Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 8 alongside the Z Fold 8 Wide in July 2026

None of this is official yet, but the leaks have been consistent enough and from credible enough sources, we're learning that Samsung is reportedly preparing to launch not one but two book-style foldables at its July 2026 Unpacked event: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and a brand new variant called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide. Together, they represent what might be Samsung's most ambitious foldable year yet. Let’s dive in!

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Rumors

Design

The standard Fold 8 continues the tall book-style design Samsung has refined over seven generations. The frame is expected to use carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) to bring the weight down, landing somewhere between 200 and 215 grams. It is also going to be noticeably lighter than previous Fold models. The Armor FlexHinge is expected to return with improved durability, and the S Pen stylus is also expected to come back after being removed from the Fold 7, which had dropped it to achieve its 4.2mm unfolded thickness.

The Fold 8 Wide is a bit of a different phone in terms of form. Where the standard Fold unfolds into a tall, narrow display, the Wide unfolds into something closer to a compact tablet. The cover screen on the ‘Wide’ is also shorter and wider at 5.4 to 5.5 inches compared to the standard's 6.5-inch cover. Both phones are expected to use the same improved hinge and lamination technology, and both of these foldables are rumored to see crease reduction benefits from the new build.

But Samsung also seems to be quite cautious regarding the new “Wide” phone. Just recently, they gave up on the Galaxy TriFold, which could have been their next big project. Following that, Samsung's production target for the Wide is around 1 million units, compared to roughly 3.5 million for the standard Fold 8.

Display

The standard Fold 8 gets an 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner display and a 6.5-inch cover display, both running at 120Hz with up to a massive 2,600 nits of peak brightness. Regarding the crease, Samsung is reportedly using dual ultra-thin glass, laser-drilled micro-perforations on the metal support plate, and improved lamination, all of which together target around 20% less visible crease than the Fold 7. This does sound both interesting and ambitious, and one thing to look forward to would be how it could compete against OPPO’s newest Find N6’s zero-feel crease, which we covered recently

The Wide's inner display is 7.6 inches, which is slightly smaller than the standard's 8-inch panel, but the most important point in this size difference is the aspect ratio. The standard Fold uses a tall and narrow inner display, which is common in foldable phones and is mostly built for portrait use. However, such a display feels awkward for watching videos in landscape or using widescreen apps.

In contrast, the Wide's inner display, which will resolve such problem, is estimated to have roughly a 9:7 or near-square aspect ratio, and the cover screen appears to be close to 16:10. Interestingly, Google tried a similar wide format with the original Pixel Fold in 2023 and received positive feedback for it, but then inexplicably reverted to a taller aspect ratio with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Samsung is now going in the opposite direction, and at almost the same time, Apple is reportedly arriving with a similarly wider design.

• Also, read

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display, It's the first time on a smartphone!

• Samsung Galaxy M17e 5G Launched in India with 6 years of software updates!

Performance

Both the Fold 8 and the Fold 8 Wide run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, which is the same chip inside the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Similarly, the RAM options are 12GB and 16GB, with storage configurations of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Both phones run One UI 9 on Android 17, which Samsung is promising will bring significant AI improvements including Gemini Live integration, advanced multitasking, and DeX improvements. 

Camera

The Fold series has always trailed Samsung's S Ultra lineup on imaging, partly because the foldable form factor puts real constraints on what you can fit in the module. The Fold 8 is expected to close that gap now. The main camera is rumored to be a 200MP sensor, matching the S26 Ultra's primary camera. The ultrawide reportedly jumps from 12MP to 50MP, which has been a long-standing weakness of the Fold line, and the telephoto moves from 10MP to 12MP with 3x optical zoom. In addition, the cover and inner selfie cameras are also expected at 10MP each. 

Battery

Samsung has not upgraded the battery on its book-style foldable since the Galaxy Z Fold 2, five years ago. The Fold 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 all shipped with the same 4,400mAh cell, year after year, while chipsets improved, displays got brighter, and every other spec moved forward. For a device that costs close to $2,000 and unfolds into something resembling a small tablet, that's been genuinely hard to defend.

The Fold 8 is expected to break that streak with a 5,000mAh battery, and will be made up of two cells of roughly 2,369mAh each. That brings it in line with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which also packs 5,000mAh. The Fold 8 Wide is expected to arrive with a slightly smaller 4,800mAh battery. Other than that, both phones are expected to support 45W wired and 15W wireless charging. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Wide Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Rumors and Availability

Both phones are expected to be announced at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event in July 2026. Stay tuned for more details!

• Meanwhile, check out our review of the Z Fold 7