The news
On July 22, 2026, Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8, plus intelligent eyewear, at Galaxy Unpacked in London. Samsung said the lineup was designed to bring foldables to a wider audience.
Pre-orders opened the same day in select markets. CNBC listed US prices of $2,099 for the Fold8 Ultra, $1,899 for the Fold8 and $1,199 for the Flip8. It reported that the Ultra and the Flip8 each cost $100 more than the Fold7 and Flip7, and attributed the increases to rising memory chip costs.
The Fold8 Ultra is the productivity model, with an 8-inch main display, a 200-megapixel main camera, a 5,000 mAh battery and 45-watt charging. Samsung said it measures 4.1 mm thick unfolded and weighs 215 g. The new Fold8 uses a 4:3 main display aimed at video, reading and games and, at 201 g, is Samsung's lightest Z Fold, the company said. Both Folds run Qualcomm's (QCOM) Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5; the 180 g Flip8 uses Samsung's Exynos 2600.
Artificial intelligence was the common thread. Samsung said Gemini Intelligence app automation now works across more than 40 supported apps and services, handling tasks such as finding a nearby restaurant and making a reservation. One UI 9 adds an AI Assistant Activity dashboard that shows automations running on a user's behalf. Samsung also updated Smart Switch so iPhone users can move passwords, passkeys and eSIM data by scanning a QR code, and made Quick Share work with Apple's AirDrop in both directions.
The eyewear, developed with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker (WRBY) and built with Google on its Android XR platform, puts Gemini, a camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip into glasses frames. Samsung said it can summarize messages, translate conversations live and capture a whiteboard or meeting discussion into Samsung Notes, with up to nine hours per charge and up to seven more full charges from its case. Samsung's announcement gave no price or release date.
TM Roh, Samsung's chief executive and head of its Device eXperience division, said mobile devices will become "the most personal entry point" as AI grows more agentic, meaning able to take actions for the user.
The numbers
- Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra US price (CNBC)
- $2,099
- Galaxy Z Fold8 US price (CNBC)
- $1,899
- Galaxy Z Flip8 US price (CNBC)
- $1,199
- Fold8 Ultra thickness unfolded
- 4.1 mm
- Apps and services supported by Gemini app automation
- 40+
- Eyewear battery life per charge (Samsung)
- Up to 9 hours
Why CEOs should care
For IT and procurement leaders, the three-tier lineup makes role-based choices easier: the Fold8 Ultra for staff who run documents, video calls and messaging side by side, the lighter Fold8 for reading and review, and the Flip8 as the lowest-priced of the three. At $1,899 to $2,099 for the book-style models, based on CNBC's US figures, the business case rests on whether a foldable replaces a tablet or second device rather than adding one. Pilot with named roles and measure that before a wide rollout.
CISOs should look hard at the agentic features. App automation that acts across 40-plus apps is useful, but ask Samsung and your mobile device management vendor how those actions are logged, which run on the device versus in the cloud, and whether Knox policies can switch them off for regulated staff. The eyewear's camera can capture meetings and whiteboards and share a wearer's point of view, and Samsung's own footnotes say recording features may vary with applicable laws or consent requirements. Update meeting-room and acceptable-use policies before these glasses reach the office.
CFOs should read the price increases as a signal. CNBC linked them to memory chip costs driven by AI demand, so 2027 device refresh budgets should not assume flat hardware prices; ask carriers and resellers about price protection on multi-year deals. The easier iPhone-to-Galaxy migration through Smart Switch also lowers the cost of running a mixed fleet, which can give buyers more leverage in negotiations with both Apple and Samsung.
The bigger picture
Samsung has led foldables since launching its first one in 2019, CNBC noted, and the London launch came as Apple was widely expected to enter the category. Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, told CNBC it was a critical launch for Samsung because Apple joining a category gives it more legitimacy. Wood said the new Fold8's shape was little surprise, given widespread rumors that Apple was planning a wide-screen foldable.
The eyewear builds on concepts Google showed at its latest I/O developer conference, Samsung said. It extends the Galaxy ecosystem from phones and watches to glasses, with the phone still at the center and fashion brands handling fit and style.
What happened next
On August 6, 2026, Samsung said pre-orders for the new Galaxy Z series had risen more than 30% from the previous generation, and that the phones would go on sale from August 7 in 106 markets. Graphite was the most popular color for both Folds, and pink led Flip8 pre-orders, the company said.
On September 9, 2026, Apple (AAPL) unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable, starting at $1,999 with 256 GB of storage, with pre-orders from October 16 and shipments from October 23, Variety reported. That entry price sits between CNBC's US prices for the Fold8 and the Fold8 Ultra. For the eyewear, the next milestones to watch are a price and an on-sale date, which Samsung had not given at Unpacked.
