Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 arrives at $1,899.99 as Apple rumors swirl
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in London with a 7.6-inch inner display, 4:3 shape, AI video cropping and Aug. 7 availability.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Samsung used its Galaxy Unpacked event in London to roll out three new foldables, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 grabbing the spotlight as a fresh shape in the company’s phone lineup.
The company announced the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra at the event, according to Mashable. The Z Fold 8 is available for preorder now, starts at $1,899.99 and is set for wider availability on Aug. 7.
Samsung is selling the base model with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage, Mashable reported. The phone comes in lavender, cream, graphite and pistachio.
The Z Fold 8 sits in an unusual spot in Samsung’s naming scheme. Mashable reported that it is not positioned as the direct replacement for last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, with that role instead going to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
A wider foldable pitch
The big design move is the Z Fold 8’s 4:3 aspect ratio, which gives it a shorter, wider feel than the taller book-style Fold design. Mashable said that shape could put Samsung close to the rumored direction of Apple’s still-unannounced iPhone Ultra Fold, which Mashable expects could be revealed in September.
Apple has not announced that device, so the head-to-head fight remains theoretical for now. Samsung, meanwhile, has a foldable on preorder and a spec sheet ready to wave around.
According to the specs reported by Mashable, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 7.6-inch AMOLED inner display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 5.5-inch AMOLED outer display, also at 120Hz. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset.
Storage options run from 256GB to 512GB and 1TB, while memory ranges from 12GB to 16GB. The phone has a 4,800mAh battery, 45W wired charging and 20W wireless charging, Mashable reported.
Cameras, AI clips and durability
The camera setup includes 50MP wide, 50MP ultrawide and 10MP selfie cameras, according to Mashable. Samsung says the Z Fold 8 can record 8K video at 30 frames per second.
The Z Fold 8 does not match the Ultra on cameras, based on Mashable’s comparison. The Z Fold 8 Ultra has a 200MP main camera and a telephoto lens, while the standard Z Fold 8 has a 50MP main camera and no telephoto lens.
Samsung also showed a feature called My Fancam, Mashable reported. The AI-assisted tool can follow a person in video and crop the footage into selected dimensions for social media clips.
At 201 grams, Samsung is promoting the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as the “world’s lightest fold ever,” according to Mashable. The device also uses Flex Titanium technology and Samsung’s Armor Flexhinge, both billed as durability features.
Mashable said its hands-on time with the phone found the display crease disappears when the screen is active. The outlet also described the larger inner display as roomy enough for multitasking and entertainment.
Where it lands
Samsung’s newest foldable line now stretches across the cheaper Z Flip 8, the wider Z Fold 8 and the more premium Z Fold 8 Ultra. All three use the same chip, according to Mashable, while the Z Fold 8 gets a smaller battery than the Ultra but can still be configured with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is available through Samsung, Amazon and mobile retailers, Mashable reported. Carrier preorder offers are also available from companies including Verizon and T-Mobile.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.