The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is a book-style foldable phone. Samsung announced it on July 22, 2026, at Galaxy Unpacked in London, and sales began on August 7, 2026. In the US, it starts at $2,099.99 with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. It is the first Ultra model in the Galaxy Z series. Samsung positions it as the next step for the original Z Fold line, so it succeeds the Galaxy Z Fold7. The wider Galaxy Z Fold8 is a separate, cheaper model with a different shape.
Design and display
Folded, the phone measures 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm. Unfolded, it is 4.1 mm thin, and it weighs 215 g. The frame is Armor Aluminum. Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 covers the cover screen, while Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects the back.
The main screen is an 8.0-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with 2504 x 2256 pixels. It refreshes from 1 to 120 Hz and reaches 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Samsung also added an anti-reflection finish and a Flex Titanium layer under the panel, which is designed to reduce crease visibility. The 6.5-inch cover screen has a 1080 x 2520 resolution and the same 1–120 Hz range. Finally, the IP48 rating covers freshwater submersion up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.
Performance
The phone runs on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 tuned for Galaxy phones, and Samsung uses this chip in every market. Its octa-core CPU has two cores at up to 4.74 GHz and six cores at 3.63 GHz. Graphics run on the Adreno 840 GPU. Compared with the Galaxy Z Fold7, Samsung quotes 16% faster CPU, 15% faster GPU and 21% faster NPU performance.
The 256 GB and 512 GB versions have 12 GB of RAM, while the 1 TB version has 16 GB. There is no microSD slot. In addition, an expanded graphite cooling structure helps manage heat during long tasks.
Cameras
The rear setup starts with a 200 MP main camera with an f/1.7 lens, optical stabilization and 2x optical-quality zoom. A new 50 MP ultrawide camera with a 120-degree view replaces the 12 MP unit of the Z Fold7, and it also handles macro shots. A 10 MP telephoto camera adds 3x optical zoom with stabilization, and digital zoom goes up to 30x.
Both the main and ultrawide cameras record 8K video at 30 fps. Video can also be saved with the APV codec for editing. For selfies, there is a 10 MP camera on each screen.
Battery and charging
A 5,000 mAh dual silicon-carbon battery replaces the 4,400 mAh cell of earlier Z Fold models. Samsung rates it for up to 27 hours of video playback. Wired charging now reaches 45W, up from 25W, and Samsung says it fills 67% in about 30 minutes. The phone also supports 20W wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare. However, the charger is sold separately.
Software and updates
The Z Fold8 Ultra ships with Android 17 and One UI 9. Samsung promises seven years of OS upgrades and security updates. Galaxy AI features include Now Nudge, Photo Assist and My FanCam, and split view supports two or three apps at once. The phone does not support the S Pen.
Should you buy the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra?
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra suits buyers who want the largest main screen in Samsung’s 2026 foldable lineup. It also fits those who need a 3x telephoto camera, a bigger battery and faster charging in a thin body. On the other hand, the $2,099.99 starting price is high. The IP48 rating offers limited dust protection, and there is no S Pen support. If you do not need a telephoto camera, the Galaxy Z Fold8 starts at $1,899.99 with a wider 7.6-inch main screen and two rear cameras.
