A wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 arrives as Samsung’s big bet on the next shape of phones
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 family is a pair of book-style foldable phones with wider inner and outer displays, a redesigned hinge, and an Ultra model focused on camera and stylus power, all arriving as Samsung’s next attempt to lock in the future of premium foldables before rival brands react. Samsung has confirmed its next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on July 22 in London, streaming at 9 a.m. ET on its website, newsroom, and YouTube channel. This is where the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Flip 8, and the higher-tier Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra are expected to debut. The headline is not a new category, but a new shape: a shorter, wider book-style foldable that signals Samsung’s answer to the long-rumored foldable iPhone and a reset of its foldable strategy before that device arrives.
Galaxy Z Fold 8: Wider screens, familiar formula, and a quiet usability win
The standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the subtle but important redesign most foldable buyers have been waiting for. Instead of chasing ever-taller displays, Samsung is moving to a shorter, wider layout that resembles the dimensions rumored for Apple’s first folding iPhone. The event teaser even shows a ticket stub cut shorter with the line “A new shape unfolds,” pointing directly at a wider, squatter foldable form factor. Under the hood, the Fold 8 is expected to stick close to its predecessor, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy and minor camera changes forming the core of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs. That may sound iterative, but a wider display foldable matters far more than a spec sheet suggests: it should make the cover screen feel more like a normal phone and give side‑by‑side apps on the inner screen a lot more breathing room for multitasking.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: 200MP camera, S Pen, and an unapologetically premium pitch
If the Fold 8 is Samsung’s course correction, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is its flex. Rumours point to an overall design similar to the previous Fold 7 but upgraded with a wider outer display around 5.4 inches and a 7.8‑inch inner panel when opened. Another report instead pegs the Ultra at a 6.5‑inch outer screen and 8.0‑inch inner display, plus a redesigned hinge that dramatically reduces the crease. Both agree on the real headline: a 200‑megapixel main camera and the return of S Pen support. That direct camera upgrade is Samsung’s clearest answer to complaints that earlier Folds lagged behind its slab flagships in imaging. One quotable takeaway is this: “The Ultra variant is rumored to pack a 200‑megapixel camera, a redesigned hinge, and the return of the S Pen,” pulling the Fold line back into Note‑style productivity territory with a focus on photography power.
Pricing, Ultra positioning, and how Samsung is setting the table before Apple arrives
Samsung is not pretending this future is cheap. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 are expected to see price increases of USD 100 (approx. RM460) over their predecessors, driven by a memory shortage. One source suggests the Fold 8 could start at USD 1,200 (approx. RM5,520) and the Flip 8 at USD 2,000 (approx. RM9,200), with the Fold 8 Ultra landing near USD 2,150 (approx. RM9,890), while another expects the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra to come in closer to USD 2,500 (approx. RM11,500). Either way, the Ultra is being framed as a premium, almost experimental tier, while Samsung softens the blow with a USD 30 (approx. RM140) pre‑order credit and up to USD 1,230 (approx. RM5,660) in trade‑in savings. At the same time, the company is promising Galaxy AI upgrades that “set a new standard for the AI era” across its foldables, signalling that this generation is as much about software maturity and ecosystem depth as it is about hardware.
What the wider Fold 8 means for foldable buyers—and why Samsung is moving now
The timing is no mystery: Samsung’s wide foldable is a preemptive strike at Apple’s first foldable iPhone, which is expected alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series. By getting a shorter, wider design into buyers’ hands first, Samsung is trying to define what a “correct” foldable phone comparison looks like before Apple even shows its hand. The company is pairing that hardware shift with a broader ecosystem push at Unpacked: refreshed Galaxy Watch models, including an Ultra variant with a brighter display, larger 800mAh battery, and IP69K durability rating, plus the possibility of an early look at smart glasses built with eyewear partners as part of its Android XR efforts. In other words, Samsung wants foldables to look less like experiments and more like the center of a mature product family, backed by years of iteration and AI‑driven features, when the inevitable foldable iPhone finally appears.
