Samsung Unpacked 2026: Fold8 Ultra makes its debut, expands Galaxy Z foldable lineup with three-model strategy

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday unveiled its biggest overhaul of the Galaxy Z foldable portfolio yet, introducing the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra alongside the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8. The launch marks the first time the company has split its book-style foldable into two distinct models, bringing its flagship ‘Ultra’ branding to the foldable category while expanding the Galaxy Z series to three devices.

Samsung has opened pre-orders for the devices in select global markets. The company is yet to announce India pricing and availability. In the US, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra starts at $1,999, the Galaxy Z Fold8 at $1,599 and the Galaxy Z Flip8 at $1,099.

The move broadens Samsung’s foldable portfolio by catering to different user segments. While the Galaxy Z Fold8 is designed as an everyday foldable for immersive content consumption, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra targets power users with a larger display, flagship-grade cameras and productivity-focused features. The Galaxy Z Flip8, meanwhile, continues as Samsung’s compact clamshell foldable with a slimmer design and AI-powered interactions.

The new lineup also brings One UI 9 based on Android 17 and a host of Galaxy AI features optimised for each form factor. Samsung said the Fold models are designed to make multitasking and productivity easier on larger displays, while the Flip8’s AI-native FlexWindow puts contextual information, shortcuts and Gemini-powered features on the cover screen.

“As AI becomes more agentic, mobile devices will become the most personal entry point to experiences that understand and adapt to each user,” said TM Roh, Chief Executive Officer, President and Head of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics. “By setting a new standard for foldables, we are once again advancing the premium mobile experience and opening the next era of intelligence to more people.”

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: Bringing the ‘Ultra’ experience to foldables

Positioned as the flagship of the lineup, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra features an 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display and a 6.5-inch cover display. Measuring 4.1 mm when unfolded and weighing 215g, Samsung says it is its slimmest Z Fold device yet.

The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy and houses a 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging. Samsung has equipped the device with a 200MP primary camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera and a 10MP telephoto lens, along with dual 10MP selfie cameras. It will be available in configurations of up to 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage.

The Fold8 Ultra also introduces professional-grade content creation features, including HDR support in 200MP mode, improved Nightography, 8K video recording using the APV codec and Cine LUT for cinematic colour grading. Samsung said an expanded graphite cooling structure has also been added to improve heat dissipation during demanding workloads.

Galaxy Z Fold8: A lighter foldable built for everyday immersion

Samsung has positioned the Galaxy Z Fold8 as its mainstream book-style foldable, aimed at users who want a larger screen for reading, streaming, gaming and multitasking. At 201g, the company says it is the lightest Galaxy Z Fold smartphone to date.

The device sports a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display and a 5.5-inch cover display with adaptive 120Hz refresh rates. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy and packs a 4,800mAh battery with 45W wired charging.

The Fold8 features dual 50MP rear cameras covering wide and ultra-wide photography, while My FanCam automatically tracks subjects and reframes videos for social media. Dual Recording enables users to simultaneously capture footage from both sides of the device, making it easier to record reactions while filming.

Samsung has also introduced a new Flex Titanium display structure across the Fold lineup, combining a titanium-alloy film with an enhanced titanium plate to improve durability, reduce crease visibility and make the folding mechanism smoother.

Galaxy Z Flip8: Slimmer design with an AI-first FlexWindow

The Galaxy Z Flip8 continues Samsung’s clamshell foldable series with a thinner profile, measuring 6.1 mm when unfolded and weighing 180g, making it the company’s slimmest and lightest Flip smartphone yet.

It features a 6.9-inch main display alongside a 4.1-inch Super AMOLED FlexWindow that now serves as an AI-native interface. Users can access Now Brief, Gemini Intelligence and AI-powered shortcuts directly from the cover screen without unfolding the device.

Powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2600 processor, the Flip8 comes with a 4,300mAh battery supporting 25W wired charging. The rear camera setup includes a 50MP primary sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide camera.

Samsung has also expanded the Flip’s photography capabilities with FlexCam for hands-free shooting, Camcorder Grip with Zoom Rocker, Super Steady with Horizontal Lock for smoother videos, FlipShot for customised mirror selfies and Mirror View for previewing selfies on the cover display.

Across the lineup, Samsung has introduced new Galaxy AI capabilities including Gemini Notebook, Now Brief, Now Nudge and an AI Assistant Activity dashboard that allows users to monitor AI-driven actions across apps. The devices are also protected by Samsung Knox, Knox Vault and the Personal Data Engine, which the company says provide greater transparency and control over how AI accesses and processes personal data.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra will be available in Graphite, Cream and Violet Shadow, with Green Shadow offered exclusively through Samsung’s online store. The Galaxy Z Fold8 comes in Graphite, Cream and Lavender, while the Galaxy Z Flip8 will be sold in Graphite, Cream and Pink, with Mint available as an online-exclusive colour.

Samsung is also bundling a six-month subscription to Google AI Pro, including 5TB of cloud storage, with the new foldable lineup.