It's summertime, which means it's time for Samsung's new foldable phones. The company has confirmed July 22 for the next Galaxy Unpacked event in London, where we are expected to see the new generation of foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series.
I'm not sure about you, but for the first time in years, I haven't been all that excited about the new Galaxy Z Fold(s). Samsung already addressed most of our long-standing complaints with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 last year, bringing in a wider cover display and a thinner design.
Add RAMageddon to the mix, and we can expect these new foldables to be priced sky-high and well out of our reach (unless you act fast, reserve your unit now and save up to $1,230 on your Galaxy Z Fold 8 pre-order).
That said, a few interesting Galaxy Z Fold 8 leaks over the past few weeks have pulled my attention back toward Samsung's foldables. I spent the last couple of months ignoring most of the Z Fold 8 rumors, but these are the ones that finally got my attention.
Samsung is breaking its one-book-style foldable-a-year pattern
Every time Samsung launches its Galaxy S series, it gives us a couple of options to choose from. There's the base model for people who don't want to spend too much and prefer a more compact form factor, and then there's the Galaxy S26 Ultra for those who want the best of everything, with a large screen and an S Pen.
With the Galaxy Z Fold series, things have been a little different because Samsung has only ever launched a single book-style foldable each year and called it a day. That's changing in 2026, though, as Samsung is finally rumored to debut not one but two book-style foldables this year.
Alongside the standard Galaxy Z Fold 7 successor, Samsung is said to be launching a new foldable aimed squarely at the iPhone Ultra launching later this year. This second device will reportedly have a different form factor, closer to a passport-style shape, with a less-tall but wider display.
That means when it unfolds, it'll feel more like a standard tablet rather than the squarer display the current Galaxy Z Fold series offers. You'll still be able to opt for the classic book-style foldable we've seen for years, but you'll now also have the option of this new form factor entering the market.
This is where things get interesting, because Samsung is apparently changing its naming scheme too. The standard Galaxy Z Fold form factor we've known all these years will reportedly now be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, while the new passport-style form factor will take on the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 name.
I know this is going to cause a fair bit of confusion among interested buyers, but it's apparently the direction Samsung is heading in.
The upgrade every foldable fan has wanted is coming
If you've been following the Galaxy Z Fold 8 leaks this time around, you'll have noticed that not much is changing. You'll get a similar screen size both on the cover and unfolded, an upgraded chipset that's standard at this point, and a triple-camera setup.
But one thing that leaked only recently, and might turn out to be the biggest upgrade of all, is an improved crease.
A leaker recently revealed that Samsung has made a significant improvement to the Galaxy Z Fold 8's hinge, resulting in far better crease control. They went on to suggest it could be comparable to the Oppo Find N6 that launched earlier this year.
For those who don't remember, the Oppo Find N6 launched with a virtually crease-free display. Having used it myself, I can tell you this could be the most underrated yet most impactful upgrade on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 this year.
One thing I've noticed with almost everyone who picks up a Galaxy Z Fold is how quickly they comment on the depth of the crease. If that's finally going away, it might end up drawing in more customers than any other upgrade on the phone.
Samsung might finally fix Z Fold's weakest point: the battery
The one leak that's really got me interested in the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series is the battery capacity. For years, we've complained that the Galaxy Z Fold has fallen behind its Chinese competitors when it comes to battery life.
We've seen foldables like the Oppo Find N6 and the Honor Magic V6 pack more than 6,000mAh, while Samsung has stuck with sub-4,400mAh batteries on the Galaxy Z Fold for years.
That finally seems to be changing this year. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 7 are rumored to come with 5,000mAh and 4,800mAh batteries, respectively, which would bring the foldables much closer to the competition.
It might still not go toe-to-toe with the biggest batteries out there, but paired with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5's efficiency, I'm more than hopeful Samsung will finally deliver better battery life than before.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.
More from Tom's Guide
