Samsung W26, the luxury foldable, debuts in China with a premium design and top-tier performance features, including 16GB RAM and exclusive China-only features (Photo: X | @gigadgets_)
Samsung Launched the W26 is an exclusive foldable smartphone for China located on the larger storefronts to sell foldable devices, the W26 shares most of its design features with the international Galaxy Z Fold 7 but adds some key enhancements and design tweaks that give it the prestige of being a high-end luxury foldable device for the already wealthy gentlemen.
The icing on the cake features with good looks and performance this would set an interesting position for Samsung in the already competitive tech market in China which is gradually seeing buying patterns veering economists to foldable devices.
The Samsung W26 comes flaunting price with the base setup comes with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage and is priced at 16,999 Yuan (roughly Rs. 2,11,000). The price jumps to 18,999 Yuan (approximately Rs. 2,35,000) for the 1TB option. In addition to the high price, the Samsung W26 offers the most distinguished unboxing experience. A Kevlar case, charging cable and power adapter that are rare to find in flagship packaging as add-ons. The focus on packaging demonstrates Samsung's efforts to bag this niche luxury market.
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The W-series of foldable phones have longstanding status in Samsung's marketing strategy in China. The W26 continues this tradition, luxuriously pronouncing itself to be a status symbol for the Chinese consumer. The W-series devices were sold through a partnership with China Telecom and hence marketed as more of an exclusive smartphone. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold series, which is available to the rest of the world, the W26 being China-only adds to its appeal as a truly unique and premium product within the region. Such far-reaching ideas fall well in line with representing Samsung's attempt to rank foldables as high-end sellers in China which is gradually becoming a favorable ground for such innovations.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset powers this W26 with up to 16GB of RAM and a mind-blowing 1TB of storage space, this foldable is made for power users or those who only want the best. Be it gaming, multitasking or powering through AI-enhanced features in One UI 8 (Android 16), the W26 does it all with ease. From AI-aided editing and gaming to running several apps at once it truly does impress and deliver performance smooth as the Galaxy S series from Samsung.
The W26's battery, but it's decent enough its 4,400mAh battery grants a day and a half of normal use. This is good enough for most alike users and in a market pushing so hard towards permanent use. Then there is fast charging, capped at 25W, which is antiquated as compared to the numerous brands boasting either 65W or 100W charging these days. It does get fully charged in about 90 minutes and given the heavy usage of the W26, there wasn't much overheating which translated to a stable experience all through the day.
Samsung W26 is luxury foldable personally tailored for the high-end market in China. Exclusive features, plush design and solid performance make for an altogether different consumer experience for the discerning. China is the only market for the W26 thus it emerges a status symbol and cutting-edge tech from Samsung. If you are in the market for a top-of-the-range foldable and clearly willing to spend on luxury tech the W26 is definitely something to keep an eye on.
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Disclaimer: Pricing, features and availability are subject to change and may vary. Information provided is based on current details at the time of writing.
