Samsung’s biggest hardware event of the year is just two weeks away, with Galaxy Unpacked set for 22 July in London — and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup looks more complex than ever.
What Samsung is expected to announce
According to leaks compiled by Tom’s Guide and corroborated by FCC certification filings, Samsung is preparing at least five devices for the London stage: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (the direct successor to last year’s Z Fold 7), a new wider variant called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the Galaxy Watch 9 series, and the debut of Galaxy Glasses running Gemini AI.
The Z Fold 8 Ultra is expected to carry a 5,000mAh battery which is a jump from the 4,400mAh in the Fold 7 and finally push past the 25W charging ceiling that’s frustrated users for years, landing at 45W wired. NokiaPowerUser reports a 200MP main camera is also in the mix.
The more interesting device is arguably the Z Fold 8 Wide. As TechTimes reports, this variant unfolds into a 7.6-inch 4:3 display, closer to a small landscape tablet than the tall, narrow proportions Samsung foldables have shipped with since 2019. It’s a different form factor aimed at productivity users, not just a size bump.
Then there’s the Z Flip 8, which may be the last of its kind. Tom’s Guide notes that supply chain data shows the Flip 8 being built at lower volumes than both Fold models, with multiple tipsters claiming Samsung is winding down the clamshell foldable line entirely after this generation.
On pricing, PhoneArena puts the Z Fold 8 Ultra starting at around US$1,999 for 256GB, with the 1TB configuration potentially hitting US$2,499 or more, driven partly by a sharp rise in mobile DRAM costs that analysts don’t expect to ease before late 2027.
Who foldables actually make sense for
I haven’t personally used a foldable smartphone. But I can absolutely see the appeal for certain people. If you’re a designer, architect, or someone who frequently reviews detailed documents or technical drawings on the go, a foldable that opens into a near-tablet display is a great thing to have. Having that screen real estate in your pocket without carrying a separate tablet is a compelling trade-off for the right person.
For everyone else, though? It’s a harder sell. If you prefer a slim, minimal phone that disappears into your pocket, a foldable is the opposite of that. The Z Fold 8 Ultra is expected to weigh in around the same territory as its predecessor, so not exactly the device you forget you’re carrying. And starting at the equivalent of over AU$3,000, you’re paying a serious premium for a form factor that the majority of users don’t actually need day to day.
The Z Fold 8 Wide’s 4:3 aspect ratio is the most interesting development here because it leans harder into the productivity argument. Rather than a phone that happens to fold, it’s closer to a pocket tablet that happens to make calls. Whether that’s what Australian buyers actually want at that price point remains to be seen.
What to watch on 22 July
Samsung will open pre-orders the same day as the announcement, with devices expected to ship in early August. The AU pricing will be the number to watch as memory cost pressures have pushed prices up across the Android ecosystem this year, and Australian buyers have historically faced a premium on top of that already. Whether Samsung holds the AU$2,799 starting point of the Fold 7 or nudges it higher will tell us a lot about how seriously they’re chasing the local foldable market.
Galaxy Unpacked starts 22 July in London. The event will be streamed live on Samsung.com, Samsung Newsroom and Samsung’s YouTube channel beginning at 11pm AEST and 2 p.m. BST.
