate technological leadership and R & D strength. Their direct shipment volume and profit targets are relatively low. Manufacturers pay more attention to the halo effect of brand and marketing, thereby achieving brand differentiation in an increasingly homogeneous market, establishing engineering credibility in material and form innovation, and occupying a position in the ultra-high-end market with the highest profit margins.

Omdia data shows that Samsung has maintained its position as the global number one for the third consecutive quarter with a 19% market share, thanks to the continuous popularity of its Galaxy A series and the upgrade of its seventh-generation foldable model product line. Apple ranks second with an 18% share. In the future, with the launch of Samsung's "wide-fold" mobile phone and Apple's iPhone Fold, the competition between the two in the foldable-screen field will intensify, and it is also expected to drive the further rapid development of the foldable-screen mobile phone market.

This article is from the WeChat public account "Jiemian News", author: Song Jianan. Republished by 36Kr with permission.