It’s official. At its Galaxy Unpacked held on July 22, 2026, in London, Samsung unveiled its new foldables: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in a new wide format, the high-end Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Flip 8, alongside the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 and a first look at the brand’s smart glasses. A slimmer design, a Flex Titanium hinge, higher battery capacity and AI everywhere. Pre-orders open today, with general availability on August 7, 2026. Here’s everything to remember, prices included.
!Samsung Galaxy Z Fold foldable smartphone open on a dark background
Galaxy Z Fold 8: the new “wide” format
The big surprise of the event: the standard Z Fold 8 adopts a shorter, wider format. Its cover screen grows to 5.5 inches (FHD+) in a roughly 1.58:1 ratio, closer to a small tablet à la Pixel Fold than a stretched phone. Samsung designed it for content consumption (games, reading, video) and creation: it feels more like a camera format in the hand, and AI makes it easy to auto-crop videos for social media.
On battery, it packs a 4,800 mAh cell rated for 26 hours of video playback, and Samsung calls it the lightest Fold ever made. It starts at $1,899 (256 GB).
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: the thinnest foldable
For those who prefer the classic format, the Z Fold 8 Ultra keeps the traditional elongated Galaxy Fold silhouette but becomes the thinnest Fold ever designed. Above all, it debuts the Flex Titanium hinge — a titanium-alloy film beneath the OLED panel, far stiffer than the previous polymer — meant to strengthen the screen and markedly reduce the crease. It packs a 5,000 mAh battery, the largest ever on a Fold, and is the only model in the lineup to support the S Pen. It starts at $2,099 (256 GB).
Shared specs
Both Folds share the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip (Qualcomm took the stage for the occasion) and run One UI 9, Samsung’s skin based on Android 17, with the Galaxy AI suite (Live Translate, Generative Edit, Note Assist, Gemini task automation). The brand stressed its connected ecosystem — “phone, wrist, TV, and soon beyond the screen” with the glasses.
Galaxy Z Flip 8: the thinnest, lightest clamshell
More affordable, the Z Flip 8 keeps its clamshell format but becomes the thinnest and lightest in the lineup’s history: 6.1 mm when open for just 180 grams. Its highlight: an enhanced cover screen (Flex Window under One UI 9) that makes opening the phone almost optional for notifications, widgets and selfies. According to several sources, it could be Samsung’s last “small” foldable. It starts at $1,199 (256 GB).
To accompany a foldable whose battery life remains the weak point, a good-capacity power bank is a game changer on the go.
Watches: Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2
- The Anker PowerCore 20,000 mAh power bank recharges a smartphone three to four times and slips into a pocket.
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Samsung also unveiled two watches. The Galaxy Watch 9, focused on health, introduces a new “Heart Health Score” and aims to be proactive rather than reactive; it starts at $379. The tougher Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 gains a 35% larger battery (up to 60 hours), 5,000 nits brightness and the best water and dust resistance in the range; it starts at $699.
Smart glasses: the real first step
An event within the event, Samsung and Google (with Rick Osterloh on stage) showed the first smart glasses running Android XR, co-signed by Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. This first model has no display: it leans on audio and a camera that feeds the Gemini assistant (calls, music, photos). We devote a full article to it: everything we know about Samsung’s smart glasses.
The other Unpacked announcements
Samsung used the stage to expand its ecosystem beyond devices. The brand unveiled its first in-house credit card (the Samsung Galaxy Card, tied to Samsung Wallet), a direct answer to the Apple Card, and highlighted Samsung Care+ as well as a QuickShare now compatible with Android and iOS for file sharing. On the marketing side, the launch comes with a tie-in to the film “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (in theaters July 31): pre-orders grant a $30 credit and entry into a gift-card sweepstake. The three foldables also come in several colors.
Price and availability
Pre-orders opened on July 22, with general availability on August 7, 2026. Starting prices:
- Galaxy Z Flip 8: $1,199 (US) / €1,299 (256 GB), €1,499 (512 GB).
- Galaxy Z Fold 8: $1,899 (US) / €1,999 (256 GB), €2,199 (512 GB), €2,399 (1 TB).
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: $2,099 (US) / €2,199 (256 GB), €2,399 (512 GB), €2,799 (1 TB).
These prices confirm Samsung’s move upmarket, amid a broader rise in prices. The good news: launch offers include 6 months of Google AI Pro free and a Mystery Box with the purchase of any of the three models.
Buy now or wait?
If you already own a recent foldable, there’s no rush: the Z Fold 7 remains excellent and its price will drop. But if you’re coming from a traditional smartphone or an old foldable, this generation finally fixes the real flaws: the Flex Titanium hinge and near-invisible crease on the Ultra, better battery life, and a thinner-than-ever Z Flip 8. At these price levels, take advantage of pre-order offers (credit, trade-in, Mystery Box) and wait for independent reviews before choosing between the Fold 8’s new wide format and the Ultra’s classic shape.
What it means for you
With this launch, Samsung clarifies its strategy: a wide Fold 8 for the mainstream, a premium, thin Fold 8 Ultra, and a Flip 8 that pushes the clamshell to its minimum. The real question will be value for money against the competition and Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone. We’ll update this article with French pricing for the watches and glasses as soon as it’s announced.
Which of these foldables tempts you most? Tell us in the comments on Wanda-techs.com, and check out our other mobile news.
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