Samsung has launched the W26, a luxurious version of its Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable phone, exclusively for the Chinese market. The device boasts several design and feature upgrades over the standard model.
The W26 is available in red and black color options, both featuring gold trimmings for a premium, jewelry-like appearance. The phone’s weight remains at 215g, retaining its position as the thinnest and lightest foldable phone available despite the design changes.
A significant hardware addition to the W26 is satellite calling, a feature not available on most global models of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Although satellite-based text, picture messaging, and data are supported on T-Mobile in the United States for the global version, the W26 takes it a step further with calling capabilities. Samsung has also enhanced the unboxing experience for the W26; it ships in a decorative box containing a Kevlar case, a charging cable, and a wall charger, an uncommon inclusion with modern smartphones.
Internally, the W26 offers a performance boost with 16 GB of RAM for both its 512 GB and 1 TB storage configurations. In contrast, the standard Galaxy Z Fold 7 includes 12 GB of RAM in its 512 GB variant. The China-exclusive model also comes with unique Galaxy AI software tools, including Smart Collection, which provides a dedicated space where users can drag and drop images and text for simplified content organization.
The Samsung W26 is priced at CNY 16,999, or approximately $2,383, for the 512 GB model, while the 1 TB model is priced at CNY 18,999, converting to about $2,663.
Samsung’s W series of devices are traditionally exclusive to the Chinese market due to a long-term partnership with the carrier China Telecom. The series is marketed to appeal to local design preferences and is positioned as a status symbol product. The W26 will be sold in China alongside the regular Galaxy Z Fold 7, and the company has stated there are no plans for an international launch.
