Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 lineup expands, but not every upgrade feels new

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Samsung has unveiled three new foldables: the Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip8. The expanded lineup adds a genuinely different wide Fold, while the Ultra and Flip focus on better batteries, thinner builds, and familiar designs.

The company also introduced the Galaxy Watch9 and Watch Ultra2. All five devices are available to preorder now and go on sale August 7.

Samsung is widening its choices after the Fold7 and Flip7 set preorder records in the US last year. The catch is that this year’s most interesting new shape sits beside some expensive, fairly modest upgrades.

Galaxy Z Fold8 is the genuinely new model

The regular Fold8 is shorter and wider than Samsung’s usual book-style foldable. It has a 5.5-inch cover screen and opens into a 7.6-inch display with a 4:3 aspect ratio, making it better suited to video, games, and reading in landscape.

It is also Samsung’s lightest Fold yet at 201 grams. Inside are a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip and a 4,800mAh battery.

The lower price comes with a camera tradeoff. Samsung has fitted 50MP wide and ultrawide cameras, but no dedicated telephoto lens. At $1,899.99, it is only $200 cheaper than the Ultra, so the choice is really about the new compact shape rather than value.

Fold8 Ultra gets a better battery and ultrawide camera

The Fold8 Ultra keeps the tall design of the Fold7, but improves several weak spots. Its 8-inch inner display is brighter and sharper, while the body is 4.1mm thick when open and weighs 215 grams.

The 200MP main camera returns, joined by a new 50MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. Samsung has also increased the battery to 5,000mAh and added 45W wired charging.

Those are welcome changes, but the price has climbed to $2,099.99. That puts Samsung’s top Fold in the same territory as the rumored iPhone Fold, which is expected to cost around $2,000 when Apple enters the category.

Flip8 is thinner, but mostly familiar

The Galaxy Z Flip8 is Samsung’s thinnest and lightest Flip at 6.1mm when open and 180 grams. It has a 6.9-inch main display, a 4.1-inch FlexWindow, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, and a 4,300mAh battery.

The cover screen can now run more apps and show Now Brief cards without opening the phone. Camera upgrades are mostly about software, including a horizontal lock for steadier video and a new Camcorder Grip.

The main camera remains 50MP, and wired charging stays at 25W. With a starting price of $1,199.99, the Flip8 asks more money for a slimmer body and software refinements rather than a major hardware change.

One UI 9 makes switching from iPhone easier

All three foldables ship with Android 17 and One UI 9. Samsung’s new AI features include Now Nudge, which can suggest actions across apps, and an activity dashboard for reviewing tasks completed by AI assistants.

The more useful update for iPhone owners is improved compatibility. Quick Share can now exchange files with AirDrop in both directions, while Smart Switch lets iPhone users start a wireless transfer by scanning a QR code without installing another app on the old device.

Watch9 and Watch Ultra2 focus on battery and health

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch9 and Watch Ultra2 both move to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite platform.

The Watch9 keeps last year’s cushion-shaped design and comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes. Battery capacity rises to 390mAh on the smaller model and 445mAh on the larger one. New Samsung Health tools include Vitals, Heart Health Score, and Daily Cardio Load.

The 47mm Watch Ultra2 is a bigger upgrade. It has an 800mAh battery, a display that reaches 5,000 nits, and a body Samsung says is 12% thinner than the previous Ultra. New features cover trail running, hydration guidance, and recreational diving to 40 meters through an app arriving later this year.

Prices and availability

Samsung’s 2026 lineup continues the industry’s move toward more expensive book-style foldables. Here is the US pricing:

Preorders opened July 22, and general availability begins August 7. The Fold8 is the standout because it gives buyers a meaningfully different shape. Owners of last year’s Flip or Watch, however, have fewer reasons to upgrade without a strong trade-in offer.

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