Samsung W27 Goes Official in China as a Gold-Trimmed Fold8 Ultra With Satellite Calling
Samsung's newest China-exclusive W-series foldable is a luxury take on the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, pairing a dual-tone red or blue body with gold hardware and satellite connectivity. Prices start at CNY 18,999.
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Samsung has introduced the W27, the latest entry in its long-running W-series of premium foldables sold only in mainland China. Underneath the cosmetic changes it is the same device as the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, but Samsung has leaned hard into the luxury angle for its home market, adding gold hardware, a dual-tone finish and a collector's box that most global buyers will never see.
A Fold8 Ultra dressed up in red, blue and gold
The W27 is built around two colour options rooted in Chinese tradition: Jixia Hong, a deep red, and Jihu Blue. Both use a two-tone treatment rather than a single flat colour, and the gold finish carries across the frame, the hinge, the rear camera island and even the rings around each lens. It is a deliberately jewellery-like look, closer to a luxury watch than a typical flagship phone.
The hardware underneath is unchanged from the Fold8 Ultra. That means an 8.0-inch foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support and up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, running at 2256 x 2504 pixels. The body is 4.1 mm thick when open and 8.9 mm folded, with a weight of 215 g.
The one feature the Fold8 Ultra does not have
Samsung has added satellite connectivity to the W27, a capability the global Fold8 Ultra does not advertise. That matters in China, where satellite messaging has become a differentiator among premium handsets, and it gives the W27 a genuine talking point beyond its finish.
Samsung W27 specifications at a glance
| Announcement | 29 October 2026, China |
|---|---|
| Price (China) | CNY 18,999 (16GB/512GB), CNY 21,999 (16GB/1TB) |
| Main display | 8.0" Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 3,000 nits, 2256 x 2504 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Memory | 16GB RAM; 512GB or 1TB storage, no microSD slot |
| Rear cameras | 200MP f/1.7 + 50MP f/1.9 + 10MP f/2.4 |
| Selfie cameras | 10MP inner + 10MP cover camera |
| Battery | 5,000mAh silicon-carbon, 45W charger in the box |
| Build | Unfolded 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1 mm; folded 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm; 215 g |
| Software | Android 17 |
| Extras | Satellite connectivity, side-mounted fingerprint reader, AKG-tuned stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C 3.2, no NFC |
Cameras, battery and performance carried over
Because the W27 is a Fold8 Ultra underneath, the camera stack is unchanged: a 200MP main sensor at f/1.7, a 50MP ultrawide at f/1.9 and a 10MP telephoto at f/2.4 on the back, with 4K video capture at up to 60fps. Selfies come from a 10MP inner camera and a 10MP cover camera, so the phone works the same whether it is open or closed.
Power comes from a 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery paired with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and 16GB of RAM. Samsung ships a 45W charger in the box, which is worth noting because most flagships no longer include one. On the software side the phone runs Android 17 with Samsung's China-specific services rather than the full Google suite, another difference buyers outside China should keep in mind.
Collector's box and pricing
Every W27 ships in a collector's edition package that includes a 45W charger and a Kevlar protective case alongside the usual accessories. The 16GB/512GB model is priced at CNY 18,999, roughly $2,850, while the 16GB/1TB version costs CNY 21,999, or about $3,300. For comparison, the previous W26 opened at CNY 16,999 for 512GB, so this generation is a noticeable step up.
What it means for buyers in Bangladesh
Samsung has not announced the W27 outside China, and the W-series has historically stayed exclusive to that market. Buyers here will only see it through imports, which is why the 16GB/512GB variant already appears in our Samsung W27 price page at around BDT 3,60,000 as an unofficial listing. That figure reflects grey-market pricing and will move as stock arrives.
If the W27 is on your shortlist, the practical alternative is the global Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, which shares almost all of the hardware but lacks satellite calling and the gold trim. You can compare both on our Samsung brand page, and keep an eye on the latest news for launch updates and price changes.
