Samsung's next-gen Galaxy Z Fold 8 could get downgraded from titanium backplate in 2026

Samsung has just launched its new Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a more premium build and thinner design with a newly-designed titanium backplate, but rumor has it that its next-gen Galaxy Z Fold 8 will ditch it.

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The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a premium OLED panel and hinge that Samsung has recently tested, reporting that it can handle over 100 folds per day for 10 years, thanks to its titanium backplate. Samsung's next-gen foldable smartphone should be cheaper, with the next-gen Galaxy Z Fold 8 rumored to ditch the hinge and cut costs.

New rumors suggest that Samsung would use a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) backplate instead of the titanium backplate, with The Elec reporting that the new titanium backplate is harder to source than CFRP ones, and that the trade war between the US and China has had an effect on the supply chain for companies like Samsung, making it harder to acquire the titanium for its backplate.

Samsung switching to a CFRP backplate would see the next-gen Galaxy Z Fold 8 take a hit in durability, in a time when the titanium backplate and premium hinge are a big selling point for the well-received new Galaxy Z Fold 7, especially with Apple and its purported foldable iPhone dropping in 2026, the same year as the new Galaxy Z Fold 8.