Samsung dropped the hidden selfie camera after the Galaxy Z Fold6, then watched Apple ship one on the iPhone Duo. A new tip says the camera is coming back, but the numbers behind the claim do not add up yet.
The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor making the rounds this weekend says Samsung is ready to bring back the under-display camera it abandoned two generations ago. According to a tipster on X, reported by GSMArena on October 31, 2026, Samsung will unveil a device with an under-display camera, major internal changes, and minimal changes to thickness and design. Samsung has said nothing, so all this is unconfirmed.
The timing is what makes the claim interesting. Apple put a 4MP under-display selfie camera on the inner screen of the iPhone Duo, its first foldable, and the same tipster says Samsung is positioning the Fold9 as a direct competitor to that phone.
This story comes from a single unnamed tipster, and GSMArena itself says the claim deserves a hefty pinch of salt. The thickness targets do not match the phone Samsung sells today, and the report offers no photos or second source.
The Short Version
- The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor claims Samsung will revive the under-display camera on its next book-style foldable, dropped with the Galaxy Z Fold7 in 2025.
- The same tipster earlier said the Fold9 is in development, targeting 3.9mm unfolded and 7.9mm folded.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor also says Samsung is reportedly positioning the Fold9 as a direct rival to the iPhone Duo, which uses a 4MP under-display camera on its inner screen.
- GSMArena flags a problem: the wide Galaxy Z Fold8 is 4.5mm unfolded and 9.7mm folded, so 7.9mm folded would be a large drop.
- Nothing is confirmed. Samsung has not announced the Galaxy Z Fold9, and no launch date, price, or spec has been verified.
The Bigger Picture
Foldables are judged on details buyers notice daily, and the inner selfie camera is one of them. A punch hole interrupts video and reading on a large folding screen. A hidden camera leaves the screen clean, but it shoots through layers of pixels, which costs light and sharpness. Samsung chose camera quality in 2025. Apple chose the clean screen in 2026. That is why the Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor matters beyond the camera: if Samsung reverses course, screen purity is a selling point again, and Samsung does not want its rival to own it alone.
Galaxy Z Fold 9 Rumor: What the Tipster Actually Reported
The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor rests on a single source chain. A tipster on X posted that Samsung will unveil a device with an under-display camera, major internal changes, and minimal changes to thickness and design. GSMArena reported the claim on October 31, 2026, and noted the tipster is the same source who said earlier in October the Fold9 is in development.
That earlier claim attached numbers: a target thickness of 3.9mm unfolded and 7.9mm folded. The tipster also said Samsung is positioning the Fold9 as a direct competitor to the iPhone Duo. No other detail was reported: no claimed chip, battery, camera resolution, or launch window beyond next year. GSMArena also notes the rumored device could be a Fold9 Ultra rather than the wide Fold9. That is the full extent of the Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor so far.
Why Samsung Walked Away From the Hidden Camera
Samsung kept the same 4MP under-display camera from the Fold3 through the Fold6, and reviewers agreed about the result. Photos came out soft, hazy, and low on detail, because the sensor shoots through the display layers above it. It was usable for video calls, but not a camera anyone would choose for a selfie. 9to5Google called the Fold3 version unimpressive, and later reviews reached the same conclusion.
The screen paid a price too. On the Fold3, reviewers could see a patch of mismatched pixels where the camera sat. With the Fold7, Samsung replaced the unit with a 10MP punch-hole camera with a 100-degree field of view, and kept the same approach for the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra.
Why the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Rumor Has a Thickness Problem
The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor also carries a second problem, which GSMArena spells out. The wide Galaxy Z Fold8 measures 4.5mm unfolded and 9.7mm folded. The rumored Fold9 target is 3.9mm unfolded and 7.9mm folded. That is a drop of 0.6mm unfolded and 1.8mm folded, about 19 percent thinner when folded. Calling that minimal changes to overall thickness is hard to square with the numbers.
There are two ways to read the gap. The targets may be early internal goals that did not survive contact with real hardware. Or the device may be a Fold9 Ultra, a different model, and the comparison with the wide Fold8 is the wrong one. GSMArena raises both possibilities and settles on neither. The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor leaves that question open, and the 3.9mm and 7.9mm figures should be treated as reported targets, not specifications.
