Samsung has used its London Galaxy Unpacked event to reset the foldable phone conversation with three new devices at once: Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8. This is not just the usual annual refresh. Samsung is widening the Fold line into clearer tiers at a time when the foldable category is becoming more competitive and Apple is widely expected to enter the space soon.
The headline device is the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, the first Ultra-branded foldable in Samsung’s Galaxy Z family. It brings the Ultra idea into a book-style foldable with an 8-inch main display, a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, a 5,000mAh battery and 45W wired fast charging. Samsung says the Ultra is just 4.1mm thick when unfolded and weighs 215g, which puts the focus squarely on productivity, content creation and AI multitasking rather than only portability.
That matters because Samsung has been under pressure to make foldables feel less like experimental phones and more like premium daily drivers. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra appears to be the device for people who previously wanted the power of a Galaxy S Ultra but also wanted a larger foldable workspace. Samsung is giving those users a bigger screen, a stronger camera setup and more headroom for Galaxy AI features.
Fold8 Gets A New Shape
The standard Galaxy Z Fold8 may actually be the more interesting device for many buyers. Samsung has redesigned it around a wider, shorter shape, with a 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch main display. The main screen uses a 4:3 aspect ratio when unfolded, while rotation gives a 3:4 layout that Samsung says is more comfortable for reading articles, books and web pages.
It also weighs 201g, making it Samsung’s lightest Galaxy Z Fold so far. The device still runs on Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, includes a 4,800mAh battery, dual 50MP rear cameras, 120Hz AMOLED screens, Wi-Fi 7, Android 17 and One UI 9. This looks like Samsung trying to solve one of the older complaints about the Fold line: that the cover screen felt too narrow and the phone was still awkward for ordinary phone tasks.
Samsung is also leaning hard into what it calls agentic AI. On the new Fold models, Now Nudge can suggest next steps from conversations, Gemini Intelligence can work across apps, and Gemini Notebook can turn notes, recordings, files and images into summaries, reports, audio overviews or other formats. That follows the broader shift we have been seeing across mobile AI, where assistants are moving from simple answers into actions inside apps.
Flip8 Becomes More Useful Without Opening
The Galaxy Z Flip8 keeps the vertical folding format but gets a stronger everyday AI angle. Samsung says it is 6.1mm thick when unfolded, weighs 180g and has a 4.1-inch FlexWindow cover screen. The main display is 6.9 inches, while the rear camera setup includes a 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Interestingly, Samsung lists the Flip8 with Exynos 2600, while the Fold models use Qualcomm chips.
For the Flip8, the real argument is the FlexWindow. Samsung wants users to check Now Brief, use Gemini-powered actions, interact with apps, browse photos, send messages and create content without opening the phone each time. Features like Camcorder Grip, Dual Recording and Super Steady with horizontal lock are aimed at creators who use the Flip more like a pocket camera than a conventional phone.
Samsung also added more privacy language around these devices. The company says the new Z series uses Samsung Knox, Personal Data Engine, Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection, Knox Vault, Advanced Intelligence settings and a new AI Assistant Activity dashboard in One UI 9. That is important because the more agentic these phones become, the more users will need to know what the device is doing on their behalf and where personal data is processed.
The timing is important. Samsung still dominates the foldable conversation in many markets, but the category is no longer a one-company story. Chinese brands have been pushing thinner foldables, Google has helped popularize wider book-style designs, and Apple’s expected foldable iPhone now hangs over every premium foldable launch. That makes the Galaxy Z Fold8 line feel like both an upgrade and a defensive move.
Samsung is also making the new foldables more tied to the broader ecosystem. Buyers get a six-month Google AI Pro trial with 5TB of cloud storage, updated Smart Switch support for easier iOS migration, Quick Share compatibility with Apple devices and tighter links with the new Galaxy Watch and intelligent eyewear. In other words, Samsung is not only selling foldable hardware. It is trying to make Galaxy AI the reason people stay inside Galaxy.
The new Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8 and Flip8 are available for preorder in select markets from today. Samsung says the devices will come in Graphite and Cream, with Violet Shadow exclusive to Fold8 Ultra, Lavender for Fold8 and Pink for Flip8. Samsung.com exclusive colours include Green Shadow, Pistachio and Mint respectively.
Pricing is also becoming clearer from early hands-on and launch coverage. The Galaxy Z Fold8 starts at $1,899.99 in the U.S., while the Galaxy Z Flip8 starts at $1,199. That keeps Samsung’s foldables firmly in premium territory, even as the company tries to make the new form factors feel more mainstream. In the UK, launch coverage also points to starting prices of £1,899 for Fold8 Ultra, £1,699 for Fold8 and £1,149 for Flip8, though local pricing and offers will vary by market.
Samsung has moved from convincing people that foldables can work to trying to make foldables feel like the best place for personal AI. The hardware is thinner and more mature, but the real battle now is whether Galaxy AI can make these screens feel genuinely useful every day.