TL;DR
- Mannequin quantity SM-F971U, beforehand believed to be the Galaxy Z Flip 8 FE, was found within the GSMA database alongside the codename “H8.”
- Samsung’s mannequin quantity conference suggests this telephone shouldn’t be a Flip foldable, however a Fold-style foldable. The inner codename means that it’s a new growth department, indicating a brand new product line.
- Earlier experiences counsel that this might be Samsung’s Extensive Fold gadget, that includes an 18:9 cowl display screen and a 1:1 interior display screen, which can be Samsung’s response to Apple’s anticipated foldable iPhone, additionally anticipated to be a wider foldable.
Samsung has bold plans for 2026. The yr will doubtless begin with the launch of the Galaxy S26 sequence, which has already had its justifiable share of drama. We then anticipate Samsung to maneuver on to its foldables, that are scheduled for launch within the second half of the yr. We had already noticed mannequin numbers of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Flip 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8 FE. Because it seems, that “Galaxy Z Flip 8 FE” simply made an look at GSMA, and it would truly transform the “widescreen Fold 8” as an alternative.
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Smartprix noticed a brand new Samsung telephone mannequin quantity, SM-F971U, within the GSMA database. Curiously, this itemizing additionally mentions “H8” because the market title for the telephone.
To grasp “H8,” the report clarifies that the beforehand revealed data concerning the “SM-F971U” being the “Galaxy Z Flip 8 FE” might have been misinterpreted. Based on the report, Samsung persistently makes use of “SM-F7xx” for its Flip-style foldables and “SM-F9xx” for its Fold-style foldables, which is why the SM-F971U can’t be a Flip-style foldable and should be a Fold-style foldable.
Additional, the report brings up Samsung’s Fold-style foldables and the pattern of their inside codenames:
- Galaxy Z Fold 6 (2024): Mannequin quantity: SM-F956, Codename: Q6
- Galaxy Z Fold 7 (2025): Mannequin quantity: SM-F966, Codename: Q7
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 (2026): Mannequin quantity: SM-F976, Codename: Q8
The SM-F971U, with its H8 codename, doesn’t conform to this conference, which suggests it might be from a special growth department.
The report joins the dots to earlier experiences of Samsung engaged on a wider-screen foldable. Based on experiences from South Korea in September, Samsung is engaged on two Fold and one Flip telephone in 2026, with the second Fold being a so-called “Extensive Fold” mannequin. The thought with the Extensive Fold is to have a wider cowl display screen that’s 18:9 (vs the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s 21:9 cowl display screen side ratio), that unfolds right into a sq. 18:18/1:1 interior show (vs the almost sq. 6:5 side ratio on the Fold 7’s interior show).
South Korean experiences counsel that the Extensive Fold is a preemptive response to Apple’s upcoming iPhone Fold, which is claimed to have a wider side ratio and a smaller, stubby measurement. This doesn’t come as a shock, as a lot of Samsung’s current maneuvers have been makes an attempt to preempt Apple’s strikes, quite than having an unbiased course for innovation.
The “U” on the finish of the mannequin quantity signifies that the Extensive Fold is meant for the US area, suggesting that it might launch within the US at the very least.
Additional particulars concerning the Extensive Fold, together with its last advertising title, are at present unknown. We’ll be holding an eye fixed out for extra data, however with three foldables on the horizon, it’s time to be a Samsung foldable fan.
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