Samsung Unveils W26 Foldable Phone: Dual-Tone Design, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage

Samsung has made a new foldable smartphone, the W26, which is only available in China. The W26 is very similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in design and specifications and the main difference is the satellite connectivity for emergency calls and messaging. This feature elevates the W26's value considerably in the areas where the cellular coverage is poor.

The W26 stays true to its global counterpart by being just as slim, it has the same thickness of 8.9mm and weighs 215 grams. The device has a 6.5-inch external display and an 8-inch internal foldable one, additionally, it includes the same high technology as the Z Fold 7. The difference is that the W26 supports Tiantong, China's national mobile communications satellite system, and thus enables the user to communicate even without the mobile network.

Along with the W26, Samsung has also launched Dan Xihong (Red and Gold) and Xuan Yao Black (Black and Gold). The memory is 16GB RAM plus storage options of 512GB and 1TB, which is more than the global variant of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which includes 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. Besides the dual-tone Kevlar protective case, the package consists of a 25W fast charger, a USB cable, and a China Telecom co-branded privilege card.

The W26’s display is capable of a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate and its brightness in HDR mode can reach a maximum of 2,600 nits. There are stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support for audio and thus the media playback is very impressive. For software, it uses Android 16 with One UI 8.0 and provides seven generations of Android OS updates. In addition, the Smart Collection, Smart Drag and Drop, and Smart Password Manager all come from the Galaxy AI that is targeted at productivity enhancement.

The camera specifications are the same as in the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with a 200MP main sensor featuring OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide lens with autofocus, and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and OIS. A 10MP selfie camera is located in the front on the cover display, while a 4MP under-display camera is situated underneath the folding screen. All other cameras (excluding the 4MP sensor) support video recording of 8K at 30fps and 4K at 60fps.

The price of the Samsung W26 is set at CNY 16,999 (approximately $2,383) for the 512GB model, while the 1TB variant is priced at CNY 18,999 (around $2,663).