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Though there’s been a recent flurry of entries from Motorola, historically, our list of the best foldable phones has been dominated by two brands: Samsung and Google. The two companies have refined the foldable experience over several generations, with the various quirks and drawbacks gradually ironed out for a great (if expensive) smartphone experience.
In 2026, we’re going to see the companies’ latest entries: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 go head to head with the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold. This year, there will be added pressure for the two Android giants, as this is likely the last foldable launch where there won’t be any Apple-branded competition. The iPhone Fold is hotly tipped to arrive this September.
So, how are the two upcoming Android foldable flagships shaping up, and which is looking a better bet for your money so far? Here’s everything we’ve heard to date.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Rumored specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold (rumored) | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (rumored) |
Cover display | 6.4-inch OLED (120Hz) | 6.5-inch OLED (120Hz) |
Main display | 8-inch OLED (120Hz) | 8-inch OLED (120Hz) |
Chipset | Tensor G6 (2nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (3nm) |
RAM | 12GB or 16GB | 12GB or 16GB |
Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
Battery | 4,658mAh | ~5,000mAh |
Rear cameras | 48MP main, 10.5MP ultrawide, 10.8MP 5x telephoto | 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 12MP 3x telephoto |
Front camera | 10MP selfie (cover and main) | 10MP selfie (cover and main) |
Price | $1,799 | $1,999 |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Rumored release date and prices
In the past, Samsung has tried to tie launches with major sporting events, but it looks like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will miss the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The new foldable is tipped to be unveiled at an event in London on July 22 — three days after the tournament’s final.
In terms of pricing, given AI demand is driving the price of all consumer electronics northwards, we’re unlikely to see a drop from the $1,999 that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 launched at. The models with more storage space may also see a price increase, even if the basic 256GB model stays the same.
Google events, meanwhile, have recently been held in August, and it’s unlikely to be any different this year. While Google was once tipped to be looking at lowering the price of its foldable this generation, those AI-induced shortages make that look increasingly unlikely. We’d expect the phone to start at the same $1,799 as last year.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Rumored design and screens
Both the Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold series of smartphones are book-style foldables, meaning that a regular-looking handset opens up to reveal a larger screen on the inside.
We’re not expecting any dramatic changes from either handset in terms of screen sizes and specs — though if you find the Galaxy Z Fold series a bit too thin, then the rumored ‘Wide’ version may be worth keeping an eye on.
The regular Galaxy Z Fold 8, however, is expected to retain pretty similar screen specs to its predecessor. That is to say a 6.5-inch cover display, which opens up to a larger 8-inch canvas on the inside. Both will be OLED and pack 120Hz refresh rates.
The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold is expected to only differ from that a little, losing 0.1 inch off the cover display, but still housing an 8-inch tablet display on the inside. The above renders, created by the reliable leaker OnLeaks, show a device that looks virtually indistinguishable from its predecessor (albeit around 0.7mm thinner in its folded state).
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Rumored performance
If you’ve followed Android phones for a while, this next section won’t be hugely surprising. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 once again looks set to have a clear advantage over the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold in terms of raw performance.
As ever with Samsung’s flagships, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is set to contain the latest and greatest Qualcomm chipset — in this case the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.
In our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review benchmarking, this chipset was hugely impressive, actually beating the iPhone 17 Pro Max on the intensive 3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited graphical test. Once again, we’re expecting 12GB or 16GB RAM, depending on whether you opt for the base model with 256GB of storage, or the larger 512GB/1TB models.
The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold will likely use the brand new Tensor G6 chipset, and it promises big enhancements to security, as well as a switch to 2nm manufacturing, which should boost both performance and efficiency. Indeed, by Android Authority’s calculations, we could see a 40% increase in core performance.
But there’s a ‘but’. The included GPU seems to be a PowerVR CXTP-48-1536, which appears to be built from 2021 architecture, just like the DXT-48-1536 in the Tensor G5. While we’re keeping an open mind, it would be very surprising if the Pixel 11 Pro Fold was as powerful a gaming machine as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Interestingly, battery life is set to be one of the main differentiators between the two, with both handsets tipped for capacity changes. But in opposite directions.
While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is rumored to be getting an upgrade to a 5,000mAh cell (up from 4,400mAh in its predecessor), one leak suggests the Pixel 11 Pro Fold will be dropping to 4,658mAh — a 357mAh decrease on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
This could be to make the phone thinner and lighter, though Google has also patented a new removable battery system for smartphones so this may be related.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Rumored cameras
Google Pixel phones have always punched above their weight in terms of camera performance, and the exciting news is that the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is rumored to be getting a brand new 50MP main camera sensor, codenamed “Chemosh”.
While that’s only a 2MP increase on the 48MP lens in its predecessor, we could still see big improvements in photographic output, given that megapixel count is far from the whole story when it comes to image quality.
Currently, no other changes are rumored, so we can assume that it will be paired with a 10.5MP ultrawide sensor and a 10.8MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom.
As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, it’s the other way round: the main camera will stay the same, while the two augmented ones will get upgrades, according to Galaxy Club.
That means that while the 200MP main sensor will stick around for at least one more generation, the ultrawide megapixel count will jump from 12MP to 50MP, allowing for higher-resolution cropped shots. The telephoto lens, meanwhile, will reportedly get a more modest upgrade, going from 10MP to 12MP. It is still expected to offer a 3x optical zoom.
Given the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 gets our seal of approval for camera performance in our list of the best foldables, it’s very likely to retain the crown with these upgrades, but we shall have to see what Google’s new 50MP main sensor is capable of on release day.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Outlook
Both the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 are months away from release, and there’s plenty of time for more details to emerge to tip the balance. But as things stand, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 looks like it will be the superior foldable.
Not only is it likely to be considerably faster with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 powering things, but its battery is set to leapfrog the Pixel 11 Pro Fold in terms of capacity. It already has a great camera, and the two supplementary lens upgrades should only make that better.
That said, pricing could be all important. Foldables are hugely expensive, and if Google can retain its $200 advantage on Samsung for another generation, then its weaker core specifications will be far less of an issue.
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