Experience Samsung's new foldable devices firsthand, featuring a major shift in approach from Premium to Mainstream. The Z Fold 8 Ultra is designed for work, the Z Fold 8 sports a new 4:3 wide screen for content consumption, and the Z Flip 8 is a compact, lightweight device.
Thairath Online had the opportunity to try Samsung's foldable smartphones firsthand, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8. This year, Samsung has significantly revised its foldable portfolio under the Premium to Mainstream concept, clearly defining roles: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra targets productivity users, the redesigned Galaxy Z Fold 8 offers a wider screen for content lovers, and the Galaxy Z Flip 8 caters to fun and lifestyle. The entire lineup features a new hinge mechanism that opens more smoothly and strengthens durability, all running One UI 9.0 on Android 17 out of the box.
Samsung revealed during a briefing that last year they had about 24 million users. After the Galaxy Z Fold 7 highlighted slimness last year, this year Samsung reorganized the entire product structure. The shared upgrade across all three models is the Armor Flex Hinge, which features a new mechanism with springs and a magnetic system (Hinge & Magnetic Optimization) that reduces the force needed to open the device. Hands-on testing showed the hinge provides a responsive snap and opens more easily compared to previous models.
The two Fold models enhance their displays with Flex Titanium technology by adding a titanium-alloy film layer within the screen structure. This helps distribute pressure and weight more effectively, making the screen more durable against folding and providing a seamless viewing experience without interruptions.
On the software side, the Now Brief feature allows more flexible customization of information cards. The Horizontal Lock feature for video work is included on all three models. Additionally, Samsung has partnered with Google to offer six months of free access to the Google AI Pro package for buyers.
Starting with the flagship Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Samsung positions it as the most powerful and thinnest foldable device. The design evolves from the Galaxy Z Fold 7, elevating premium feel with a thickness of just 4.1 mm when unfolded (device dimensions 143.2 x 158.4 mm) and weighing 215 grams, approaching the thinness of typical smartphones. The inner screen is 8 inches, offering a light tablet-like experience. The outer screen measures 6.5 inches with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip and includes a 5,000 mAh battery with 45W fast charging and 20W wireless charging. Samsung claims about 27 hours of usage time.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's key work-related feature is Multi-Instance, allowing up to three windows of the same app open simultaneously, ideal for productivity users. The camera system is carried over from the Galaxy S26 Ultra, including a 200-megapixel main camera with 2x optical zoom, an upgraded 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera (previously 12 megapixels), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The front camera is 10 megapixels on both inner and outer screens.
The device offers IP48 dust and water resistance (up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes) and storage options of 12/256GB, 12/512GB, and 16GB/1TB. The main marketing color is Violet Shadow, with additional Graphite white, Cream, and Green Shadow colors available exclusively on Samsung.com.
The biggest change this year is in the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which has a new design and aspect ratio. Samsung states the design is based on real user behavior. It is the lightest Fold model at 201 grams and 4.5 mm thick (161.4 x 123.9 mm). When unfolded, it offers a 7.6-inch inner screen with a 4:3 horizontal ratio, providing fuller content viewing while remaining portable. In portrait mode, the aspect ratio suits eReading. The outer screen is 5.5 inches with a 16:10 ratio and quality comparable to the Ultra model, including a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
A notable feature from hands-on use is its ability to stand in a tent mode without a stand, supporting Vertical Split Screen to divide work into three screens simultaneously and smoothly run three apps at once, perfect for social media users.
The rear camera system includes dual 50-megapixel wide and ultra-wide lenses. The camera module design draws inspiration from digital cameras. Camera performance is tuned for improved skin tone rendering and better backlight handling. It supports Dual Record, capturing video from front and rear cameras simultaneously as on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and uses dual screens for Dual Preview so subjects can see themselves while being filmed.
The front cameras are 10 megapixels on both screens. Newly added is My FanCam, an AI feature that helps edit videos by automatically detecting people in clips, locking frames on selected subjects, and adjusting aspect ratios to 1:1, 3:4, 4:3, 9:16, or 16:9.
The main hardware uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, the same as the Ultra. It has a 4,800 mAh battery with 45W fast charging and 20W wireless charging, an IP48 dust and water resistance rating, and storage options of 12/256GB, 12/512GB, and 16GB/1TB. The main color is Lavender purple, with Graphite black, Cream white, and Pistachio green available exclusively on Samsung.com.
Lastly, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is positioned as a fun, lifestyle-focused foldable phone, emphasizing vibrant colors and photography. Pink is the main marketing color in a playful direction.
When unfolded, it is 6.1 mm thin (75.4 x 166.9 mm) and weighs 180 grams. The inner screen is 6.9 inches with a 21:9 ratio, and the outer screen is 4.1 inches. It features a new Flex Window that displays Now Brief information cards and allows adding apps directly from the outer screen.
This Galaxy Z Flip 8 model uses the Exynos 2600 chip and has a 50-megapixel main rear camera paired with the Pro Visual Engine image processing system, alongside a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 10-megapixel front camera. FlexCam remains a key feature, allowing multiple angles for half-folded selfies without accessories. Flip Shot lets users customize graphics or GIFs on the outer screen during shooting, ideal for mirror selfies, and Horizontal Lock stabilizes the image when filming vlogs.
The Galaxy Flip 8 includes a 4,300 mAh battery with 25W fast charging and 15W wireless charging, an IP48 dust and water resistance rating, and storage options of 12/256GB and 12/512GB. Available colors are pink, Graphite black, Cream white, and Mint green, the latter sold exclusively on Samsung.com.Samsung.com
Overall, after hands-on experience, Samsung's 2026 strategy is clear: to expand the foldable smartphone user base from a premium niche to mainstream consumers by distinctly segmenting each model to meet different needs—from serious work, immersive content consumption, to fun lifestyle use.