'Passport-sized' Galaxy Z Fold 8 is Samsung's most radical foldable yet — and it's $100 more than last year. Is it worth it?

Samsung unveiled three foldables at Galaxy Unpacked London on July 22 — Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8. All are powered by Gemini AI and Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon chip. Samsung described the lineup as its "most important foldable launch" — and priced all three $100 higher than their predecessors.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is priced at $1,899 and is described as a new "passport-sized" form factor — wider and shorter than the Z Fold 7. Samsung designed it for immersive content consumption, with a larger inner display in a more compact body. It targets Apple's rumoured foldable iPhone directly.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is priced at $2,099 — $100 more than its predecessor. Samsung targets productivity users: it has a larger display, a 5,000 mAh battery, 45W fast charging and a 200MP main camera. Powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon — the most powerful chip in any Samsung phone.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is priced at $1,199 — $100 more than the Flip 7. Samsung positions it for portability and self-expression, with a redesigned FlexWindow and AI-powered interactions. The Flip 8 will use either Qualcomm Snapdragon or Samsung's own Exynos chipset depending on the market.

IDC expects the global smartphone market to contract 14% in 2026, partly because of a memory chip shortage pushing up manufacturing costs. Memory and storage account for over 30% of costs in premium devices, per Omdia. Samsung's mobile division is forecast to post its first-ever quarterly loss for April–June.

All three foldables ship with Gemini AI, described as "optimised for each foldable form factor." TM Roh, CEO of Samsung's Device eXperience Division, said: "As AI becomes more agentic, mobile devices will become the most personal entry point to experiences that understand and adapt to each user."

IDC expects foldable smartphone shipments to grow 20% in 2026 despite the broader market decline. Samsung launched this lineup knowing Apple is preparing its first foldable iPhone — expected later in 2026. The foldable category Samsung created 5 years ago now has its biggest test ahead.