Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 8 at its Unpacked event in London on 22 July 2026, a new wider foldable design starting at £1,699 in the UK, £100 below the Fold 7's launch price, alongside the book-style Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Z Flip 8, with devices on sale from early August.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 22 July 2026
- Samsung used its 22 July 2026 Unpacked event in London to announce three foldables: the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Z Flip 8.
- The Z Fold 8 is a new, wider form factor, closer to a small tablet when open, and starts at £1,699 in the UK with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage options, £100 below the Z Fold 7's launch price.
- The Z Fold 8 Ultra is the direct successor to the Z Fold 7's tall book-style design; its US price is confirmed at $2,099.99, with UK pricing reported at around £1,899 for the 256GB model.
- General availability is set for early August, with the Ultra on sale from 7 August 2026 in the US and pre-orders open from announcement as usual.
- Samsung's trade-in programme offers money off against eligible devices from any brand, and third-party retailers typically run their own pre-order incentives.
- The wider Fold 8 arrives ahead of Apple's first foldable iPhone, expected in September, which reshapes the comparison shopping picture this autumn.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 series: UK launch at a glance
| Galaxy Z Fold 8 | From £1,699 | New wider form factor; 256GB, 512GB or 1TB; £100 below Fold 7 launch price |
| Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra | Reported around £1,899 (US $2,099.99 confirmed) | Book-style successor to the Z Fold 7 |
| Galaxy Z Flip 8 | Reported around £1,049 | Clamshell foldable; UK price to be confirmed at retail |
| Announcement | 22 July 2026 | Galaxy Unpacked, London |
| On sale | Early August 2026 | Ultra confirmed 7 August in the US; UK typically aligned |
Source: Samsung announcements and launch reporting, 22 to 23 July 2026
KEY FACTS
- Announced: Galaxy Unpacked, London, 22 July 2026
- Galaxy Z Fold 8: new wider foldable design, UK price from £1,699, storage 256GB, 512GB or 1TB, £100 below the Fold 7 at launch
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: book-style successor to the Fold 7, US price confirmed at $2,099.99, UK pricing reported around £1,899
- On sale: early August 2026, with the Ultra's US date confirmed as 7 August
- Trade-in: Samsung accepts eligible devices from other brands as well as its own; check device eligibility before relying on a quoted value
What has Samsung announced
Three foldables at its London Unpacked event on 22 July 2026: the Galaxy Z Fold 8, an entirely new wider foldable starting at £1,699, the Z Fold 8 Ultra succeeding the traditional book-style Fold, and the Z Flip 8 clamshell.
The naming needs a moment's untangling, because Samsung has restructured the range. The device called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is not a straightforward successor to last year's Z Fold 7: it is a new, wider design, sometimes described as a passport shape, which opens into something closer to a conventional small tablet than the tall twin-phone shape the Fold line has used since 2019. The direct successor to the Z Fold 7's book-style design is instead the Z Fold 8 Ultra, which keeps the tall aspect ratio aimed at side-by-side multitasking. The Z Flip 8 continues the clamshell line. UK pricing for the wider Fold 8 starts at £1,699 with 256GB of storage, with 512GB and 1TB options above it, which is £100 below the Z Fold 7's launch price last year. The Ultra's US price is confirmed at $2,099.99, with UK pricing reported at around £1,899 for the base model, and the Flip 8 reported around £1,049; UK figures for those two are best confirmed against Samsung's store at pre-order.
When can UK buyers get the Z Fold 8
Pre-orders opened around the announcement in Samsung's usual pattern, with general availability in early August: the Ultra's US on-sale date is confirmed as 7 August 2026, and UK availability has typically tracked the same window in previous years.
Samsung's launch rhythm has been consistent for years: pre-orders open on or shortly after the Unpacked announcement, and devices ship roughly two weeks later. For this generation, the confirmed anchor is the Z Fold 8 Ultra's US on-sale date of 7 August 2026, and UK availability has aligned with the US window in each recent launch. Buyers registering interest before pre-ordering have been offered incentives through Samsung's own store, and the pre-order period is where the launch offers concentrate: trade-in values are typically at their most generous, storage upgrades are sometimes included at the lower tier's price, and third-party retailers run their own competing bundles, which in previous launches have occasionally beaten Samsung's own offer. The practical advice that holds every year is to compare the total cost across Samsung's store, the major networks and large retailers rather than assuming the manufacturer's own pre-order page is the best value, and to check what happens to the trade-in value if the old device's condition is downgraded on inspection, since that is where quoted savings most often shrink.
