Samsung Z Fold 8 Ultra is the company's newest book-style foldable

After months of rumors and leaks, Samsung finally told us everything we wanted to know about its new marquee foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was officially announced during a Galaxy Unpacked showcase in London, where the company also debuted two more foldable phones and two new Galaxy smartwatches. In a twist to its usual naming convention, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is the successor to last year's excellent Z Fold 7. That means it's a new book-style foldable with some hardware and software improvements over the Z Fold 7. (The newly announced Z Fold 8 is an entirely new model with a wider body.)

In keeping with the Ultra name, and the general state of the tech industry, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is also the most expensive of the new foldables announced on Wednesday. It starts at a staggering $2,099.99, a $100 price increase over the Z Fold 7. Mashable got the chance to demo the new foldable smartphones ahead of their release, and we can finally share all the details and our first impressions.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: By the numbers

This year, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 rumors and leaks were pretty spot on. As expected, the new device features a new Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset (the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy), an improved battery, and some new AI features. Remarkable, it's even thinner than last year's model.

The specifications for the Galaxy Z Fold 8:

• Inner display: 8-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate

• Outer display: 6.5-inches AMOLED display 120Hz refresh rate

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset

• Unfolded dimensions: 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1 mm

• Folded dimensions: 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm

• RAM: 12GB to 16GB RAM

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage

• Battery: 5,000mAh battery

• Charging: 45W wired, 20W wireless

• Cameras: 200MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP selfie camera

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra key upgrades

The Z Fold 8 Ultra is not a huge upgrade over the Z Fold 7 in terms of hardware, but there are some enhancements worth covering. First, Samsung managed to shave an additional millimeter off the thickness of the device, and it's a mere 4.1mm when unfolded, though it weighs the same as last year's Z Fold 7.

Probably the most noteworthy upgrade here is the updated battery. Last year, the Z Fold 7 had a measly 4,400mAh cell, and the phone's mediocre battery life was really the one and only big knock we had against it. A new 5,000mAh battery is instantly on the higher side of any available smartphone right now, so hopefully the Z Fold 8 Ultra can hold a charge for longer than its predecessor.

Another big upgrade worth mentioning: the new 50MP ultrawide camera lens, up from just 12MP a year ago. We haven't had enough time to properly test this out yet, so we can't say if it's really a noticeable improvement or not. But it's basically the only other number on the spec sheet that's substantially bigger than it was a year ago. This brings the phone a lot closer to matching the Galaxy S26 Ultra's pro-level camera array. The Z Fold 8 Ultra can also shoot 8K video, so it's capable of supporting most creators' and professionals' workflow.

Finally, Samsung did make one big display change: the introduction of Flex Titanium, a new technology that allows for nearly invisible creases on foldable displays and a more durable hinge. Mashable got to get hands-on with the new Samsung devices, and we can confirm the crease is basically nonexistent now. That would've been unthinkable five years ago.

Our first impressions: An impressive — and expensive — new king of the hill

As of July 22, this is the most advanced foldable phone in the world. Not only that, but it probably still will be when Apple eventually announces its highly anticipated iPhone Fold Ultra in September. The foldable iPhone will be smaller and have fewer cameras (we think), which means the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra will comfortably outrun it in key areas.

Samsung has also added some new AI and software features into the mix. Two that we're particularly excited about: My Fan Cam and Cine LUTs. My Fan Cam is an AI editing tool that uses Galaxy AI to automatically make vertical video edits from horizontal videos. In the example Samsung showed, it could even isolate the performance of a single dancer in a group performance. Cine LUTs give video makers four preset LUTs that give videos a more professional, cinematic appearance. We're excited to test them both out, and we'll have a full review of the new Galaxy foldables in the weeks ahead.

There's really just one problem with this phone that's immediately apparent to us: the price tag. The $2,099.99 price is going to be a tough sell for a lot of shoppers, and there's no way around it. The fact that Samsung launched a new Galaxy credit card to help people finance the phone doesn't bode well.

Where to buy the new Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The new smartphone is available for pre-order today, starting at $2,099.99 for 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage. The phone will be available starting Aug. 7.

You can purchase the phone from Samsung or Amazon, but you can also check out the best Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra launch offers from mobile carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon, where you can save up to $1,100 if you meet certain terms and conditions.