Samsung's latest foldable phones have arrived, and this year, the brand has changed up the formula. Rather than just the usual flip and fold formats, there's a new phone in the mix, with a wider, more squat cover display, around the same size as a passport.
It's a similar form factor to Huawei's China-only Pura X device, and rumours say Apple's long-awaited foldable will adopt this form factor, too. Alongside the new wider foldable, the classic Flip and Fold models get a refresh for 2026 as well, and Samsung reckons there's a distinct market for each design. I got an early hands-on look at the devices, so let's take a closer look at each model.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
Rumours were calling it the Fold 8 Wide, but Samsung has kept things simple; the new model is called the Z Fold 8, while the taller book-style foldable that we know so well is now called the Ultra.
As this naming suggests, the Fold 8 isn't quite as high-end as its Ultra counterpart. It still gets the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, so it's plenty powerful, but it has one less camera and not as many megapixels.
This model has a 50MP main sensor and a 50MP ultrawide, but no telephoto. You still get dual 10MP selfie cameras, but as with all foldables, it's easy to use the cover screen to take higher-quality selfies with the rear cameras. As a photographer, the lack of a telephoto stings. So while the new form factor is very appealing, the camera compromise makes it a harder sell.
The main new features in the camera department are software-based. You now get a mode that Samsung calls FanCam, which can automatically track a subject in a wide frame and crop a new video in an aspect ratio of your choosing. There's also a new dual video recording mode that can output video from the front and rear cameras at the same time, in a variety of different layouts.
If you're more into consuming content than creating it, though, this new shape has a lot of merit. The folding screen is 4:3, rather than the usual almost-square aspect ratio, which means the black bars are a lot smaller when you're watching 16:9 videos.
Z Fold 8 inner screen
Image credit: Luke Baker / Digital Camera World
Z Fold 8 cover
Image credit: Luke Baker / Digital Camera World
The outer screen, meanwhile, is 10:16 (or 16:10 when held horizontally) - the same aspect ratio as most laptop screens. It's wider than normal, which takes a bit of getting used to, but I'm quite fond of it. Surprisingly, the cover screen is really good for watching vertical content like TikToks, Shorts, and Reels. The UI scales well and moves the clutter to the sides of the video, rather than on top of it.
The Z Fold 8, despite being smaller, packs a 4800 mAh battery, outdoing the full-size Fold 7. The charging speed has also dramatically increased, now supporting 45W speeds with a wire. Samsung says you can expect to go from zero to 63% charged in just 30 minutes. Wireless charging is faster, too, at up to 20W.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is available in Lavender, Cream, and Graphite colourways, with a Pistachio option available exclusively on Samsung's online store. It starts at $1,899.99 / £1699 with 256GB storage, $2,099.99 / £1,869 with 512GB, and $2,499.99 / £2,119 with 1TB of space (other regions TBC), which is cheaper than the Z Fold 7 was, but it's also not quite as high-end.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra
The Z Fold 8 Ultra is the classic book-style foldable that we're all used to. It's the priciest of the lineup, starting at a cool $2,099.99 / £1899 with 256GB of storage, $2,299.99 / £2,069 with 512GB, and a whopping $2,699.99 / £2,319 if you fancy 1TB of storage (other regions TBC), which starts at $/£100 more than last year's equivalent base model (RAM shortage induced, no doubt).
On the surface, it looks quite similar to last year's model, but subtle changes to the design make a big impact. It's now even slimmer, and it's likely the slimmest foldable on the market right now. It's also significantly easier to open and close, thanks to the reengineering of the hinge, bezel, and magnets. It's an invisible change that's immediately noticeable when you have the phone in your hands.
What's easier to see, though, is the improvement to the crease. Samsung has almost completely eliminated it by using a flexible titanium film and titanium supporting plates under the OLED panel. It's an excellent improvement, and viewed head-on, you can barely see the crease at all. The screen also now opens completely flat, rather than sitting at a very slight V-shape. Again, it's a subtle change, but it's one you'll notice in use. If I'm honest, I think Oppo's Find N6 folding screen is still flatter, but that's not available in most regions, and Samsung has leapfrogged the rest of the competition.
Of course, it also gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy treatment, a larger 5000 mAh battery (matching the S26 Ultra), 45W wired fast-charging, and 20W wireless charging.
When it comes to the cameras, it's only the ultrawide that gets an upgrade. You still get a similar 200MP main camera to the S26 Ultra, the same 10MP 3x telephoto, but the ultrawide makes the jump from 12MP to 50MP, which is a very welcome change.
On the software front, though, things are a little more exciting. The Z Fold 8 Ultra benefits from the same near-lossless APV codec that was introduced with the S26 Ultra. It can also shoot at 8K on the main and ultrawide cameras, and there are 4 new CineLUT styles for your Log footage. HDR is now supported for 200MP stills, and you get the same dual video recording options and FanCam modes here, too.
The Z Fold 8 Ultra will be available in Cream, Graphite, and Violet finishes, with a Green version exclusive to Samsung's website.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8
The Z Flip 8 received a little less love than the other two models. It's 13.1% slimmer, 3.9% lighter, and the crease is improved, but otherwise, it looks a lot like the model that it replaces – and has the same camera hardware, too.
As you'd expect, you get the newest Snapdragon SoC, but as far as I'm aware, the battery capacity and charging speeds remain unchanged. So what does the Z Flip 8 bring to the table?
Well, much of Samsung's presentation focused on what you could do with the cover screen. It now supports Now Brief, and you can access AI automations directly from the cover. FlexWindow home has been redesigned, and there are new custom cards that can be added, too.
Samsung claims these changes are designed to make AI experiences more seamless and easy to access. It also said the Flip 8 is the brand's most AI-native phone to date. The skeptic in me thinks they just didn't have a lot else to talk about, but hey, maybe I'll be more convinced after spending quality time with it.
There are also some new software features for the cameras. Horizontal Lock video stabilisation is now available in FlexCam mode (the half-folded camcorder-style shooting), and the phone uses Samsung's ProVisual engine to improve night photography. It also benefits from the new FanCam and dual video recording options, like the other phones in the lineup.
The Z Flip 8 starts at $1,199.99 / £1149 for the 256GB version, and $1,399.99 / £1,319 for the 512GB model (other regions TBC), which is again £100 higher than last year. It's available in Cream, Graphite, and Pink as standard, with Mint available on Samsung's website.
What you need to know
The new Galaxy Z phones are available to pre-order from today in most regions globally. Units are expected to be on shelves and with customers from August 7.
Prices are higher across the board, but the Z Fold 8 complicates things a little. It's cheaper than last year's Z Fold 7, but it has one less camera. The new shape will be great for some people's needs, but not as good for others. For instance, the traditional book-style shape allows for two apps to display properly side-by-side, while the new shape is better for content consumption.
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At this stage, I've only had a quick go with these devices at a preview event, so I'm still formulating my opinions. Stay tuned for full reviews; we'll soon find out how these devices compare to the best foldables on the market.
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