Every year, Samsung releases something extra for the Chinese market, such as a foldable phone that takes the Galaxy Z Fold recipe and goes all in. This time around, the W26 features gold accents and a price tag of more than $2,300, geared at buyers who prefer to flaunt their technology.
When folded, the W26 is 8.9mm thick and weighs 215g, the same as the Z Fold7. When you unfold it, the dimensions shrink to 4.2mm thanks to a tiny hinge innovation that doesn’t sacrifice toughness. The frame is armored metal with gold embellishments that catch the light perfectly. Gold rings surround the triple camera array on the back, while the hinge itself is shiny. It comes in two colors: Danxi Red, a rich red that looks like polished lacquer, and Xuan Yao Black, where the gold stands out against a black background. The rear panel is glass rather than ceramic, which is pleasant to the touch and softly reflecting. Ribbed patterns etch the gold frame, transforming the grip from functional to nearly sensual art.
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Inside, it’s driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and 16GB of RAM in both 512GB and 1TB storage configurations. That runs Android 16 under Samsung’s One UI 8 skin and does an excellent job of multitasking on the foldable screen. The screens are as advertised, with a 6.5-inch cover screen for fast peeks and Corning’s Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 for routine scratching. Flip it out to reveal an 8-inch AMOLED inner screen, both of which run at 120Hz for fluid scrolling that makes each swipe feel intentional. The battery is a 4,400mAh cell charged at 25 watts wired—enough for a whole day but hardly a record-breaker.
The W26’s cameras deliver without fuss, beginning with the main 50-megapixel sensor, which boasts OIS and can capture details in both broad daytime and low light conditions. A 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens for landscapes and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x zoom for print-worthy portraits. Selfies are taken using a 10-megapixel front camera on the outside and a 4-megapixel under-display camera on the interior, both of which are tuned for natural skin tones. Water resistance is IP48, which means it can handle splashes but not full submersion, while a side-mounted fingerprint sensor offers fast and secure unlocking.
The W26’s pricing confirms its status as a luxury outlier, with the 512GB version starting at 16,999 CNY (about $2,390) and the 1TB version at 18,999 CNY (approximately $2,670). This is a few hundred dollars more than the Z Fold7 in China, but you receive a Kevlar case and a 1,000 CNY credit on service contracts. The box has a gift-like feel to it, with distinctive inserts and extra shine. Samsung is keeping this exclusive to China, as it has with previous W-series models, although gray market importers are expected to begin delivering devices overseas.
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