The iPhone Duo Angle
The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor frames the Fold9 as a direct answer to the iPhone Duo, and the camera is the clearest point of comparison. Apple chose a 4MP under-display selfie camera for the inner screen of its first foldable, accepting the same image quality trade-off Samsung walked away from. That choice gave Apple the cleaner screen.
Apple’s choice has not settled the argument. Reviewers have noted the Duo’s under-display camera is still visible in normal use, so the clean look is partial, and the photos carry the same softness Samsung’s version showed. The iPhone Duo also arrived with features Samsung had removed from its own foldables, including S Pen support and an IP68 rating, per a Gulf News roundup of Fold9 claims.
Read More: Best Foldable Phone 2026: iPhone Duo, Galaxy Z Fold 8, Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Razr Fold Compared
What the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Rumor Would Need to Prove
A comeback only works if the camera is better than the one Samsung dropped. The Fold6 version was a 4MP sensor shooting through display layers, and five years of progress since the Fold3 would need to show up in the result. The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor gives no sensor resolution, so buyers cannot judge the camera yet. Buyers will judge it on video calls first, and a soft, noisy call image will be noticed immediately on a large screen.
The display has to hold up its end too: the early Fold3 patch of mismatched pixels taught Samsung that hiding a camera is a display problem as much as a camera problem. If the Fold9 really hits 7.9mm folded, that is a genuine engineering result. If it lands closer to the Fold8, the rumor’s numbers will be remembered as early targets that did not pan out.
What to Watch Next
If the Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor is real, the next sign will not come from another tipster post. It will come from supply chain reporting, regulatory filings, or a second outlet with its own source. Watch for three things: a second source repeating the UDC claim with independent detail, the thickness numbers getting repeated, revised, or quietly dropped, and any word from Samsung.
Quick Answers
Is the Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor confirmed?
No. The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor comes from a single tipster on X, reported by GSMArena on October 31, 2026. Samsung has not announced the Fold9, and no second source has confirmed the camera claim.
Why did Samsung drop the under-display camera?
Samsung used a 4MP under-display camera from the Fold3 in 2021 through the Fold6, then switched to a 10MP punch-hole camera with the Fold7 in 2025. Reviewers found the hidden camera’s photos soft and hazy.
What under-display camera does the iPhone Duo have?
Apple’s first foldable uses a 4MP under-display selfie camera on its inner screen, the same approach the Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor says Samsung will bring back. Reviewers have noted the camera area can still be visible, and the photos carry the softness typical of the technology.
How thin is the Galaxy Z Fold9 rumored to be?
The tipster’s reported targets are 3.9mm unfolded and 7.9mm folded. GSMArena notes those figures sit uneasily next to the wide Galaxy Z Fold8 at 4.5mm unfolded and 9.7mm folded.
When will the Galaxy Z Fold9 launch?
No launch date has been reported or confirmed. The report says the camera will reportedly return next year, which points to 2027, but Samsung has announced nothing.
The Takeaway
The Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor is worth watching because it points to a real contest. Samsung tried this idea first on a foldable, dropped it, and now watches Apple sell it on the iPhone Duo. For now, the story is one tipster, one report, and a set of thickness numbers that do not add up. Until then, the Galaxy Z Fold 9 rumor stays in the rumor column, and buyers should wait for a second source before treating any of it as fact.
Sources
- GSMArena: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold9 to bring back a long-lost feature the iPhone Duo has, October 31, 2026. https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_z_fold9_to_bring_back_a_longlost_feature_the_iphone_duo_has-news-75295.php
- Gulf News: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 9 Leaks: S Pen, Hidden Camera, and Ultra Model Rumours Explained. https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/technology%2Fsamsung-galaxy-z-fold-9-leaks-hidden-camera-s-pen-ultra-model-and-everything-we-know-1.500707251
- 9to5Google: Galaxy Fold 3 under-display camera is unimpressive, August 11, 2021. https://9to5google.com/2021/08/11/galaxy-fold-3-under-display-camera/
- Android Police: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 review, September 4, 2021. https://www.androidpolice.com/2021/09/04/samsung-galaxy-z-fold3-review/
- MobileSyrup: The iPhone Duo 2 should skip out on the under-display camera, October 22, 2026. https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/10/22/the-iphone-duo-2-should-skip-out-on-the-under-display-camera/
