One UI 9 firmware spills the beans on Samsung’s widest foldable yet
A new report has uncovered images buried inside the One UI 9 firmware for the SM-F971B, which is widely expected to be the Galaxy Z Wide Fold (tentative name). Those images reveal that the foldable’s inner display will sport a 4:3 aspect ratio, a significant departure from the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s nearly square layout.
To put that in perspective, the Z Fold 7 has roughly a 1.11:1 ratio on its inner screen, meaning it’s almost as tall as it is wide. The Wide Fold, on the other hand, will be noticeably wider than it is tall, bringing the experience closer to what you’d get on a small tablet. The fact that Samsung is already preparing its software for this device pretty much confirms it’s coming later this year alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8.
A familiar aspect ratio with fresh potential
Galaxy Z Wide Fold (tentative name) images uncovered within the One UI 9 firmware. | Images by SamMobile
If the 4:3 ratio sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the same proportions you’d find on an iPad. It’s also very close to what Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone is expected to use, which makes the timing here feel very intentional on Samsung’s part.
This wider format could make a real difference for things like watching videos, browsing the web, and multitasking with split-screen apps. The Galaxy Z Fold line has slowly been getting wider over the years, but the core design never changed dramatically enough to feel like a true tablet replacement. The Wide Fold could change that.
Both the Wide Fold and the Z Fold 8 are also rumored to feature nearly crease-free displays, which would be a huge upgrade over what we’ve seen from Samsung so far. Combined with expected Android 17 and One UI 9 out of the box, this is shaping up to be Samsung’s most ambitious foldable lineup to date.
Samsung is following Apple’s lead, but this time it might actually work
Let’s face it, Samsung has a habit of chasing Apple’s homework before it’s even been turned in. The Galaxy S25 Edge was a preemptive response to the iPhone Air, and it didn’t exactly set the world on fire. So it’s fair to be skeptical about the Wide Fold taking a similar approach with the foldable iPhone.But here’s where I think this time is different: the 4:3 aspect ratio isn’t just Apple’s idea. It’s a format that a lot of people, myself included, have been wanting from foldables for a while now. I was genuinely hoping the Pixel Fold would keep pushing in that direction after the original model leaned wider, but Google went the opposite way with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Now that Apple is embracing it, Samsung is following suit, and honestly, I think it’s their strongest play.
Throw it at the wall, see if it sticks
Samsung already tested the waters with the Galaxy Z TriFold, and while that was a fascinating piece of tech, it didn’t exactly take off. They’ve also been gradually widening the Z Fold design over the years, but you can only tweak a product so much before it becomes something entirely different. Launching a separate model to test the wider format is the smart move.
