Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Samsung's next generation of foldable smartphones is expected to debut with a redesigned hinge aimed at significantly reducing the visible crease that has long been a defining characteristic of the company's book-style foldables, according to a fresh wave of leaks ahead of the devices' official unveiling later this month.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup is expected to be announced at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for July 22 in London, marking the first time the company has held its summer Unpacked event in the United Kingdom rather than its more typical venues in Seoul, New York or San Francisco. Multiple South Korean outlets, including Korea Economic Daily TV and Seoul Economic Daily, have separately reported the July 22 date, and the devices have already cleared Federal Communications Commission certification in the United States, an indication that the hardware is finalized ahead of the launch.

According to prominent tipster Ice Universe, posting on the social media platform X, Samsung's upcoming book-style foldables will feature a hinge that is "noticeably different" from the one used in the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with the redesign intended to minimize the crease that forms down the center of the inner display when the device is unfolded. The leaker also indicated that the folding and unfolding motion on the new devices will feel more decisive, meaning users will likely lose the ability to hold the phones open at intermediate angles the way they could with the previous generation.

For the first time in the Z Fold lineup's history, Samsung is expected to release two distinct book-style foldables rather than a single flagship model. One version, expected to carry the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra name, is said to maintain the taller, narrower form factor familiar from previous generations, while a second device, referred to in leaks as the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 or the "Wide" model, is expected to introduce an entirely new shape with a shorter, wider 4:3 aspect ratio inner display. That design is widely seen as a strategic move to compete with Apple's rumored first foldable iPhone, expected to arrive with a similarly wide form factor later this year.

Leaked specifications suggest the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 will feature a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer cover screen, both reportedly capable of reaching 2,500 nits of peak brightness, along with a dual 50-megapixel rear camera setup without a dedicated telephoto lens. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, meanwhile, is expected to retain a more traditional design while adopting a triple rear camera system that could include a 200-megapixel main sensor, a significant camera upgrade compared to the outgoing Z Fold 7. Both devices are rumored to run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, the same chip found in Samsung's current Galaxy S26 Ultra flagship, and are expected to ship with Android 17 and Samsung's upcoming One UI 9 software, which is said to bring deeper integration of Google's Gemini AI assistant across the foldable line.

Battery and charging upgrades are also anticipated. Leaks point to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra moving to a 5,000 milliamp-hour battery, up from 4,400 milliamp-hours on the Z Fold 7, alongside a jump to 45-watt wired charging from the previous 25-watt cap. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide is expected to carry a smaller battery given its lighter, roughly 200-gram build, positioning it as a more portable, tablet-like alternative aimed at users who prioritize a larger, landscape-oriented display for media consumption and productivity tasks over raw camera performance.

Pricing leaks suggest the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 could start at around $1,999 for a 256GB configuration in the United States, with 512GB and 1TB variants priced higher, potentially reaching beyond $2,700 for the top storage tier depending on the final market pricing. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is rumored to carry a similar or slightly higher starting price. Industry observers have attributed the expected price increases in part to a broader spike in memory chip costs that has affected smartphone pricing across the industry throughout 2026, a trend that has already led Samsung to raise prices on other devices, including the Galaxy S26 series and select mid-range models, earlier this year.

Alongside the two foldable phones, Samsung is expected to introduce the Galaxy Z Flip 8, its clamshell-style foldable, at the same event, along with updated entries in its Galaxy Watch lineup. Some reports have also suggested Samsung may use the London event to unveil a pair of audio-focused smart glasses developed in collaboration with the South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster, though those details remain unconfirmed by the company.

Samsung has not officially confirmed the July 22 date or provided details on the devices' final specifications, pricing or naming conventions, and industry watchers have cautioned that some elements of the leaked lineup, including the exact naming split between the "Ultra" and "Wide" designations, could still change before the official announcement. Historically, Samsung has opened pre-orders on the same day as its Unpacked events, with general retail availability typically following about two weeks later, suggesting the new foldables could reach store shelves in the United States and other major markets in the first week of August.

If the leaked hinge improvements hold up once the devices are official, they would mark one of the more significant physical design changes to the Galaxy Z Fold line since its original debut, addressing one of the most persistent criticisms leveled at book-style foldable phones since the category emerged: the visible crease that forms at the center of the display over repeated use. Whether Samsung's new hinge design closes that gap entirely, or simply narrows it, is expected to become clear once the company takes the stage in London later this month.

Read more