Samsung Launches New Galaxy Z Fold8 Series Including iPhone-Like Foldable Model

Samsung unveiled its latest foldable smartphone lineup, the Galaxy Z8 series, at a launch event in London on July 22, 2026. This year, the company expanded its foldable offerings from two to three models: the Flip 8, the new square-shaped Fold 8, and the Fold 8 Ultra. The Fold 8 introduces a unique square "passport" design aimed at media consumers and content creators, resembling the rumored upcoming foldable iPhone, expected to launch within two months and possibly named iPhone Ultra.

The Fold 8 Ultra is the flagship model, featuring an 8.0-inch main screen (up from 7.6 inches), a 6.5-inch external screen, and a brighter display reaching 3,000 nits. It is slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, weighing 215 grams and measuring 4.1 mm thick when open. The Ultra model boasts a significant camera upgrade with a 200MP main sensor and 50MP ultra-wide lens, supports 8K video recording with advanced APV encoding, and runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. Its battery capacity increased to 5,000 mAh.

The Fold 8 model offers a 5.5-inch external screen with a 10:16 aspect ratio and a 7.6-inch internal screen with a 4:3 ratio, reducing black bars for video viewing and improving social media scrolling. It is Samsung's lightest foldable at 201 grams, powered by the same Snapdragon processor, and includes a dual 50MP rear camera setup with a 4,800 mAh battery.

Samsung introduced Flex Titanium technology in the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, combining a thin titanium alloy coating with a flexible titanium plate to create thinner, more durable screens with minimal visible creases and smoother hinge mechanics.

The Flip 8, a clamshell foldable, received hardware and software upgrades, including a smarter 2.1-inch external FlexWindow display with AI features, a slimmer and lighter body, and a new Exynos 2600 processor. However, none of the new foldables support the S-Pen stylus, and the private display feature from the Galaxy S26 Ultra is absent due to screen constraints.

Pre-orders for the new foldables began on July 22, 2026, in Israel, with official sales starting August 9. Prices in Israel start at 3,999 ILS for the Flip 8 (256GB) and go up to 8,949 ILS for the Fold 8 Ultra (1TB). Samsung also launched two new smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9, featuring advanced AI health monitoring and improved hardware, available for pre-order with physical release on August 9.

Samsung's new foldables come amid component price increases and a weaker dollar, resulting in slight price reductions compared to last year. The Fold 8 Ultra is positioned as a premium multitasking device, while the Fold 8 targets media users with its novel form factor, potentially setting the stage for competition with Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone.