Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 officially unveiled at Unpacked: See what's new

All eyes were on Samsung's two bigger foldable devices at Unpacked on Wednesday, but the newest in the Galaxy Z Flip line got its moment in the spotlight, too.

Samsung confirmed the long-known existence of the Galaxy Z Flip 8 at an Unpacked event in London, following up on last year's well-liked Z Flip 7 with a device that offers a smaller form factor, but at a higher price. The new Z Flip 8 is just 6.1 mm when unfolded, making it 13 percent thinner than the Z Flip 7. That's all well and good, but unfortunately, like almost everything else in the tech world, it's more expensive than last year's model, too.

The new Galaxy Z Flip 8 is available for preorder today starting at $1,199.99. That's a $100 price bump year-over-year. The new foldable phone will be available on Aug. 7, but we got the chance to try the device ahead of its launch, and we've got all the details you need to know.

The Z Flip 8 is noticeably lighter and slimmer in your hand this year, and Samsung says it's the lightest and thinnest flip-style foldable phone ever. Having seen the device up close, we believe it. This year's device weighs a mere 180 grams, or 8 grams lighter than the Z Flip 7.

Here are the basic specs of the new Galaxy Z Flip 8 from Samsung:

• Inner display: 6.9-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate

• Outer display: 4.1-inch HD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset

• Colors: Pink, cream, graphite, mint

• Unfolded dimensions: 166.9 x 75.4 x 6.1 mm

• Folded dimensions: 85.7 x 75.4 x 13.1 mm

• Weight: 180 grams

• RAM: 12GB

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB

• Battery: 4,300mAh battery

• Cameras: 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP selfie camera

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 upgrades: Some things change, some things stay the same

The story of the Z Flip 8 is that while there are some important improvements over the Z Flip 7, the overall hardware of the new device is very similar to that of the old one.

The display sizes, RAM, storage options, and even the battery are all the same, year-over-year. Samsung also didn't do anything to upgrade the cameras, at least not at a megapixel level. As the cheapest of the three foldables, perhaps it's to be expected that Samsung wouldn't go out of its way to provide premium specs in the Z Flip 8, but that also means the phone doesn't seem like a massive improvement over last year's model. It will also be competing with the excellent Motorola Razr Ultra, which does have premium specs.

That's not to say Samsung did nothing, though. It's about 12 percent smaller than the Z Flip 7 and a little lighter, making it even more comfortable in the hands. Perhaps the biggest improvement over the Z Flip 7 is the presence of a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, the same one that powers Samsung's other new foldables. That should offer a performance boost (and maybe a boost to battery life, too) over the Exynos chip that powered the Z Flip 7.

Finally, the new Flex Titanium hardware should provide more durability, as well as a truly invisible crease in the middle of the flexible display.

Our first impressions: A lighter, thinner flip phone

Correction, this isn't just a lighter, thinner flip phone. According to Samsung, it's the lightest and thinnest foldable flip ever. And based on our hands-on demo, we believe it.

The new Galaxy Z Flip 8 feels great in your hand, and it disappears into your pocket like an iPhone never could. Samsung also told us the cover screen user experience has been redesigned from the ground up. In the past, the cover display UX felt like a bit of an afterthought, with limited functionality, but Samsung says that won't be the case this year. In our limited time with the phone, that seems true.

Still, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is competing against the Motorola Razr Ultra, which has received rave reviews so far this year, including from our own tech editor. Without powerful cameras, it's at a bit of a disadvantage if you're a creator who needs to take photos and videos for work.

That being said, this phone is definitely cool in a way that very few phones are these days. It has a cute design and color options, making it hipper than your average iPhone.

Where to buy the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

The new smartphone is available for pre-order today, starting at $1,199.99 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. T-Mobile is even offering the device for $900 off for customers who meet certain conditions.