Samsung Prepares two Fold Models for 2026 — Fold 8 FE or Something New?

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Samsung’s foldable roadmap for 2026 is getting crowded as a brand-new Fold model has entered the conversation. A few days ago, we talked about how the model numbers hinted at a possible Galaxy Z Fold 8 FE. Now, we have another piece of information about this device, though the mystery remains unsolved.

Samsung’s mysterious SM-F971 “Fold” model appears again

Samsung is known to be developing at least three new foldables for 2026. Alongside the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8, there’s a third mysterious device in the pipeline. It carries the model number SM-F971, which doesn’t fit well for the Flip 8 FE. We speculated that it could be a Fold 8 FE instead, since Samsung has more reasons to make an affordable fold than a Flip.

Now, this mysterious Samsung foldable has popped up in the GSMA database, spotted by Smartprix. It carries the codename H8, while the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8 (SM-F976) is expected to go by Q8, and the Flip 8 (SM-F776) by B8. Of course, that alone doesn’t confirm whether this new device is a clamshell-style Flip or a book-style Fold, but the model number (SM-F971) strongly leans toward the latter.

More importantly, it should sit below the Fold 8 in the pecking order. As said earlier, Samsung has plenty of reasons to introduce a more affordable Fold. However, the codename H8 suggests it’s not a simple variant of the Fold 8. The company typically uses a suffix on the main codename to denote such variants, not an entirely different letter.

That brings back those early reports hinting at a squarer Fold variant for 2026. This could be it: a new device that opens into a near-square 18:18 display, giving it a very different feel from today’s Fold designs. Unfortunately, nothing is concrete yet. All signs point to Samsung preparing a second Fold model for 2026, but the finer details are still under wraps.

Written by

Sumit Adhikari

Sumit, a life-long Samsung user, is passionate about technology and has been professionally writing on tech since 2017. He’s a mathematics graduate by education and enjoys teaching basic mathematics tricks to school kids in his spare time. Sumit believes in artificial intelligence and dreams of a fully open, intelligent and connected world.

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