Name: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
Brand: Samsung

Samsung’s next foldable phone opens differently from anything the company has built before. Instead of the tall, narrow proportions that foldables have shipped with since their first generation, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 unfolds into a 7.6-inch screen that is nearly as wide as it is tall — a 4:3 aspect ratio that turns the device into something closer to a small tablet than a stretched phone.

That single design shift anchors an unusually ambitious announcement. Samsung is unveiling three foldable phones at once: the Z Fold 8, a premium Z Fold 8 Ultra with a triple rear camera system and a larger 5,000mAh battery, and the Z Flip 8 clamshell, which is reportedly thinner and lighter than its predecessor. Alongside them: two new Galaxy Watch models and the Galaxy Glasses — a pair of AI-enabled eyewear developed with fashion brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, running Samsung’s Android XR platform with Google‘s Gemini built in.

The 4:3 display ratio matters because of what people actually do on foldable phones. Reading documents and web pages on the current Z Fold line’s tall, narrow inner screen requires constant scrolling that a wider format eliminates. Watching video in landscape fills more of the screen. Split-screen multitasking — the signature use case for foldables — becomes more natural when neither half of the divided screen looks squeezed. Samsung is betting that changing the shape changes the whole case for buying a foldable.

The Galaxy Glasses introduce a second significant bet at the same event. Samsung describes them as designed with fashion-house aesthetics — Gentle Monster and Warby Parker frames — while running Gemini for hands-free AI queries and real-time translation. Whether the AI integration holds up in daily use is something reviewers will verify from July 22 onward; smart glasses have repeatedly promised seamless voice AI and delivered something less. The Galaxy Z Fold 8’s rumored Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and 12GB of RAM are also leaked figures, not official specs — Samsung has published no spec sheet ahead of the event.

The usual foldable caveats apply. Previous Z Fold generations launched above $1,800, and the Z Fold 8 Ultra will presumably cost more. The display crease that has defined every foldable phone is unaddressed in any official Samsung communication so far. Whether the new hinge design reduces it meaningfully or merely continues the steady improvement of past generations is not verifiable before reviewers get hands-on time. Availability outside the US and key European and Asian markets at launch is also unconfirmed.

There is a competitive logic to the timing. Apple‘s first foldable phone, widely expected to feature a similar 7.8-inch 4:3 inner display, is reported for September 2026. Samsung is landing on July 22 — roughly six to eight weeks earlier — giving reviewers and buyers time with the wider foldable format before Apple’s version arrives to define it. Galaxy Unpacked takes place at 9 a.m. EDT on July 22 in London, with a live stream on Samsung’s YouTube channel. Pre-orders are expected to open the same day.

Tags: Apple, Samsung, Galaxy Glasses, foldable phones, Galaxy Unpacked, Galaxy Z Fold 8