Samsung unveils redesigned Galaxy Z Fold 8 to rival forthcoming Apple foldable

Samsung shook up its foldable smartphone lineup at yesterday’s Galaxy Unpacked event in London, introducing a radical new design for one of the new devices. 

Headlining the announcement was the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 (referred to as the Z Fold 8 Wide before launch), which ditches the tall, narrow book-style format of its predecessors for a shorter, passport-style form factor.

Designed to mirror dimensions rumoured for Apple’s upcoming foldable – tentatively dubbed the iPhone Ultra – the new shape unfolds into a 4:3 aspect ratio tablet reminiscent of an iPad Mini.

This configuration provides a spacious 7.6-inch inner AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, optimised for side-by-side multitasking, reading, and media consumption without the massive letterboxing issues that plagued older models.

Crucially, Samsung has engineered the device to be remarkably portable. Tipping the scales at just 201g, it stands as the lightest book-like foldable on the market. Refined edge contours make the device easier to unfurl, while a robust 4,800mAh battery keeps it powered throughout the day, claims the manufacturer.

Under the hood, it packs the high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor alongside advanced agentic AI capabilities. Available in four striking colours – lavender, cream, graphite, and pistachio – the base model starts at $1,899.99 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Alongside it, Samsung debuted the higher-end Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which retains the traditional tall book-style layout while refining its profile into Samsung’s thinnest foldable yet at just 4.1mm unfolded. Starting at $2,099.99, the Ultra model packs a robust 200MP main camera system, a larger 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery and an expansive 8.0-inch inner display.

Galaxy Z Flip 8

Joining the book-style foldables is the newly redesigned Galaxy Z Flip 8, Samsung’s slimmest and lightest clamshell foldable to date. Weighing just 180g and measuring 6.1mm thick when unfolded, the device focuses heavily on portability.

It features a larger 4.1-inch Super AMOLED cover screen and a 6.9-inch internal 120Hz display. Equipped with a 50MP main camera, a 4,300mAh silicon-carbon battery, and deep integration with Galaxy AI on its FlexWindow, the Z Flip 8 starts at $1,199/£1,149 for the 256GB variant.

The entire new Galaxy Z series is available for pre-order, with general retail availability set for August 7, 2026.