How does trade-in affect the real price
Substantially: Samsung's trade-in accepts eligible devices from any major brand and sets the headline discounts at launch, but the quoted value depends on the model and its condition on inspection, so the advertised saving is a ceiling rather than a guarantee.
At prices from £1,699, most buyers will not pay the sticker figure: trade-in and network deals set the effective price. Samsung's programme takes eligible smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, including devices from other brands, with the value applied against the new handset, and launch periods carry the strongest values. Two mechanics deserve attention before relying on a quote. First, eligibility and valuation are per specific model and storage variant, so a quote should be generated for the exact device in hand. Second, the final value is set when the old device is inspected after shipping, and damage beyond the declared condition reduces it, so honest condition declarations up front avoid the disappointment of a revised figure later. On the network side, contract pricing spreads the handset cost but bakes in interest and ties the buyer in, so the like-for-like comparison is the total paid over the term against buying the handset outright with a SIM only plan. None of this is unique to Samsung, but a launch at this price level is where the arithmetic matters most.
Why does this launch matter more than usual
Because the foldable market's biggest change arrives weeks later: Apple's first folding iPhone is expected in September, and the wider Z Fold 8 is widely read as Samsung positioning its range before that competition lands.
Samsung has had the mainstream foldable market largely to itself in the UK, sharing it with challengers rather than equals. That changes if Apple ships its long-expected folding iPhone in September, which industry reporting consistently anticipates. The timing explains the shape of this launch: a new wider form factor that resembles the tablet-like designs Apple is expected to pursue, a price for the new Fold 8 set £100 below its predecessor's launch level despite industry-wide component cost inflation, and the traditional design continuing above it as the Ultra. For buyers, the competitive moment cuts both ways. Anyone committed to Android or to Samsung's ecosystem gains from the sharper pricing and the choice of two Fold shapes. Anyone undecided has a genuine reason to wait a few weeks: the first credible rival to the Fold line in years arrives imminently, and its launch will test whether foldable prices across the market hold. Either way, the autumn will be the first time UK buyers can compare folding phones across both major platforms, which is the consumer development that outlasts any single launch.
RELATED GUIDES
DISCLAIMER
This article is for general information only and does not constitute a recommendation to purchase any product. Prices and availability are as announced or reported at 23 July 2026 and may change; UK pricing for some models awaits confirmation at retail. Trade-in values depend on device condition and eligibility.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 in the UK
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at £1,699 with 256GB of storage, with 512GB and 1TB options above it. That is £100 below the Galaxy Z Fold 7's UK launch price last year.
What is the difference between the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra
The Z Fold 8 is a new, wider design that opens closer to a small tablet. The Z Fold 8 Ultra continues the tall book-style design of previous Folds and is the direct successor to the Z Fold 7.
When is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 release date
Devices go on sale in early August 2026, with the Z Fold 8 Ultra's US on-sale date confirmed as 7 August. UK availability has tracked the same window in previous Samsung launches, with pre-orders open from the announcement.
Can you trade in a non-Samsung phone
Yes. Samsung's trade-in programme accepts eligible smartphones, tablets and smartwatches from other brands as well as its own, with the value set by the specific model and its condition on inspection.
Should UK buyers wait for the folding iPhone
Apple's first folding iPhone is widely expected in September 2026. Waiting gives undecided buyers the first cross-platform foldable comparison; committed Android buyers gain little from waiting beyond seeing whether launch pricing across the market shifts.
SOURCES
- Samsung UK, Galaxy announcements and store – accessed 23 July 2026
- Samsung Newsroom, Galaxy Unpacked announcements – accessed 23 July 2026
- GOV.UK, consumer rights on returns and refunds – accessed 23 July 2026
