Samsung Electronics is set to release a new high-end foldable smartphone designed specifically for the Chinese market, aiming to break into China's price-competitive smartphone landscape by focusing instead on flagship devices.
According to South Korean outlets ET News and Financial News, as well as industry sources, Samsung's new W26 will officially launch in China on October 11, and a teaser video has been posted on its China corporate website.
The W26 is based on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 but tailored exclusively for China. While hardware specs largely mirror the global version, the phone features a distinctive red-and-black color scheme with gold hinges, both to appeal to Chinese consumer aesthetics and differentiate itself from the competition.
Under the hood, the W26 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile processor, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. In terms of software, the phone will run One UI 8.0, Samsung's latest interface built on Android 16.
The device sports an 8-inch main screen and a 6.5-inch outer display, with features including a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, IP48 dust and water resistance, a reinforced aluminum chassis, and fast charging capabilities of up to 25W wired and 15W wireless.
Camera-wise, the W26 includes dual 10MP front cameras and a rear setup featuring a 200MP main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 12MP autofocus ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP telephoto lens with OIS support.
Samsung has partnered with China Telecommunications since 2008 to produce the W series foldables specifically tailored for the Chinese market. The W26 continues this lineage as the newest model following the previous W24 and W25, all sold exclusively in China in limited quantities.
According to market research firm IDC, China's foldable smartphone market reached US$27.7 million in the first quarter of 2025, growing by 49.3% year-over-year. Huawei dominates the landscape with a 77% share, followed by Honor at 9%, Oppo at 7%, and Xiaomi at 3%, while Samsung holds about 2%.
Recognizing it cannot compete on cost against local manufacturers, Samsung is doubling down on premium, high-performance foldables aimed at affluent Chinese consumers. This strategy seeks to expand Samsung's footprint in the foldable segment, largely led by domestic brands.
Article translated by Kevin Wang and edited by Jack Wu
