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Galaxy Z Fold 8 series (Wide & Ultra): In summary
・Samsung’s two new Z foldable phones for 2026
・Z Fold 8 is an all-new squat design, with a wide-screen ratio when opened
・Z Fold 8 Ultra is traditional taller style, with an interior screen made for multitasking
・Larger batteries on both, alongside faster charging plus faster chipsets
・Fold 8 starts at £1,699/$1,899, Fold 8 Ultra is more expensive at £1,899/$2,099
Samsung has just unveiled its mainline foldable phone refresh for 2026 and it’s the biggest shake-up in years. For all you need to know about the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (also unofficially known as the Fold 8 Wide) and the Z Fold 8 Ultra, you’re in the right place.
For those in the know, the most recent Samsung Unpacked event has taken place and with it, the company has unveiled an abundance of devices. There are no less than three foldable phones, including the super compact Galaxy Z Flip 8, as well as two wearables in the Galaxy Watch 9 and the outdoor-focused Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
Anyone shopping at the higher end of what’s available will only be concerned with two of Samsung’s offerings, however: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. These two handsets represent Samsung’s flagship offering to the foldable market for 2026, going up against the likes of the Honor Magic V6 and the upcoming (yet much-rumoured) iPhone Ultra.
Keep on reading to find out what these new Galaxy Z Fold phones bring to the table, how much they cost and when you can expect to get your hands on them.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (Wide & Ultra): What’s new?
In summary
・Smaller build for the Z Fold 8 (Wide), which becomes more tablet-like when opened
・The Z Fold 8 Ultra is a more direct successor to the Z Fold 7
・Both phones have larger batteries than before, as well as faster charging
・The camera situation varies between phones, with the Fold 8 Ultra having a superior set-up
・Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 runs the show
Two options for the first time
In previous years, fans of Samsung’s book-style foldables have only ever had one new option to consider each year, but that changes for 2026. For the first time ever, there are now two Z Fold phones at the point of launch, the Z Fold 8 and the Z Fold Ultra, and they both come wth unique propositions.
Despite sounding like a direct successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Z Fold 8 is actually the biggest departure from what we’re accustomed to, now featuring a squat design that makes the phone feel like a BlackBerry Passport when closed and a widescreen tablet when opened.
Thomas Deehan / Foundry
The Z Fold 8 Ultra, on the other hand, feels more like business as usual, carrying the same taller aspect ratio as the Fold 7, but with a few quality-of-life upgrades to keep things feeling fresh.
Because of the different sizes of each option, Samsung is positioning them as being better optimised for certain use cases. The wider inner display of the Z Fold 8 is ideal for streaming and gaming, while the taller Z Fold 8 Ultra is perfect for side-by-side multitasking and productivity.
A much-needed battery upgrade
One of the biggest issues with the Z Fold 7 was that, for a flagship phone that was among one of the priciest handsets you could buy, it was significantly far behind in terms of battery life and charging. Well, regardless of which of the new phones you get, there’s an upgrade in store.
Starting with the Z Fold 8, despite being a smaller phone, it actually carries a larger 4800mAh cell, which is paired with faster 45W wired charging and 20W wireless charging. It’s a similar story on the charging front for the Z Fold 8 Ultra, but here you’re getting an even bigger 5000mAh cell to help users really max out the phone’s capabilities.
Thomas Deehan / Foundry
Although this might sound paltry against the likes of the non-foldable Oppo Find X9 Pro, which carries a 7500mAh cell, Samsung is known for making the most of its batteries through smart optimisations. Either way, we’ll know exactly what this upgrade translates to in a tangible sense once we get the phones in for testing.
Screens that are better suited for the outdoors
Anyone who’s used either the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or the newer S26 Ultra will know that their anti-reflective coating makes them a joy to use when outdoors. The feature was sadly missing from the Z Fold 7, but Samsung has now rectified that by adding the coating to both the Fold 8 and the Fold 8 Ultra.
Not only that, but the inner displays of these phones can now reach a higher peak brightness of 3000 nits. This should make it much easier to do things like edit video on the go, or check up on social media whilst sat at a window seat, either on a flight or train. Given that the competing Honor Magic V6 is already known for reaching 6000 nits with its own inner display, the change is definitely needed to help Samsung’s phones remain competitive on the wider market.
Thomas Deehan / Foundry
Cameras are both better and worse
Depending on which phone you buy, the camera experience is either going to feel like an upgrade or a bit of a step backwards. As you might have already spotted from the pictures at play here, the Z Fold 8 Ultra holds on to the triple-camera array that we’re accustomed to, although this time there’s a more powerful 50Mp ultra-wide sensor onboard to provide detail-rich vista shots.
The Z Fold 8, however, features just two rear-facing cameras, dropping the 10Mp 3x telephoto lens. The main camera is also weaker, opting for a 50Mp equivalent compared to the 200Mp sensor found on the 8 Ultra.
Luke Baker
As we’ve seen countless times before, particularly with Pixel phones, a high megapixel count doesn’t necessarily correlate to having better pictures, but it does feel at odds with the premium price tag of the Z Fold 8. It’s hard not to think of the backlash the iPhone Air received for just having a single lens on the back.
A performance boost with a touch of AI smarts
As anyone could have guessed, these two phones will launch with the most recent Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. That’s the same chipset found in a bunch of 2026 flagships including the Honor Magic 8 Pro and the OnePlus 15, but what’s interesting are Samsung’s plans for that additional processing power.
Thomas Deehan / Foundry
Much like with Gemini Intelligence, which Google unveiled as part of Android 17, these Samsung phones will use a new Task Automation feature which is compatible with more than 40 apps at launch and can be used to carry out various actions on your behalf.
As a means of speeding up mundane tasks such as booking a restaurant and sending the details to friends and family, this could be a game-changer.
When is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (Wide & Ultra) release date?
In summary
・Unveiled 22 July at Unpacked
・Pre-orders are now live
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra were unveiled on 22 July at the London Galaxy Unpacked event, and are available to pre-order straight away.
However, Samsung hasn’t provided us with a specific release date yet, so we’ll update this as soon as we have it.
Luke Baker
How much do the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (Wide & Ultra) cost?
In summary
・Z Fold 8 starts at £1,699/$1,899
・Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at £1,899/£2,099
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at £1,699/$1,899 while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a higher entry-level price of £1,899/$2,099.
Against the wider context at play, the Fold 8 is a bit more affordable than the Z Fold 7, which launched with a price tag of £1,799/$1,999, but this means that the Z Fold 8 Ultra (which is arguably a more direct successor) is a more expensive buy than before.
If you do need something cheaper and would consider a flip-style foldable, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Z Flip 8, which starts at £1,149/$1,199.
Pre-order a new Galaxy Z Fold 8 phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (Wide & Ultra) FAQ
1.
What are the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra?
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Z Fold 8 Ultra are Samsung’s flagship book-style foldable phones for 2026.
2.
What is the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra?
The Z Fold 8 is the cheaper option starting at £1,699/$1,899, while the Z Fold 8 Ultra costs a bit more from £1,899/$2,099 upwards.
3.
When are the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra coming out?
Both phones were announced on 22 July 2026, and will be available to buy shortly after.
4.
How do the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra differ?
The Z Fold 8 carries a shorter, passport-style design that’s better suited for entertainment when unfolded, while the Z Fold 8 Ultra uses the taller aspect ratio that we’re accustomed to, making side-by-side multitasking seamless.
5.
Do the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra have magnetic wireless charging?
No, although these phones do have wireless charging, it’s not achieved through a Qi2 magnetic method.
