Looking for everything there is to know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8? We’ve rounded up all the latest leaks, rumours, and our wishlist for Samsung’s next flagship foldable.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 set a new bar for foldable phones, marking Samsung’s most significant design overhaul in years. With a sleeker form factor, improved displays, and a major camera upgrade, it helped Samsung claw back ground lost to rivals like Honor and OnePlus in an increasingly competitive foldable market.
Now, all eyes are on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Can Samsung build on that momentum and deliver a truly next-level foldable experience? Here’s everything we know so far — including specs, features, release date, and price.
When will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 be released?
With Samsung’s next big reveal just around the corner, the wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is nearly over. According to the latest leaks, Samsung is expected to officially unveil the phone on 22 July 2026 — so mark your calendars.
The launch rumours don’t stop there — a separate leak suggests Samsung will host its Unpacked event for both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 in London.
It’s worth noting that neither leak has been confirmed by additional sources, so treat both with caution. That said, the July timeline does align with Samsung’s established pattern — the last two generations of Galaxy foldables were both unveiled in July of their respective launch years.
A July launch also makes strong strategic sense for Samsung. Releasing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 before the anticipated Honor Magic V6 — expected to arrive around August — would give Samsung a valuable head start in what is shaping up to be a fiercely competitive second half of 2026. It would also put the Z Fold 8 on shelves well ahead of the increasingly hyped iPhone Fold.
On another note, there’s currently no indication of a staggered release for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide. Unlike the Galaxy S25 Edge — which launched several weeks after the rest of the S25 lineup — it appears the Fold Wide won’t be held back for a separate reveal.
For context, here are the reveal dates for previous Galaxy Z Fold handsets:
- Samsung Galaxy Fold – September 2019
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 – September 2020
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 – August 2021
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 – August 2022
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – August 2023
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – July 2024
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 – July 2025
How much will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 cost?
Predicting the Galaxy Z Fold 8 price is no simple task — especially with global economic uncertainty continuing to impact consumer electronics pricing across the board.
There’s already a precedent for a price hike, set by the Galaxy Z Fold 7. While UK buyers were fortunate enough to pay £1,799 at launch — matching the Z Fold 6’s price — customers in the US and Europe weren’t as lucky, facing increases of $100 and €100 respectively.
Could Samsung spare UK buyers again? Possibly — but given the strong momentum built with the Fold 7 and the upgrades expected for the Z Fold 8, a price increase feels more likely than not. We’re anticipating a starting price of around £1,899 in the UK, though US pricing may remain unchanged.
For context, here’s a quick look at the starting price history for the range:
- Samsung Galaxy Fold – £1,900/$1,980
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 – £1,799/$1,999
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 – £1,599/$1,799
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 – £1,649/$1,799
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – £1,749/$1,799
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – £1,799/$1,899
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 – £1,799/$1,999
What specs and features will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 have?
Two versions at the point of sale
Samsung has traditionally launched a single Galaxy Z Fold model per generation — with storage and RAM tiers being the only real points of differentiation. But that could be about to change with the Z Fold 8.
A well-known industry tipster has flagged the appearance of a new Samsung device on the GSMA product database, and it hints at something we haven’t seen before in the Fold lineup. The device carries the model number SM-F971U — consistent with previous Z Fold naming conventions (the Z Fold 7, for reference, was listed as SM-F966) — but it’s the device’s listed market name that has really caught attention.
Market names in Samsung’s database follow a predictable pattern — typically a Q followed by the device’s generation number. The Z Fold 7, for example, was listed as Q7. So when this new device appeared under the codename H8, it immediately stood out as something different.
To be clear, the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 is already accounted for in the database as SM-F976 / Q8 — meaning this H8 listing points to an entirely separate device. According to a corroborating report, the H8 could be a widescreen variant featuring a squatter 18:9 aspect ratio when folded and a near-square 18:18 ratio when fully opened.
