A newly revealed Samsung model in the GSMA device database is working the rumor mill into a froth again over whether its next big foldable gambit will be another stab at the classic wide-screen Fold rather than a new variation of a cheapo Flip. The listing, attached to model number SM-F971U, codenamed “H8,” is closer to the older Fold lineage of Samsung and suggests that we could see a little revisit of the company’s flagship foldable form factor.
What the GSMA listing tells us about Samsung’s plans
SM-F971U sightings were spotted by industry viewers and filed alongside the “H8” market name in the GSMA device database, a common waypoint for pre-release hardware. The “U” suffix usually signifies a U.S. model in Samsung’s arsenal, which implies that the device is coming to America. Although some previous chatter has positioned the SM-F971U as Galaxy Z Flip 8 FE, database connections and Samsung’s own numbering habits perhaps suggest otherwise.
Smartprix was first to report the listing, and what caught analysts’ attention wasn’t just the model number of the device but also its internal codename. “H8” doesn’t correspond to any of the established naming streams for previous Fold cycles — usually the invocation of a new development branch is an indication of a fresh direction in hardware, not merely an iteration on old. In the meantime, May’s teaser video has sparked interest by showing off Fold 1 — which suggests Samsung worked extra hard for its announcement this month.
Why you need to know the model number for context
Samsung has used a kind of consistent structure to its foldable IDs: SM-F7xx has historically corresponded to Flip-style devices while SM-F9xx has been associated with book-style Folds. The SM-F971U clearly falls in the latter category, so it’s not a Flip variant. For reference, recent Fold flagships used the F9xx string, which is followed by a generation number (the “7” in F971 usually represents that).
If true, the H8 codename may signify a new parallel Fold line. That would line up with rumblings out of South Korea that Samsung would be cooking up two Folds and one Flip this year, including a wider “Wide Fold” designed to help with the usability of both the outer cover display and a more square inner canvas.
What a broader turnout could mean for daily use
The conjectured design suggests an 18:9 (or, for you Apple folk, 2:1) cover screen that looks a lot like any other phone when folded up.
Meanwhile, the rumored inner display would be about square, or the same height-as-width ratio. That shift would solve a longstanding complaint about today’s tall-and-narrow Fold covers: cramped keyboards, tight app layouts, and less-than-ideal media framing.
A squarish inside panel has the potential to shake things up for everyday use. Social apps that prefer square media would feel right at home, split-screen multitasking UI would be more balanced, and content creators could preview 1:1 crops without letterboxing. It’s why a device such as the OnePlus Open, with an external display wider than most, received praise for a day-one use case, while the first Pixel Fold demonstrated how something as simple as a passport-like profile does wonders for reading and productivity.
There are trade-offs. A broader body will test pocketability and hinge engineering, and may require adaptations to the ultra-thin glass stack, panel reinforcement, and battery packaging. Yet supply chain improvements — thinner hinge cams, stronger UTG, and brighter, more durable OLED materials from Samsung Display — do make a large Fold possible without rendering it fat.
Competitive pressure and the market math for foldables
Industry Korean outlets and established leakers such as Ice Universe have claimed Samsung’s broader Fold would arrive before Apple unveils its first foldable iPhone, which is also tipped to lean toward a wider form factor. The timing in turn gels with Samsung’s recent approach of delivering its design pivots ahead of rival flagships.
Equally important is the broader market landscape. Screen firms such as DSCC and Counterpoint Research project the foldable segment will continue to grow at double-digit percent rates out through mid-decade. Globally, Samsung remains the category leader, but the competitive pressure is also fierce in China from Huawei and Honor, while broader, more phone-like covers have proven popular with reviewers and early adopters. A Wide Fold could bolster Samsung’s UX lead in the U.S. and Europe, but it can also be used to cancel out rivals’ ergonomic victories on the high end.
Timing and what to watch next in the coming release cycle
The plan for 2026 at Samsung is likely to follow recent cadence, folding in the fall. If SM-F971U is the Wide Fold, look out for breadcrumbs in certification pipelines: Bluetooth SIG filings, FCC documentation, and battery registrations (which have the habit of hinting at capacity through their EB-BF9xxx codes) as well as references to firmware that pop up on Samsung’s test servers.
Indirect clues can also come from hardware partners. Hinge suppliers like KH Vatec and camera module vendors can turn up in regulatory filings, and display panel specs occasionally appear in manufacturing audits. It would be the tell to mention an outer panel of 18:9 or an inner ratio that is square.
For the time being, model math is about the best we have to go on. SM-F971U plus “H8” doesn’t sound like an outgrowth of the Flip. It could read like a new member of the Fold family — one that might finally marry a phone-friendly cover with a genuinely square canvas inside. If Samsung nails the ergonomics, the Wide Fold could prove its most consumable book-style foldable to date.
