Why only now? The new form factor of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is pleasing
22.7.2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Jan Johannsen
Samsung is adding a new form factor to its foldable smartphones. On the outside, the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 is less narrow and, when unfolded, less square. This is well received.
At an "Unpacked" event in London, Samsung unveiled three new foldable smartphones. The most exciting new release is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in a new format, which, when folded, is about the size of a passport. The old format – square when unfolded, very elongated when folded – lives on as the Fold 8 Ultra. Samsung has equipped both with new display and battery technology. The compact Flip 8 receives minor changes in comparison and can, among other things, be opened more easily with one hand.
Galaxy Z Fold 8: new form factor and new battery technology
When I pick up the Z Fold 8, I'm immediately impressed. Its 5.5-inch 16:10 display is unusually wide, but I like it. My first thought: This is enough for me, I don't even want to open it. It simply feels good in the hand and I have a large surface area available. However, I wonder: Is it just because the form factor is new? Will I still find this exciting in two or three years, or will the aspect ratio bore me by then?
Unfolded, the Fold 8 offers a 7.6-inch 4:3 or 3:4 display, depending on whether I hold it in landscape or portrait mode. Both seem much more sensible to me than the almost square inner displays of most other foldable smartphones. In portrait mode, texts are easy to read, and in landscape mode, two apps can be used side-by-side. Huawei is already moving in a similar direction with the Pura X and Pura X Max, but only sells these devices in China. According to rumors, a possible iPhone Fold will also have a similar form factor.
Samsung has noticeably improved the equipment in two areas. The manufacturer uses a new "Flex Titanium Technology" for the foldable OLED display. A titanium alloy protects the OLED panel from external damage, and a thin, flexible titanium plate provides stability under the panel. As a side effect, the crease almost completely disappears.
For the battery, Samsung is using a silicon-carbon battery for the first time, achieving a capacity of 4800 mAh in the 4.5-millimeter thin unfolded casing. This should be sufficient for 26 hours of video playback. Charging is done via cable with up to 45 watts and wirelessly with up to 20 watts. The Fold 7 only allowed 25 and 15 watts.
With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the lightest Galaxy Z Fold at 201 grams has a lot of computing power. Samsung uses this, among other things, for additional AI tools. These are designed, for example, to prepare recordings with the two 50-megapixel cameras as content for social media platforms without further intervention or to focus on a person in a video.
The biggest drawbacks of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for me at first glance are the missing telephoto camera and the recommended retail price starting at 1999 Euros and 1749 Swiss Francs.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: familiar device with a new name
Samsung continues to offer the previous form factor of the Galaxy Z Fold, which features a telephoto camera. It receives a name suffix and is now the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Its 6.5-inch outer display is elongated, and the 8-inch inner display is almost square, also becoming more robust thanks to the "Flex Titanium Technology". With a silicon-carbon battery, Samsung increases the battery capacity to 5000 mAh, which should be sufficient for 27 hours of video playback. Charging is also faster than its predecessor, with 45 watts (via cable) and 20 watts (wireless).
Samsung has made the casing 0.1 millimeters thinner when unfolded. It now measures 4.1 millimeters, and remains 8.9 millimeters when folded. However, this is only if you ignore the camera bump, which is quite prominent and makes the smartphone wobble a lot when lying on a table. Samsung has increased the resolution of the ultra-wide-angle camera from twelve to 50 megapixels and uses the same 200-megapixel main camera as in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The triple telephoto camera has to make do with a resolution of ten megapixels. With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the processor receives the usual annual update.
In terms of software, Samsung also offers new AI tools here. The Galaxy AI is supposed to become more agentic and be able to interact with even more apps based on your instructions. Now Nudge is designed to keep you up to date, and Samsung also integrates Gemini Notebooks as a planning tool for various occasions. Multitasking is supposed to be improved by SplitView with two or three apps and floating app windows.
Galaxy Z Flip 8: thinner and easier to open with one hand
Relatively little changes with the Flip 8. Samsung has made it another 0.4 millimeters (unfolded) and 0.6 millimeters (folded) thinner. However, it has gained in width and height in the 0-millimeter range. Nevertheless, Samsung can give it the title "thinnest Galaxy Z Flip". At 180 grams, it is also the lightest.
I find the edges of the frame more striking. They are more strongly beveled. This makes the smartphone appear narrower and, above all, easier to open with one hand – as it should be for a flip phone.
Samsung relies on its in-house Exynos 2600 processor, which has already proven itself in the Galaxy S26. The rest of the equipment – displays, cameras, and battery – remains unchanged compared to the Flip 7. Only the software offers new AI tools and minor adjustments for the outer display. All of this is available starting from 1299 Euros.
Price and availability
In recent years, Samsung doubled the storage for pre-orders of its devices. The manufacturer can no longer afford this given current storage prices. It also had to increase prices. The Fold 8 Ultra, for example, has become 100 Euros more expensive in Germany than its predecessor and starts with a recommended retail price of 2199 Euros, or 1899 Swiss Francs. As compensation, there is virtually the price driver for storage prices: With every Fold or Flip 8, six months of Google AI Pro can be activated.
Header image: Jan Johannsen
Jan Johannsen
Senior Editor
Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.deAs a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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