The case for a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide has only grown stronger since then, with a handful of leaked renders now offering our first look at what the device could actually look like — and it’s unlike anything Samsung has released before.
Based on the leaked renders, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide will sport a 5.4-inch outer display that unfolds to reveal a larger 7.6-inch inner panel. That’s notably more compact than the 8-inch interior display expected on the standard Z Fold 8 — but the wider aspect ratio means the overall experience will feel closer to a widescreen tablet than a traditional foldable when fully opened.
Impressively, the device is also tipped to be just 4.9mm thin when unfolded, doubling to 9.8mm when closed — figures that would make it one of the slimmest foldables on the market.
So far, so impressive — but the leaked renders do contain one eyebrow-raising detail. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide is reportedly equipped with just two rear-facing cameras, echoing the minimalist approach Samsung took with the Galaxy S25 Edge.
For a flagship foldable, that’s a bold call. Foldables have historically struggled to match the camera performance of traditional slab-style flagships, so trimming the camera system down to two lenses risks being a significant step backwards — unless Samsung can offset the hardware limitations with some serious computational photography muscle.
It’s a trade-off that will divide opinion, and one that Samsung will need to justify convincingly at launch.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide may not be just a novelty addition to the lineup — it could be Samsung’s most direct answer yet to the long-rumoured foldable iPhone. If current leaks hold up, Apple’s first foldable is also expected to favour a wider form factor, making the Z Fold 8 Wide a well-timed strategic move.
It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen this approach, either. Both the original Google Pixel Fold and the Oppo Find N2 featured squarer inner displays designed with one-handed usability in mind. However, the format largely fell out of favour as manufacturers shifted toward taller 21:9 outer displays — making Samsung’s apparent return to the wider form factor all the more intriguing.
As for the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8, renders have surfaced for that model too. The verdict? Don’t expect a dramatic visual overhaul. Aside from a subtly lighter shade of blue, the design appears nearly identical to the Z Fold 7 — making it one of those upgrades where the real differences will likely be found under the hood.
Leaked dimensions have also emerged alongside the renders, giving us a clearer picture of what to expect from the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8. The phone is tipped to measure 158.4 x 72.8 x 9mm when folded, slimming down to just 4.5mm when unfolded.
Here’s where it gets interesting, though — that would actually make the Z Fold 8 slightly thicker than its predecessor, which measured in at 4.2mm unfolded. As always, pre-launch dimensions should be treated with caution, but it’s a curious direction for Samsung to take. With all signs pointing to the Galaxy Z Flip 8 getting a meaningful thinness upgrade, the idea of the book-style Fold line moving in the opposite direction raises some questions worth watching.
A closer look at the firmware currently in development for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide has offered a revealing glimpse into the device’s software experience. Thanks to its wider inner display, apps are laid out in a more traditional tablet-style format — a notable departure from the squarer, more constrained layout found on the Z Fold 7.
The practical implications are easy to imagine. A wider canvas naturally lends itself to media consumption — whether that’s streaming films, gaming, or multitasking across split-screen apps. If Samsung can pair that hardware advantage with optimised software, the Z Fold 8 Wide could carve out a genuinely compelling niche in the foldable market.
A bigger battery
Concrete specs for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 are still relatively scarce, but one area where early leaks are already gaining momentum is the battery — and the rumoured upgrade is a meaningful one.
Initial reports from a Korean publication suggested the Z Fold 8 could pack a 5,000mAh battery, a significant step up from the 4,400mAh cell found in the Z Fold 7 — a capacity that was widely criticised as underwhelming for a flagship foldable. That rumour has since been echoed by a well-known tipster on X, who added that wired charging speeds could also see a major boost, jumping from 25W to 45W.
The timing makes sense. Samsung recently gave the Galaxy S26 Ultra a long-overdue charging speed upgrade, and carrying that improvement over to the Fold line would be a logical next step. It also feels like a necessary one — with the Honor Magic V5 already housing a 5,820mAh cell, Samsung needs to close the battery gap to stay competitive at the premium end of the foldable market.
