Over the past few years, Samsung has showcased numerous cutting-edge display formats, from multi-folding OLED panels to slide-and-extend samples. But so far, the company has only made vanilla book-type and clamshell-type foldable phones. Next year, the company could shake things up with an even bigger foldable phone.
A giant slate moonlighting a phone?
According to Korea’s ETNews, Samsung’s mobile division is exploring three foldable phone formats for 2026. The mainstream Flip and Fold series devices are here to stay, but next year, they will be accompanied by another book-style model with a super-sized screen.
“Industry sources indicate the goal is to create a wide-type Fold,” says the outlet. The report hints that Samsung is essentially combining two square-ish 18:18 screens to create an 18:9 aspect ratio, something similar to laptops or wide-screen monitors.
The idea is not too far-fetched. Huawei has already blurred those lines with the Mate XT, which has a flexible panel that folds twice and unfolds to open a larger canvas with a wide 1:1.4 aspect ratio. Just over a week ago, the company unveiled the improved Mate XTs, with a similar 10.2-inch inner foldable screen.
Sounds outlandish, but it could just work
As per the latest report coming from Samsung’s home market, which cites anonymous industry insiders, the company will finalize the hardware plans for its ambitious super-sized foldable phone within two months. The plan, reportedly, is to launch this new class of foldable phones in the second half of 2026, alongside successors to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7.
On paper, the idea of a wide-format rectangular screen that is roughly ten inches in size might sound ridiculous. But there are a few aspects that will work in Samsung’s favor. Paired with a full-sized stylus, better app-windowing controls, and optimized UI, the device can quickly turn into a full-fledged tablet for work and play scenarios.
Plus, let’s not forget the excellent DeX system, which essentially opens the doors for a desktop-like workflow on a larger screen. It would be interesting to see how Samsung pitches the idea of a larger foldable phone. Is this going to be what the doomed Microsoft Surface Neo failed to accomplish? Only time will tell!
