BTS star J-Hope appears to flash Samsung’s wider Galaxy Z Fold 8
Footage from a BTS soundcheck in Paris appears to show J-Hope using Samsung’s rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide before Unpacked.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Samsung’s next foldable may have just made an early cameo in the hands of BTS member J-Hope.
According to 9to5Google reporter Ben Schoon, footage from a BTS World Tour soundcheck in Paris shows the singer holding and filming with what appears to be the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, a broader version of Samsung’s book-style foldable phone. Compiled clips of the moment have been circulating on X.
The video reportedly shows the device from both the front and back while J-Hope uses it during soundcheck. 9to5Google said the handset’s shape matches leaked renders of the wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 model expected at Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event.
The phone appears in a purple finish, according to the footage described by 9to5Google. One key view is still missing: the device is not shown opened up, so the inner folding display has not been seen in that clip.
Samsung has a marketing partnership with BTS, and 9to5Google suggested the device was likely provided to J-Hope through that relationship rather than revealed through a planned public tease.
What the rumored Fold 8 Wide may include
The device is widely expected to use the Galaxy Z Fold 8 name, though the naming could get tricky. Mashable has reported that this wider model may not be the direct follow-up to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7. That role is instead expected to go to a separate Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
Reported specifications for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide include a 5.5-inch outside screen and a 7.6-inch inner display, according to Mashable’s guide to leaks around the device. The same reporting points to a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, 12GB of RAM and a 4,800mAh battery.
The camera setup described in those leaks includes a 50-megapixel wide camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera and two 10-megapixel selfie cameras. If accurate, the main camera would be a lower-resolution sensor than the 200-megapixel main camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, according to Mashable.
The wider Fold model is also expected to compete with Apple’s rumored iPhone Ultra Fold later this year, according to Mashable’s earlier reporting on the foldable phone race.
Samsung’s London reveal is days away
Samsung is set to formally announce new devices at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22. Mashable reports that the lineup is expected to include the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 8 and new smartwatches.
Until Samsung makes the devices official, the Paris sighting remains an apparent early look rather than a confirmed launch detail. The company’s Unpacked event should settle the names, specs and designs soon.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.