Rumor: About Galaxy Z Fold 8
• Battery capacity in the 5000mAh range
• To improve display crease, it will adopt a laser-drilled metal plate technology, similar to the one used in the foldable iPhone
• S Pen support to be reinstated pic.twitter.com/mX0xy75E4b— Jukan (@jukan05) October 28, 2025
A less noticeable crease and better durability
The visible crease on the inner display has been one of the most persistent criticisms of the Galaxy Z Fold range — and a genuine barrier for consumers sitting on the fence about foldables. It appears Samsung is finally making a serious push to address it with the Z Fold 8.
A new rumour points to Samsung deploying Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) technology to reduce crease visibility by approximately 20%. To ensure that the change doesn’t compromise the display’s durability, the company is also said to be integrating a laser-drilled metal support plate — a solution that would allow Samsung to improve the visual experience without sacrificing the structural integrity that foldable displays demand.
If the rumour holds up, it could be one of the most impactful refinements of the entire Z Fold 8 package — and a meaningful step toward making foldables a more compelling option for mainstream buyers.
Naturally, the true impact of any crease reduction won’t be fully appreciated until the device is in hand — but any meaningful improvement is a welcome one. A less visible crease doesn’t just look better; it directly enhances day-to-day usability, particularly when running full-screen apps across the entire inner display.
It’s also worth noting that at CES 2026, Samsung briefly demonstrated a foldable display with no visible crease at all — a genuinely impressive showcase. The caveat? That crease-free panel may ultimately be destined for the foldable iPhone rather than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Even so, the demonstration at least confirms that Samsung has the technology in its arsenal — and lends credibility to the rumoured crease improvements coming to the Z Fold 8.
A big upgrade for just one camera
Samsung has been known for being fairly iterative over the last few smartphone generations with regard to camera upgrades, and that’s largely the same with the Z Fold 8.
From what we can gather, the newer phone will still have the same 200Mp main camera of its predecessor, as well as the familiar 3x 10Mp telephoto. What will be new for 2026 is an updated ultra-wide camera.
Unlike the Z Fold 7 which had a fairly lacklustre 12Mp ultra-wide camera for such an expensive device, the Fold 8 could be packing a much improved 50Mp equivalent. Although it’s true that megapixel counts don’t automatically translate into great pictures, it is nice to see Samsung make an effort to more closely align the specs of its Z Fold range with those of the Galaxy Ultra series.
Finally, an affordable Z Fold
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup could be Samsung’s most diverse yet. Beyond the expected standard and Wide variants, there are now growing signs that Samsung is finally ready to bring a more budget-conscious option to its flagship foldable range — enter the rumoured Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 FE.
The evidence comes in the form of an unidentified Samsung device carrying the model number SM-F971U, which has surfaced on the IMEI database. The naming convention closely mirrors the SM-F976U code associated with the standard Z Fold 8 — a strong indicator that the two devices share the same product family, with the FE positioned as the more accessible entry point.
The move would follow a well-established precedent. Samsung took its first step into more affordable foldables last year with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and extending that same Fan Edition treatment to the Fold range feels like a natural — and long overdue — progression.
It would also open the door to a largely untapped segment of the market. Right now, the only realistic route to an affordable foldable is buying an older model — a compromise that puts off a significant number of potential buyers. A Galaxy Z Fold 8 FE could change that, giving consumers a genuine entry point into the Fold experience without the flagship price tag.
S Pen support reintroduced
One of the biggest steps back on the Z Fold 7 was Samsung’s decision to remove S Pen support.
Even now, we don’t quite understand why Samsung did this as it made the phone lesser featured than the Galaxy S25 Ultra when it came to digital note-taking or drawing. Thankfully, it seems as though Samsung has listened to this feedback and is now looking to reinstate the feature.
