Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series at its Galaxy Unpacked event held on 22 July 2026, introducing two distinct foldable smartphones for the first time.

The new lineup consists of the all-new Galaxy Z Fold 8, featuring a wider passport-style design, and the premium Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which retains Samsung’s traditional tall foldable form factor.

Both devices are available for pre-order and will officially go on sale on 7 August 2026.

Two models, two different designs

For the first time in the Galaxy Z Fold range, Samsung is offering two separate design philosophies.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 adopts a shorter, wider “passport” aspect ratio, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra continues with the taller, narrower design familiar to Fold users.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Galaxy Z Fold 8

The standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 features:

• 7.6-inch LTPO AMOLED main display (4:3 aspect ratio)
• 5.5-inch LTPO AMOLED cover display
• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor
• 50MP main camera
• 50MP ultrawide camera
• 4,800mAh silicon-carbon battery
• 4.5mm thickness when unfolded
• Weight of 201g
• Starting price of $1,900 (approximately R34,500)

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

The premium Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra includes:

• 8.0-inch LTPO AMOLED main display
• 6.5-inch LTPO AMOLED cover display
• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor
• 200MP main camera
• 50MP ultrawide camera
• 10MP telephoto camera
• 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery
• 4.1mm thickness when unfolded, making it Samsung’s slimmest foldable yet
• Weight of 215g
• Starting price of $2,100 (approximately R38,000)

Biggest upgrades across the Fold 8 range

Samsung has introduced several major improvements across both devices.

Reduced display crease

Both smartphones feature new Flex Titanium Technology, using a titanium-alloy film beneath the display to significantly reduce the visibility and feel of the centre crease.

Android 17 from launch

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 series is the first Samsung smartphone lineup to launch with Android 17 and One UI 9 pre-installed.

Samsung has also confirmed seven years of Android operating system and security updates for both models.

S Pen support removed

To achieve the thinner designs, Samsung has removed the display digitiser layer.

As a result, neither the Galaxy Z Fold 8 nor the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra supports the S Pen stylus.

Flex Mode changes

Samsung has also changed how Flex Mode works across the range.

While Flex Mode remains available on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the dedicated Flex Mode settings have been removed from the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Availability

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra are available to pre-order now ahead of their official retail launch on 7 August 2026.

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