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Samsung’s foldable portfolio consisted of just two devices for seven years – the book-style Fold and the clamshell Flip – the latter of which I wasn’t actually such a fan of. At Galaxy Unpacked in London today, that changed. The company now sells three foldables simultaneously, each targeting a buyer who would find the other two wrong for them. Huzzah!
Each device in the lineup serves a distinct purpose: the Galaxy Z Fold8 targets users who prioritize media consumption, the Fold8 Ultra is engineered for professional and productivity-focused workflows, and the Flip8 focuses on compact portability and individual style.
“Seven generations of foldables has taught us consumers need different experiences for different lifestyles,” said Annika Bizon, VP of Product and Marketing, Mobile Experience, Samsung UK & Ireland. “The Galaxy Z series is our most complete foldables line-up yet, setting a new standard with our most advanced AI features. This is our eighth generation of foldables and we understand form factor matters more than ever in the agentic AI era.”
What Each Device Actually Does Differently
The standard Fold8 is the lightest Galaxy Z Fold Samsung has made, coming in at 201g, and its display ratios are calibrated to how people move through content during the day. The 10:16 cover screen handles quick social and messaging content; flip it open to the 4:3 main display and you get a canvas suited to games and video; rotate it and the same panel becomes comfortable for long-form reading. A 4,800mAh battery and dual 50MP rear cameras round it out. At £1,699 for the base 256GB model, it’s the entry point into the Fold family.
The Fold8 Ultra is a different proposition entirely. At 4.1mm thin when unfolded and 215g, it carries Samsung’s first “Ultra” designation on a foldable device – a label that elsewhere in the Galaxy lineup signals the company’s highest-spec tier. The 8.0-inch main display is the widest Samsung has put in a foldable, and the camera system runs to 200MP on the main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP 3x telephoto. The device also features a 5,000mAh battery, 45W dual-path charging, and the ability to shoot 8K video using the APV codec. That capability commands a price to match – £1,899 for the entry configuration, up $100 over last year’s Fold 7 at the US equivalent. According to CNBC, Samsung attributes the increase partly to rising memory chip costs.
Analysts have taken note of the $200 price difference separating the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra in the US market. CCS Insight’s chief analyst Ben Wood argues the pricing dynamic creates a real challenge: “The lower specification on the Z Fold8 means Samsung will have to have a very strong sales proposition for this device so consumers can understand why they would choose this device over the Z Fold8 Ultra, which is only $200 more.”
We’ll find out very soon I hope.
The Flip8 operates in a different lane altogether. At 180g and 6.1mm unfolded, it’s the slimmest and lightest Flip Samsung has shipped, and it runs an Exynos 2600 chip rather than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 found in both Fold devices. The focus here is the redesigned FlexWindow – a 4.1-inch cover display that Samsung has turned into what it calls an AI-native interface, surfacing personalised information and enabling Gemini-powered automations without ever opening the phone. A 50MP main camera, Super Steady video with a new horizontal lock option, and a starting price of £1,149 round out a device that’s more about fitting into a lifestyle than expanding what a phone can do.
The Bigger Picture Samsung Is Playing Into
The timing of this three-device push makes a lot of sense. Per Counterpoint Research, the foldable market is forecast to grow 21% in 2026, but Samsung’s share of that market is expected to fall to 32% as Apple prepares its first foldable iPhone – reportedly due in September. Counterpoint’s associate director Liz Lee describes 2026 as “a new phase” for the category, and argues that Apple’s arrival will “lift overall consumer awareness and raise the benchmark for premium foldables” while Samsung retains advantages in “product maturity, channel reach and foldable user experience.”
Counterpoint Research projects that book-style foldables are driving up average selling prices across the category, with devices priced at $1,600 or higher potentially representing 60% of all foldable shipments by late 2026. Samsung’s decision to introduce an Ultra tier and push starting prices higher reflects a calculated assumption that foldable customers are already luxury-minded and are looking for an excuse to spend more freely, not a cheaper entry point.
All three devices are available for pre-order now, with general availability from August 7. Each comes with a six-month Google AI Pro trial – including 5TB of cloud storage – and Samsung has updated Smart Switch so iOS users can migrate wirelessly by scanning a QR code, with no app download required. Quick Share now also works with AirDrop in both directions.
Whether three foldables prove easier to sell than two is the real test. The Ultra name gives high-end buyers a clear destination. The Fold8 needs to justify its existence against a more capable sibling that costs only marginally more. And the Flip8 doesn’t really compete with either of them – which may be exactly the point.
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