The wait is officially over. At Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016, the tech giant dropped three new foldables into our laps: the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the heavy-hitting Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. These are the direct successors to the Z Flip 7, Z Fold 7, and Z Fold 7 Edge. If your current device is starting to show its age—or just your bank account is finally ready to bleed—now is the time to look at preorder offers.
We’ve been sifting through months of rumors, trying to guess what would land this year. Now that the devices are here, the mystery is gone. You want to know exactly which models are real. You want the exact prices. You want to know if you should swipe your card right now or wait for the August launch.
Here is the breakdown. No fluff. Just facts.
Pricing and availability for Samsung’s 2016 foldables
Prices have ticked up. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. In the face of a global memory crisis and component shortages, the costs are reflecting that reality.
Here is what you are looking at on your bank statement:
- Galaxy Z Flip 8: Starts at $1,199. Available in pink, graphite, cream, or mint.
- Galaxy Z Fold 8: Starts at $1,899.99. Colors include lavender, graphite, cream, and pistachia.
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Starts at $2,099.99. Comes in violet shadow, graphite, cream, or green shadow.
Both the Z Flip 8 and the Z Fold 8 Ultra sit $100 higher than their predecessors. The standard Fold 8 holds steady with last year’s relative pricing point, but the ultra-tier has climbed.
Preorders open on July 22. The phones hit shelves on August 7. That is a tight window. If you want the early adopter perks, you need to move fast.
Galaxy Z Flip 8: Pocket-sized power
The Z Flip 8 folds down into a compact square that fits in almost any pocket. Open it up, and you’re staring at a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel. The screen quality is phenomenal. The crease? Barely noticeable when flipped open. It’s a significant leap in engineering over the previous generation.
Under the hood, it’s packing serious specs for a flip phone. You get a dual-lens camera system with up to 10x optical zoom and 4K video recording at 60 frames per second. It runs on 12GB of RAM—that is more than some laptops—and offers 256GB or 516GB of storage options.
Colors are fresh, too. Mint and pink give it a pop, while graphite and cream keep it professional. Online exclusives mean if you see mint in stores, it might be gone already.
Galaxy Z Fold 8: The sweet spot in the middle
Apple hasn’t released a foldable iPhone yet. Meanwhile, Samsung is iterating on the format like there’s no tomorrow. The rumors swirled for weeks. Some thought this model would be dubbed the Z Fold Wide. It isn’t. It’s the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
This model targets the mid-range foldable market, bridging the gap between the pocket-sized Flip and the tablet-sized Ultra. It features a new fullscreen ratio of 4:3, which is better for multitasking than the standard 21:9 of previous iterations.
Close it up, and you have a 5.5-inch cover screen. Open it, and you get a 7.6-inch tablet experience. The camera setup mirrors the Flip but cranks up the video capability to 8K resolution at 30 fps. That is overkill for most people, but it’s nice to have for the pros.
Storage and RAM choices are more flexible here. You can pick 12GB RAM with 256GB/512GB storage, or go all-in with 16GB RAM and a massive 1TB storage option. Lavender, graphite, cream, and online-only pistachia are the colorways.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: The beast arrives
If the Z Fold 7 was the king, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is the emperor. It is the largest phone Samsung has ever made in the foldable line. The cover screen is a generous 6.5 inches. The internal main display expands to a staggering 8 inches.
This is not just a phone. It’s a device for power users who refuse to compromise.
The camera system is the standout feature. It is the only foldable in Samsung’s current lineup with a triple-lens setup. That means better low-light performance and true versatility. It films in 8K and offers 3x optical zoom with an impressive 30x space zoom. You can capture detail from miles away.
It starts at $2,099, and honestly? At that price point, you expect perfection. You get violet shadow, graphite, cream, and an online-only green shadow variant.
What do you trade in?
Here is the thing about preorders: they rarely matter unless you have something to trade in. If you still have an older Z Flip or Z Fold, Samsung’s trade-in values will likely be highest in those first two weeks. Don’t check your bank balance before you check your current phone’s value.
The phones are ready. The specs are set. The only question left is whether you’re buying the Flip, the standard Fold, or going for the Ultra. Which one fits your life? The preorder window is open.
