You can really tell that 2026 is going to be the year of the foldable phone, and not just because of all the rumours suggesting an Apple iPhone Fold (or iPhone Ultra) is on the way.
In the past few weeks, we’ve seen Honor launch a new variation on its “Magic” foldable as well as Motorola enter the world of foldable tablet phones in Australia, and now it seems like Samsung will be ready with at least one new variation on the theme.
Samsung is clearly no stranger to foldables having practically launched the category back in 2019. Now for its upcoming (and largely expected) Galaxy Unpacked event for the back half of the year, we’re getting a sizeable hint in the form of a teaser picture.
Specifically it’s a ticket, but it’s a ticket that shows a section of the normally tall phone design getting a chunk torn off.
Clearly, the ticket is a hint at an event, but it also lines up with rumours of a foldable style change, and one Apple may have been experimenting with, as well.
Foldable design is usually a tall phone that opens up into a more square 7 to 8 inch tablet, and while this has largely become the norm, it doesn’t always make for a better tablet experience. In fact, viewing a movie on a foldable’s unfolded screen is rarely any bigger than the cover screen or another phone, not exactly giving you a better experience.
But by shifting the aspect ratio, phone makers might be able to get more from their devices. If the inside screen was designed more like a 4:3 aspect ratio used for tablets, the screen would be wider and feel more like a tablet, potentially making it better for content like reading or taking notes, a move that would change the outside screen, as well.
The image in Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked definitely points to a change in design, though it could be one potentially joining the regular Galaxy Fold models as opposed to simply being a replacement. Given Apple’s focus on keeping the aspect ratio wide for its iPad models, it wouldn’t surprise if the iPad maker plans to keep its foldable iPhone built in much the same way, and this could give Samsung the ability to beat Apple to the punch.
It shouldn’t take terribly long to find out, though, with Galaxy Unpacked set to kick off on 11PM on July 22 (Sydney time), just before the morning of July 23.
