Motorola Wide Fold: A Smaller Galaxy Z Fold 8 Rival

Quick summary: Motorola is reportedly making a wide foldable that’s even smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it could be sold here in the US. It has smaller screens, a weaker chip and a surprisingly big 6,500mAh battery. It’s unique, but I’m not sure there’s much demand for a smaller Fold.

Key takeaways (reported specs)

• Smaller screens: roughly 6.9 inches inside and about 5 inches on the cover, vs 7.6 and 5.5 inches on the Fold 8.
• 120Hz displays, with similar resolution for their size.
• Chip: a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5-class chip vs the Fold 8’s faster Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
• Memory: 12GB RAM, apparently only 256GB storage. The Fold 8 offers 12/16GB.
• Cameras: up to a 50MP main camera and a 32MP selfie camera.
• Battery: a big 6,500mAh, vs 5,000mAh on Samsung’s Fold.
• Charging speed for the Motorola isn’t known yet.

A smaller wide foldable

Lots of people love the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Personally, I wouldn’t mind if it were a bit taller. Motorola is going the other way with a smaller wide foldable. Both screens are noticeably smaller than Samsung’s, while resolution is about the same once you account for size.

Specs vs the Galaxy Z Fold 8

Samsung wins on the processor. The Fold 8 gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the Motorola reportedly uses a lower-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. RAM starts at 12GB, but the Motorola seems to come only in 256GB. Cameras go up to a 50MP main sensor with a 32MP selfie camera.

The surprise is the battery. At 6,500mAh, it’s much bigger than the Fold’s 5,000mAh. That’s super impressive, though not shocking given Motorola’s track record with big batteries.

Do we need a smaller Fold?

It’s a super interesting-looking device. Still, I’m not sure many people want a Z Fold that’s physically smaller than today’s. Thinner, sure. Smaller, I doubt there’s a huge market for it, though maybe I’m wrong. Motorola doesn’t generally outsell Samsung, but it makes really cool phones, and this is one to watch. Would you buy one?