Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z Fold 8 Lineup at London Event

Samsung Unveils Eighth-Generation Foldables at London Unpacked Event

At Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 in London, Samsung Electronics unveiled the eighth-generation Galaxy Z series, bringing agentic AI and refined hardware to three distinct devices. The lineup includes the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the newly introduced Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which marks Samsung’s first Ultra model in its foldable portfolio.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra features an 8-inch main display while maintaining a profile measuring 4.1 millimetres thick when unfolded and weighing 215 grams. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and a 5,000mAh battery, the Ultra model integrates agentic AI tools like Gemini Notebook to summarize meeting minutes or transform transcripts into presentation slides and quizzes, alongside Now Nudge for automated Multi Window suggestions.

Passport-Sized Proportions Define the Standard Galaxy Z Fold 8

Moving away from the taller, narrower design of past iterations, the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 adopts a squat, passport-like shape. It is equipped with a 5.5-inch cover screen with a 10:16 aspect ratio and a 7.6-inch main inner display built to a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8 in London

Reviewers testing the device in London and during subsequent evaluation periods highlighted how the wider layout alters everyday usability. One early hands-on group found themselves fielding bewildered queries from market vendors who observed a crowd of reviewers all carrying the same device. Why do you all have the same phone? a staff member asked at London’s Borough Market, according to coverage published by CNET.

Review feedback on the new form factor has been largely favorable for content consumption. Senior reviews editor Sam Rutherford noted that Engadget for a shorter, wider design that makes the standard model an attractive choice for video and gaming. A review from PCMag similarly awarded the device an Editors’ Choice badge, citing nearly 17 hours of battery life and a media-friendly aspect ratio.

“By switching up its design and really honing on what people use their phone for the most (aka gorging on games and videos), Samsung has made a brilliant foldable.”

Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra and Z Flip8 With Agentic AI

Sam Rutherford, Senior reviews editor at Engadget

Pricing, Preorders, and Market Context Against Rivals

The new foldable devices are available for preorder with a retail release scheduled for August 7. Pricing starts at $1,900 for the 256GB baseline Galaxy Z Fold 8, while the larger Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at $2,100, and the Z Flip 8 launches at a competitive price.

Samsung’s pivot toward a wider 4:3 aspect ratio places its devices alongside other market entries like the Microsoft Surface Duo, early Google Pixel Fold models, and Huawei’s Pura X Max. Industry observers note that these hardware shifts arrive amid persistent rumors that Apple is preparing a similarly proportioned foldable iPhone for release later in the fall.

Despite positive marks for display geometry and battery performance, reviewers noted certain hardware compromises. The standard Z Fold 8 steps down from a three-camera array to a two-camera setup, omitting a dedicated telephoto lens, and still lacks an official IP68 water and dust resistance rating.

Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z Fold 8 With 10% Thinner Flex Titanium Display Module

Expanding AI Ecosystems Across Glasses and Wearables

Beyond smartphones, Samsung offered further updates on its upcoming hardware ecosystem, including its prospective Galaxy Glasses. Speaking at a press conference following the London Unpacked event, Samsung executive Choi Jae-in outlined how the company’s hardware footprint could provide an advantage over competitors like Meta.

Running artificial intelligence (AI) effectively requires significant computing power, but packing all the necessary chips into a pair of glasses makes it difficult to deliver a lightweight and comfortable experience that smart glasses should provide, Choi said, as reported by Mashable via The Korea Times. Choi indicated that the upcoming glasses will occupy a premium price bracket while remaining reasonably competitive with existing smart eyewear options.