This week, early One UI 9 files surfaced and for the first time offered official visual cues pointing to Samsung’s rumored wider Galaxy Z Fold. The animations, found inside the new builds, reference model SM-F971U and the internal codename H8, and present both light and dark UI treatments. While the animations are brief and not a full product reveal, they represent the earliest Samsung-origin visuals that fit prior leaks. The discovery reinforces reports that a wider Fold could arrive alongside Samsung’s next foldable family this summer.
Key Takeaways
- One UI 9 APKs include animations depicting a new wider Galaxy Z Fold, marking the first Samsung-sourced visual evidence.
- The device in the files is tied to model number SM-F971U and the internal codename H8, matching earlier leak traces.
- Animations are provided in both light and dark themes, suggesting One UI 9 will include device-specific UI treatments.
- The files were spotted this week during early One UI 9 build analysis, after Google’s Android 17 announcements.
- These assets lack visible hardware details such as a camera island, so final design elements remain unclear.
- Presence in One UI 9 adds weight to reports that Samsung could unveil the Wide Fold alongside the Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 in a summer launch window.
Background
Samsung has steadily expanded its foldable portfolio in recent years, positioning the Z Fold and Z Flip lines as flagship experiments in a growing handset segment. Industry watchers have speculated that Samsung would diversify design choices with a wider internal display option to better serve productivity and tablet-like use cases. Earlier rumors surfaced model numbers and codenames that researchers and teardown experts have tracked across firmware and accessory listings. Until now, leaks included mockups and speculative renders but lacked assets originating inside Samsung’s own interface builds.
One UI 8.5 was Samsung’s latest public interface baseline before this development; One UI 9 represents the next major iteration and typically contains device definitions and UI assets that reflect forthcoming hardware. APK teardowns of pre-release builds are a common way to spot references to unreleased devices, UI flows, and animations, but they do not guarantee that all referenced features or designs will ship. Still, when an unreleased device appears repeatedly across firmware files and carries a consistent codename or model number, it strengthens the case for an actual product in development.
Main Event
Analysts crawling One UI 9 build files this week found a set of fold-specific animations that depict a wider interior display than Samsung’s current Z Fold models. The animations were packaged with device identifiers that match earlier reporting: SM-F971U and codename H8. The assets appear as both light and dark variants, implying Samsung prepared system animations tuned to the device’s proportions and One UI theming.
Those who accessed the packages credited a Telegram user for sharing the APKs and included visual credits to a teardown account that surfaced the images. The animations are short and abstract—focused on hinge and fold behavior and UI transition—so they stop short of a full hardware reveal. Notably, the visual samples do not show a rear camera module or an obvious camera island, which leaves a gap between the software cues and expected hardware details.
Because these files were discovered in early One UI 9 builds, they may reflect work-in-progress assets that Samsung could alter before any public launch. Nevertheless, the presence of a device entry named H8 across multiple files establishes a tighter link between the codename and the previously reported SM-F971U identifier. That continuity is an important signal for analysts tracking the company’s foldable roadmap.
Analysis & Implications
Software assets embedded in an OS build are often prepared ahead of a device’s production readiness, giving OEMs room to test UI interactions with expected screen dimensions and hinge behavior. The One UI 9 animations suggest Samsung is developing software flows for a wider inner display, which could change app-resume behavior, multitasking layouts, and split-screen ratios. For developers and content creators, a wider fold offers a more tablet-like canvas that could encourage optimization for multi-column productivity apps.
From a market perspective, a wider Fold would broaden Samsung’s appeal to buyers who want a single device that better substitutes for a small tablet. That could help Samsung defend leadership in the premium foldable segment against competitors that focus on clamshell designs or incremental updates. If Samsung launches a Wide Fold alongside the Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8, the strategy would mirror past simultaneous introductions that pair multiple form factors to address different buyer priorities.
However, a wider Fold also introduces manufacturing and supply-chain considerations—bigger flexible panels, hinge tolerances, and protective layers may affect yield rates and pricing. Samsung’s ability to bring a larger foldable to market at competitive price points will shape whether the form factor becomes mainstream or remains a niche premium choice. Additionally, user acceptance will depend on app optimization; without strong third-party support, the wider canvas may not unlock its full productivity potential immediately.
Comparison & Data
| Device | Identifier | Source Signal | Expected Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wide Galaxy Z Fold | SM-F971U / H8 | One UI 9 animations (APK) | This summer (unconfirmed) |
| Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Previous public references | Existing rumors / product cycle | This summer (unconfirmed) |
| Galaxy Z Flip 8 | Previous public references | Existing rumors / product cycle | This summer (unconfirmed) |
The table summarizes the current signals: the Wide Fold appears in One UI 9 assets tied to SM-F971U and H8, while the Fold 8 and Flip 8 are expected by the same seasonal window based on Samsung’s product cadence. These entries are drawn from firmware analysis and industry reporting rather than formal Samsung launch materials, so dates and final model assignments remain provisional.
Reactions & Quotes
Technology outlets and teardown researchers quickly circulated the new One UI 9 animations, framing them as the first vendor-origin visuals for a wider Fold. Reporters noted the presence of H8 in multiple files as a key linking factor to earlier model-number leaks. Below are representative reactions and the context they were offered in.
“One UI 9 contains animations that line up with prior clues about a wider Fold—this is the first time we’ve seen Samsung-origin visuals tied to SM-F971U.”
Android Authority (reporting)
Android-focused reporters emphasized that the animations are short and not a final product image; they present a clearer sense of proportions but omit hardware features such as camera modules. That restraint is typical in APK-based discoveries, which often reveal UI behavior before the OEM finalizes cosmetic details.
“Files show both light and dark UI treatments for the H8 device, indicating Samsung is preparing theme-aware transitions for the wider form factor.”
Teardown community (build analysis)
Teardown analysts highlighted the dual-theme assets as evidence the company is integrating device-specific animations into the system. Those details imply engineering work to make the One UI experience feel native on the wider canvas, though they do not confirm any particular external design choices.
Unconfirmed
- The absence of a visible rear camera island in the animations does not mean the Wide Fold will lack a camera module; final hardware may differ from the animations.
- Exact physical dimensions, display diagonal sizes, and interior aspect ratios for the Wide Fold are not confirmed by the files and remain speculative.
- Official launch timing and pricing—often reported as “this summer”—have not been confirmed by Samsung.
Bottom Line
The discovery of One UI 9 animations tied to SM-F971U (codename H8) delivers the first Samsung-origin visual indicators that a wider Galaxy Z Fold is under development. While the assets are limited and omit many hardware details, their presence inside system builds gives the Wide Fold hypothesis more substance than prior renders or rumor alone. For consumers and developers, a wider internal display would shift expectations for productivity, multitasking, and app design on foldables.
Observers should treat APK teardowns as strong but provisional evidence: they clarify a manufacturer’s engineering priorities without guaranteeing final product form or timing. Over the coming weeks and months, further firmware leaks, regulatory filings, and—ideally— official Samsung previews or hands-on photos will be the deciding signals that turn these early animations into confirmed specifications and launch plans.
Sources
- Android Authority — technology news report and APK analysis
- Samsung Newsroom — official corporate newsroom (for One UI and product announcements)