Samsung unveiled its latest foldable-display smartphones today at an event in London, introducing the Galaxy Z8 series, according to CNBC. The launch is part of the company's effort to maintain its leading position in the foldable market, especially as Apple is expected to enter the segment in 2026.
Three models: Fold8 Ultra, Fold8 and Flip8
The new lineup expands to three devices:
- Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra — $2,099 (flagship)
- Galaxy Z Fold8 — $1,899
- Galaxy Z Flip8 — $1,199
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra resembles its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold7, externally. The standard Galaxy Z Fold8 introduces a new form factor: it opens like a book, is smaller than the Ultra, and features a 4:3 aspect-ratio inner display that Samsung says enables more comfortable content consumption.
Hardware and pricing
Both the Galaxy Z Fold8 and the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 system-on-chip. The $200 price gap between the two Fold8 models reflects the Ultra’s more advanced triple-camera system and its larger battery capacity.
The newly announced devices are priced higher than the previous generation. The article attributes the increase mainly to rising component costs, notably memory chips. Memory prices have risen significantly amid strong demand from artificial intelligence applications and constrained supply, and those same chips are used in smartphones. As a result, the Z Fold8 Ultra and the Z Flip8 are $100 more expensive than their prior-generation counterparts.
Analysts find it notable that prices have not risen even more steeply, suggesting Samsung is not fully passing the increased production costs onto consumers and is trying to preserve competitiveness.
Why this matters
Market analysts view 2026 as a potential turning point for foldables because Apple is widely expected to unveil a wide-folding iPhone in the second half of the year. Such a move would present a significant challenge to Samsung, which helped pioneer the foldable category in 2019. With the Galaxy Z8 family, Samsung aims to strengthen its position ahead of intensifying competition.
(Report based on CNBC)
