Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Hands-On: Samsung's Thinnest Foldable Yet, at a $2,099.99 Starting Price

Samsung used a July 2026 Galaxy Unpacked event to introduce a three-phone foldable lineup: the standard Galaxy Z Fold8, a new step-up Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Flip8. The Ultra is the one worth paying attention to if you want Samsung's most advanced foldable hardware, and after spending time with it, the thinness is what stands out first.

Thinner, and it shows

Unfolded, the Z Fold8 Ultra measures just 4.1mm thick and weighs 215 grams — figures that make it feel closer to a slightly thick slab phone than the small-tablet bulk earlier Fold generations carried. Samsung credits a new Flex Titanium hinge design for both the reduced thickness and a shallower visible crease down the middle of the 8-inch main display, a complaint that's followed the Fold line since its first generation.

Performance and software

Inside is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, paired with 12GB of RAM on the 256GB and 512GB configurations and 16GB on the 1TB model — the extra memory on the top tier is clearly aimed at users who actually run multiple apps side by side on that big inner screen. Software-wise, Samsung has built in Gemini Notebook for AI-assisted note-taking and research, along with an updated Now Nudge multitasking layer designed around the Fold's unfolded aspect ratio rather than treating it as an afterthought.

Battery and colors

The Z Fold8 Ultra carries a 5,000mAh battery, a meaningful capacity for a foldable this thin. Samsung is offering it in Violet Shadow, Graphite, and Cream broadly, with a fourth color, Green Shadow, sold exclusively through Samsung's own website and Experience Stores.

Price and verdict

Pricing starts at $2,099.99 (or $87.51 a month on Samsung's installment plan) before any trade-in credit, with 256GB and 512GB configurations at 12GB of RAM and a 1TB option bumping to 16GB. Preorders are open now through September 7, 2026.

That price puts real distance between the Fold8 Ultra and Samsung's own S26 Ultra, and it's a hard sell as anyone's only phone unless the bigger unfolded screen is something you'll use daily rather than occasionally. But as a statement of how thin and light a book-style foldable can get without giving up flagship-tier silicon, it's the most convincing Fold Samsung has shipped. We'll follow up with a full, long-term review after more time with the hinge and battery life under normal daily use.