Samsung Could Launch 6 Foldables in 2027, Including 3 Fold 9s. The $1,999 iPhone Duo Explains Why

Samsung 2027 foldables could include six models, more than double its usual lineup, with three Galaxy Z Fold 9 versions and a sliding Galaxy Z Slide. You’ll see why Huawei’s 48% market share and Apple’s $1,999 iPhone Duo explain the push, and which rumored models we’d actually bet on.

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Samsung’s 2027 foldable lineup could grow to six models, including three versions of the Galaxy Z Fold 9 and a brand-new phone with a screen that slides out instead of folding. That’s more than double what Samsung usually launches, and the timing isn’t random: Apple’s first foldable goes on sale this week, and Huawei has been outselling Samsung in foldables. Here’s what’s rumored, what’s believable, and what it could mean for the folding phone you buy next.

The leak comes from tipster TheGalox, who posted the lineup on X this week. Samsung hasn’t confirmed any of it.

The tipster also claims all six will get better battery life, thinner bodies, and lower weight. That’s the kind of promise every foldable generation makes, so we’d treat it as a direction, not a spec.

Here’s the detail most coverage skips. In July, a Korean industry report described Samsung’s “4+4” plan for 2027: four regular flagships in the first half, then four foldables in the second half, namely the Fold 9, Fold 9 Ultra, Flip 9, and TriFold 2. This new leak keeps those four and adds two new names. So the question isn’t whether Samsung has a big 2027 plan. It’s whether the Fold 9 Pro and Z Slide are real additions or wishful thinking.

Samsung already split the Fold into two very different phones in 2026:

Aspect ratio is the shape of the screen. The Fold 8’s 4:3 inner screen is wider, closer to a small tablet or a paperback book, which makes videos and two side-by-side apps feel less cramped.

Now notice two things. First, the gap between the two is just $200. Second, the cheaper wide Fold 8 has no zoom camera at all. If you want the wide shape and a telephoto, Samsung doesn’t sell that phone.

That’s where we think a Fold 9 Pro fits. Our guess: the wide body of the standard Fold with a better camera setup, priced between the two. It’s an educated guess based on the gap in today’s lineup, not a leak. It also mirrors how Apple sells iPhones, with a regular, a Pro, and a Pro Max that each add one or two features people will pay for.

Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, starts at $1,999 and goes on sale October 23 in the US and more than 70 other countries. It has a 7.6-inch inner screen and a 5.4-inch outer screen, almost exactly the size of Samsung’s wide Fold 8.

That price lands right between the Fold 8 ($1,899) and Fold8 Ultra ($2,099). Reports say pre-orders sold out within minutes, with shipping dates sliding into 2027. Whatever the final numbers, one thing is clear: Apple just proved a lot of people will pay $2,000 for a foldable when it’s an iPhone.

Samsung has a second problem. In the April-to-June quarter, Huawei shipped 48% of the world’s foldables, while the whole foldable market slipped 2% to about 3.4 million units. Samsung’s shipments grew 25%, but it still trailed. Analysts expect Samsung to win back the lead for 2026 as a whole, then expect Apple to become the market leader in 2027.

Put those together and six models make sense. Samsung can’t out-brand Apple, so it’s trying to out-choose it: a model at every price, every shape and every size, before iPhone owners even think about switching.

The most unusual name on the list is the Galaxy Z Slide. Instead of a hinge, its screen would roll out from inside the body as the phone slides open, a bit like pulling out a window blind.

Samsung’s display division has shown the tech before. At MWC 2026, the big phone trade show in Barcelona, it showed a “Mobile Slidable” concept that grew from 5.1 inches to 6.7 inches. Samsung has also trademarked the name “Galaxy Z Roll”, so the final name could change.

The timing is where we’re skeptical. A report from Korea in June said Samsung’s first rollable phone was aimed at the first half of 2028, with research firms forecasting a screen near 10 inches. This new leak doesn’t explain what changed to pull that forward.

Our view: a 2027 tease is possible, maybe a concept at Unpacked, Samsung’s launch event. A phone you can actually buy in 2027 is a long shot. Rollable screens are harder to build than folding ones, because the panel has to survive being wound and unwound thousands of times without creasing or stretching.

The Galox says the Galaxy Z TriFold 2 will be the first of the six to launch. That clashes a little with the July report, which had it arriving alongside the Fold 9 models, likely in July 2027.

Either way, the TriFold 2 is expected to keep a screen of about 10 inches when fully open, roughly an iPad mini. Earlier rumors point to a slimmer design where all three panels are about the same thickness, which would fix one of the first TriFold’s awkward quirks. There have also been hints that the Galaxy Z TriFold 2 could arrive early, which would line up with the tipster’s claim.

Samsung’s six-model plan is a smart reaction to the biggest threat it’s faced in foldables. But a lineup this big is only a win if the differences are easy to explain in one sentence. Right now, only four of the six pass that test.

It’s Apple’s first foldable, with a 7.6-inch inner screen and a $1,999 starting price. Chinese brands are racing it to stores, and Vivo’s X Fold 6 is racing the iPhone Duo with a bigger battery, though global buyers get less RAM than in China.

Yes, if you want a small phone that fits any pocket. Flip phones like the Galaxy Z Flip trade battery life and camera quality for size. Motorola’s Razr Flex might suit iPhone mini fans, since it folds into a palm-sized square.

A wide foldable opens into a shorter, wider screen, closer to a book than a tall tablet. Videos and split-screen apps fit better, but the outer screen can feel cramped. Oppo’s Find N7 leak puts four cameras on a wide foldable, which is more than Samsung offers.

Slowly. Top models still cost about $1,900 to $2,100, but some brands are pushing back. One of the bigger surprises this year is a Huawei Mate X8 leak hinting at a $448 price cut, in a year when most phones got pricier.

Brands want screens that feel bigger without making phones taller. After Huawei sold 180,000 of its wide phones in a day, Oppo and Honor are moving to shorter, wider phones too, and foldables are following the same trend.

Vincee Cole is a technology journalist with four years of experience covering the full spectrum of modern tech — from consumer devices, artificial intelligence, to quantum computing, blockchain, and digital assets. His reporting cuts through complexity to deliver stories that are sharp, grounded, and relevant to both general readers and industry insiders. Previously, he worked with fintech research teams across Southeast Asia, analysing how emerging technologies are reshaping financial systems at scale.