Samsung Electronics has launched the Galaxy Z Fold 8, its latest book-style foldable smartphone, alongside updated Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 8 models, while increasing prices across its premium foldable range.
The announcement came during the company’s Galaxy Unpacked event in London, where Samsung also showcased new smartwatches.
The launch comes as the South Korean technology giant looks to strengthen its standing in the foldable smartphone market ahead of competition from Apple, which is widely expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone later this year.
Leading the new lineup is the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which starts at $1,899 in the United States for the version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Samsung will also offer a 512GB model for $2,099 and a 1TB version with 16GB of RAM for $2,499.
The device features a 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 4:3 aspect ratio, giving users a wider screen designed for watching videos, reading and multitasking. Weighing 201 grams, Samsung says it is the lightest Galaxy Z Fold phone the company has released.
Powering the Fold 8 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, the same chipset used in the more expensive Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 will ship with either a Qualcomm processor or Samsung’s Exynos chip, depending on the market.
Samsung also increased prices for its flagship foldables, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra now starting at $2,099, while the Galaxy Z Flip 8 begins at $1,199, both $100 higher than the previous generation.
The company said the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be available in Graphite, Cream and Lavender, while Pistachio will be sold exclusively through Samsung’s online store. Customers will be able to buy the device from August 7, 2026.
Alongside the new smartphones, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, priced at $699, and the Galaxy Watch9, which starts at $379.
Experts believe Samsung’s latest launch is an important one as competition in the foldable segment surges in recent times.
“Strategically, this is one of Samsung’s most important foldable launches,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president at IDC. “Samsung has to defend the category it created, and that’s why it cannot play it safe.”
While foldable phones are a small part of the global smartphone market, demand is predicted to keep growing. IDC projects foldable smartphone shipments will grow by 20% this year, even as the smartphone market faces challenges from higher component costs, including memory chips.
Samsung’s latest pricing also shows those high costs. According to Omdia, memory and storage account for more than 60% of the material cost of budget smartphones and more than 30% in premium devices.
“Memory is a much smaller share of the bill of materials on a device above $1,500 than on a mid-range phone, so there is more room to absorb (higher chip prices) at the top-end,” said Omdia senior analyst Sheng Win Chow.
“The harder question is what justifies the price. A bigger screen alone is no longer enough.”
Samsung’s New Galaxy Device Prices
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: $2,099
- Galaxy Z Fold 8: $1,899
- Galaxy Z Flip 8: $1,199
- Galaxy Watch Ultra2: $699
- Galaxy Watch9: $379
