Why Samsung Gave Its Next Folding Phone a New Shape - WIRED

What the report says

Wired reports that Samsung used its second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year on Wednesday to introduce a redesigned Galaxy Z Fold8 with a wider, shorter “passport” shape. The device sits between the larger Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and the smaller Galaxy Z Flip8, as Samsung tries to broaden its foldable lineup beyond a single book-style format.

Samsung executive Drew Blackard told Wired the new Fold8 is aimed especially at media consumption, reflecting the company’s view that mobile video viewing has grown sharply and now includes both traditional horizontal video and vertical social content. The phone has a 10:16 cover display and opens to a 7.6-inch inner screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, which Wired says is intended to work better for video, reading and general browsing than Samsung’s taller Fold Ultra design.

The report says the Fold8 will cost $1,900 and weighs 201 grams, with Samsung describing it as the lightest book-style foldable currently available. It also uses a new titanium display layer, branded Flex Titanium, that Samsung says reduces the visibility of the center crease and improves durability. Wired notes that Samsung recently experimented with the larger Galaxy Z TriFold, a limited-run $2,899 device that sold out during several U.S. drops.

The launch comes as competition in foldables is expected to intensify, including from a widely rumored folding iPhone. IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo told Wired that Samsung benefits from offering multiple formats before Apple enters the market. The report also notes that foldables remain premium products, with recent price increases tied by Samsung to component and memory costs.