Samsung's Biggest Foldable Goes Ultra as Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Sleekest Galaxy Z Flip 8 Make Debut

Samsung has expanded its foldable smartphone lineup with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 8, introducing two devices sitting at opposite ends of the foldable spectrum. While the Fold 8 Ultra is Samsung's biggest and most powerful productivity-focused foldable yet, the Flip 8 is its slimmest and lightest clamshell phone.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is particularly significant because it marks the first time Samsung has extended its Ultra branding to its foldable smartphone lineup. The phone sits above the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8 and brings an 8-inch main display, a 200MP primary camera, a larger 5,000mAh battery and more advanced camera capabilities.

Despite being the more powerful of Samsung's two book-style foldables this year, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra measures just 4.1mm when unfolded, making it Samsung's slimmest Z Fold design yet. It weighs 215 grams.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8, meanwhile, takes Samsung's compact foldable in a different direction. It weighs 180 grams and measures 6.1mm when unfolded, making it the company's lightest and slimmest Galaxy Z Flip to date.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Brings the Ultra Formula to Foldables

Samsung has traditionally reserved the Ultra moniker for the most capable device in its Galaxy S flagship lineup. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra now extends that strategy to foldables.

The phone features an 8-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display with a resolution of 2504 x 2256 pixels and an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. On the outside is a 6.5-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover display, also supporting a 1Hz to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

Both screens are larger than those on the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8, which has a 7.6-inch main display and a significantly smaller 5.5-inch cover screen.

The Fold 8 Ultra measures 8.9mm when folded and just 4.1mm when unfolded. The regular Fold 8, by comparison, measures 9.7mm folded and 4.5mm unfolded. The Ultra is therefore thinner despite packing a larger display and battery, although its 215-gram weight is higher than the Fold 8's 201 grams.

Samsung is also using its new Flex Titanium technology across its foldable lineup. The titanium-based display structure combines a titanium-alloy film with an enhanced titanium plate, which the company says improves display support, absorbs pressure and impact and helps reduce crease visibility over time.

The main display can reach up to 3,000 nits of brightness and features Vision Booster and a low-reflection finish for improved outdoor visibility.

200MP Camera Makes the Fold 8 Ultra a Proper Camera Flagship

The camera system is another major distinction between the Fold 8 Ultra and Samsung's regular Fold 8.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra features a triple rear camera setup led by a 200MP wide camera with optical image stabilisation. It is joined by a new 50MP ultra-wide camera and a 10MP telephoto camera offering 3x optical zoom.

The regular Fold 8, in comparison, uses a dual-camera system comprising 50MP wide and 50MP ultra-wide cameras, with no dedicated telephoto camera.

Samsung has also added HDR support when shooting at the full 200MP resolution on the Ultra, alongside improved Nightography for low-light photos and videos.

For more advanced video creation, the phone supports 8K video recording using Samsung's new APV codec. Cine LUT provides additional control over colour and tone for users who want to incorporate footage captured on the phone into more elaborate production workflows.

There is a 10MP camera on the cover screen and another 10MP camera on the main display.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and a 5,000mAh Battery

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, the same chipset used by the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The Ultra, however, gets a larger 5,000mAh battery compared with the Fold 8's 4,800mAh capacity.

Samsung has introduced a dual-path charging architecture on the Fold 8 Ultra, supporting 45W wired charging. The company claims the phone can reach up to 67 percent charge in around 30 minutes when used with a compatible 45W adapter.

There is also support for 20W wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare.

Samsung has expanded the phone's graphite cooling structure to improve heat dissipation during intensive workloads such as multitasking, gaming and AI-powered tasks.

The Fold 8 Ultra is available with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage, while 12GB RAM variants are available with 256GB and 512GB storage.

It runs Android 17 with One UI 9 and carries an IP48 rating for water resistance. Connectivity options include 5G, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.

Galaxy Z Flip 8 Is Samsung's Sleekest Flip Yet

While the Fold 8 Ultra is designed around maximum screen space and productivity, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 focuses on portability, self-expression and quick interactions.

The Flip 8 weighs 180 grams and measures 6.1mm when unfolded and 13.1mm when folded. Samsung describes it as its slimmest and lightest Galaxy Z Flip yet.

The phone features a 6.9-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

On the outside is a 4.1-inch Super AMOLED FlexWindow, which Samsung is increasingly treating as a functional interface rather than merely a secondary display for notifications and widgets.

Users can access apps, information and AI-powered features directly from the FlexWindow. Now Brief can display personalised insights and suggested actions, while Gemini Intelligence can be accessed using voice requests or the side key. The idea is to let users perform more tasks without repeatedly unfolding the phone.

Galaxy Z Flip 8 Gets a 50MP Camera and New FlexCam Features

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 features a dual rear camera system comprising a 50MP primary camera with optical image stabilisation and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. A 10MP selfie camera sits inside the phone.

Samsung is leaning heavily on the Flip form factor for its camera experience. Flex Mode allows the device to act as its own stand for hands-free photos and videos, while the cover display can be used to preview shots.

The company has also introduced a Camcorder Grip with Zoom Rocker, designed to provide a more comfortable grip while recording video.

Super Steady now gets a Horizontal Lock option to keep footage level during movement, while FlipShot allows users to personalise the FlexWindow and capture mirror selfies. Mirror View, meanwhile, turns the cover screen into a mirror-like display for checking appearance before taking a photograph.

Exynos 2600 Powers the Galaxy Z Flip 8

Unlike the Fold 8 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is powered by Samsung's own Exynos 2600 processor. It comes with 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage.

The phone packs a 4,300mAh battery and supports 25W wired charging, with Samsung claiming it can reach up to 55 percent charge in around 30 minutes using a compatible adapter.

The Flip 8 also supports 15W wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare.

Like the Fold 8 Ultra, it runs Android 17-based One UI 9 and carries an IP48 rating. Connectivity includes 5G and Wi-Fi 7.

AI Becomes More Important to Samsung's Foldable Strategy

Both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 8 arrive with Samsung's latest Galaxy AI features, although the company is tailoring the experience around their very different form factors.

On the Fold 8 Ultra, the expansive inner display provides additional space for multitasking and AI-assisted workflows. Gemini Notebook, for instance, can combine notes, images, recordings, documents and other files within a persistent workspace. Split View allows users to drag and drop content while generating reports, meeting recaps, visual summaries and other material.

Gemini Intelligence can also automate tasks across more than 40 supported apps and services, including finding tickets, locating restaurants and making reservations.

On the Flip 8, Samsung is bringing more of these interactions to the FlexWindow, reducing the need to open the device for quick AI-assisted tasks.

One UI 9 also introduces an AI Assistant Activity dashboard that provides a centralised view of AI automations performed on a user's behalf.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8 Price and Availability

Samsung's biggest foldable is also its most expensive smartphone yet. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra costs:

1. ₹1,99,999 for the 12GB/256GB variant,
2. ₹2,19,999 for the 12GB/512GB variant, and
3. ₹2,59,999 for the 16GB/1TB variant.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 also comes with a price hike over its predecessor. It costs ₹1,24,999 for the 12GB/256GB variant and ₹1,44,999 for the 12GB/512GB model.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 8 are available for pre-order in select markets, including India, starting today. Both phones also include a six-month trial of Google AI Pro with 5TB of cloud storage.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra comes in Graphite, Cream and Violet Shadow, with Green Shadow available exclusively through Samsung's online store. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is available in Graphite, Cream and Pink, while Mint is an online-exclusive colour.