Galaxy Z Fold 9 Under-Display Camera Tipped to Return in 2027
The Galaxy Z Fold 9 under-display camera could mark the return of a feature Samsung dropped two years ago. Tipster kro claimed on X on October 29, 2026 that Samsung will unveil a device with an under-display camera (UDC) next year, along with “major internal changes” and minimal changes to its thickness and design. Samsung has not confirmed the plan, so treat it as a rumor from a single source.
It’s coming next year. I’m calling it a year ahead of everyone else: Samsung will unveil a device with UDC, major internal changes, and minimal changes to its overall thickness and design.
— kro (@kro_roe) October 29, 2026
The post quotes an earlier claim from the same account on October 1. There, kro said the Galaxy Z Fold 9 is already in development as a direct rival to Apple’s first foldable, with a target thickness of 3.9 mm unfolded and 7.9 mm folded. The tipster added at the time that Samsung was “considering UDC” and that it “may already be confirmed.”
Why the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Under-Display Camera Would Be a U-Turn
Samsung first hid the inner selfie camera under the screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in 2021 and kept the design through the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 switched to a regular punch-hole camera in 2025, most likely to improve image quality, and this year’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra kept the cutout.
The trade-off has not gone away. A camera behind the panel gives the inner display a clean, uninterrupted look, but light has to pass through the screen pixels, which softens photos and video. Apple faces the same issue: the iPhone Duo uses a 4MP under-display camera on its inner screen and calls it a “FaceTime camera,” and early owners have criticized its image quality.
How Thin Could the Fold 9 Get?
The thickness claims are harder to square. The current wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 measures 4.5 mm unfolded and 9.7 mm folded, so a 7.9 mm Fold 9 would be a large cut for a phone with “minimal changes” to its thickness. GSMArena noted that the numbers may have been early targets, or may refer to a different Fold 9 model.
The timing fits the rivalry. Samsung has openly poked fun at the iPhone Duo since its launch, and a hidden inner camera would remove one of the visual differences Apple can point to.
What It Means for You
If Samsung keeps its usual schedule, the Galaxy Z Fold 9 would launch around July 2027, so nothing about its design is final yet. Buyers who rely on the inner screen for video calls should watch whether Samsung improves under-display image quality, since the cover screen camera remains the better option for selfies on today’s foldables. For more on Apple’s approach, see our report on under-display Face ID tests for the iPhone Duo 2.
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