TL;DR
- Model number SM-F971U, previously believed to be the Galaxy Z Flip 8 FE, was discovered in the GSMA database alongside the codename “H8.”
- Samsung’s model number convention suggests this phone is not a Flip foldable, but a Fold-style foldable. The internal codename suggests that it is a new development branch, indicating a new product line.
- Previous reports suggest that this could be Samsung’s Wide Fold device, featuring an 18:9 cover screen and a 1:1 inner screen, which may be Samsung’s response to Apple’s anticipated foldable iPhone, also expected to be a wider foldable.
Samsung has ambitious plans for 2026. The year will likely start with the launch of the Galaxy S26 series, which has already had its fair share of drama. We then expect Samsung to move on to its foldables, which are scheduled for release in the second half of the year. We had already spotted model numbers of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Flip 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8 FE. As it turns out, that “Galaxy Z Flip 8 FE” just made an appearance at GSMA, and it might actually turn out to be the “widescreen Fold 8” instead.
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Smartprix spotted a new Samsung phone model number, SM-F971U, in the GSMA database. Curiously, this listing also mentions “H8” as the market name for the phone.
To understand “H8,” the report clarifies that the previously revealed information regarding the “SM-F971U” being the “Galaxy Z Flip 8 FE” may have been misinterpreted. According to the report, Samsung consistently uses “SM-F7xx” for its Flip-style foldables and “SM-F9xx” for its Fold-style foldables, which is why the SM-F971U cannot be a Flip-style foldable and must be a Fold-style foldable.
Further, the report brings up Samsung’s Fold-style foldables and the trend of their internal codenames:
- Galaxy Z Fold 6 (2024): Model number: SM-F956, Codename: Q6
- Galaxy Z Fold 7 (2025): Model number: SM-F966, Codename: Q7
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 (2026): Model number: SM-F976, Codename: Q8
The SM-F971U, with its H8 codename, does not conform to this convention, which suggests it may be from a different development branch.
The report joins the dots to previous reports of Samsung working on a wider-screen foldable. According to reports from South Korea in September, Samsung is working on two Fold and one Flip phone in 2026, with the second Fold being a so-called “Wide Fold” model. The idea with the Wide Fold is to have a wider cover screen that is 18:9 (vs the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s 21:9 cover screen aspect ratio), that unfolds into a square 18:18/1:1 inner display (vs the nearly square 6:5 aspect ratio on the Fold 7’s inner display).
South Korean reports suggest that the Wide Fold is a preemptive response to Apple’s upcoming iPhone Fold, which is said to have a wider aspect ratio and a smaller, stubby size. This doesn’t come as a surprise, as many of Samsung’s recent maneuvers have been attempts to preempt Apple’s moves, rather than having an independent direction for innovation.
The “U” at the end of the model number indicates that the Wide Fold is intended for the US region, suggesting that it may launch in the US at least.
Further details about the Wide Fold, including its final marketing name, are currently unknown. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more information, but with three foldables on the horizon, it’s a good time to be a Samsung foldable fan.
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