It is quite normal for smartphone brands to launch country-specific models. For instance, Samsung offers several phones exclusively meant for the Indian market that aren't sold anywhere else. However, launching a better version of a premium foldable that almost costs $2,000 suggests that the company could have offered so much more to its global customers -- but chose not to.
Every year, Samsung launches a premium version of its Galaxy Z Fold7 in China, under the W-series. The speciality of this W-series foldables is that they are a better version of what's being sold elsewhere around the globe. This year, Samsung has come up with the W26, which is the Chinese version of the Galaxy Z Fold7, but with premium looks, more RAM, and plenty of impressive features.
Notably, the Samsung W26 looks like a collectible item as it has gold trimmings, giving it a luxurious look. The W26 is available in two colors: red with gold and black with gold, both of which look absolutely stunning. The best part is that all that shimmery did not add to the weight of the phone, and the phone continues to be the thinnest and lightest foldable, with 215 grams.
While most specs under the hood remain the same, the Samsung W26 in China gets more RAM. You get 16GB of RAM with 512GB and 1TB storage options. On the other hand, the global model, the Galaxy Z Fold7, comes with 12GB of RAM with the 512GB variant.
The Samsung W26 also gets satellite calling and messaging support, which isn't available on the global model. The feature works only in China. Samsung has also made the packaging experience better, and the W26 comes with a Kevlar case, charging cable, and a charger, which is something you don't get with almost any of Samsung's phones released elsewhere.
That's not all. The Samsung W26 also gets some special Galaxy AI tools, including Smart Collection, which allows users to bring text and images into a separate space for better content creation and editing. The phone, sadly, will remain China-exclusive with no plans for an international launch.
Let us know in the comments below, do you think Samsung should've also offered all these features on the global model?
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