News in Short

• Samsung has launched the W27 foldable smartphone in China.
• Prices start at CNY 18,999, approximately Rs. 2.72 lakh.
• The phone features an 8-inch inner display and a 6.5-inch cover screen.
• It runs Android 17-based One UI 9 and uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset.
• The W27 has a 200-megapixel primary camera and a 5,000mAh battery.
• Sales in China begin on November 13, with no India launch confirmed in the announcement.

Samsung has launched the W27 in China, targeting buyers who want a premium foldable smartphone with a distinctive design. The device combines an expansive 8-inch folding display, flagship hardware and a gold-finished mid-frame.

The Samsung W27 starts at CNY 18,999, which converts to approximately Rs. 2.72 lakh. Its price and specifications place it firmly in the luxury smartphone segment. However, Samsung has not confirmed an India launch, so buyers here should not treat the converted Chinese price as an official Indian price.

The new model debuted at Samsung’s ‘Heart of the World’ event on Thursday. It is based on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and offers two storage configurations, each with 16GB of RAM.

Samsung W27 price and availability

Samsung has priced the W27 at CNY 18,999, approximately Rs. 2.72 lakh, for the 16GB RAM and 512GB storage variant. The 16GB RAM and 1TB storage version costs CNY 21,999, or around Rs. 3.15 lakh.

The smartphone will go on sale in China on November 13 through Samsung’s online store. Buyers can choose between Jihu Blue and Jixia Hong, names translated from Chinese.

These converted prices provide a rough comparison for Indian readers. They do not account for potential taxes, import costs or local pricing decisions. Samsung has not announced Indian availability or pricing in the supplied launch details.

Samsung W27 features an 8-inch foldable display

The W27 features an 8-inch QXGA+ 2X Dynamic AMOLED inner display with a resolution of 2,504 x 2,256 pixels. It supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

The outer screen measures 6.5 inches and uses a Full-HD+ 2X Dynamic AMOLED panel. Its resolution is 1,080 x 2,520 pixels, with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

The larger inner display offers room for multitasking, reading and viewing content when the phone is unfolded. The cover screen allows users to access everyday smartphone functions without opening the device.

Samsung has also given the W27 a two-tone finish. Its gold-coloured mid-frame contrasts with the available exterior colours, creating a more distinctive look than a conventional smartphone design.

The phone measures 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1mm when unfolded and 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9mm when folded. It weighs approximately 215g.

Snapdragon chipset powers the foldable

The Samsung W27 uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset. Its octa-core configuration includes six efficiency cores clocked at up to 3.6GHz and two performance cores reaching 4.74GHz.

The device includes 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and offers either 512GB or 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage. It runs Android 17-based One UI 9.

This hardware combination positions the W27 as a flagship device designed to handle demanding applications and multitasking. However, real-world performance will depend on software optimisation and individual workloads.

Samsung has not specified the W27’s ingress protection rating in the supplied specifications. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is listed with an IP48 rating, but that rating should not automatically be attributed to the W27.

Samsung W27 camera and battery specifications

The W27 features three rear cameras. The primary sensor offers 200 megapixels, an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilisation.

The rear camera system also includes a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera with an f/1.9 aperture. A 10-megapixel telephoto camera offers 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digital zoom.

For selfies and video calls, Samsung has included two 10-megapixel cameras. One sits on the inner display, while the other is available on the cover screen.

The foldable packs a 5,000mAh battery. It supports 45W wired charging and 20W wireless charging. These specifications provide a useful starting point for evaluating the device, although battery life and charging performance require real-world testing.

For now, the Samsung W27 remains a China-focused launch. Its combination of premium styling, flagship hardware and a large foldable screen makes it a notable addition to Samsung’s high-end portfolio, but its availability in India remains unconfirmed.