What you need to know

• Samsung has started the stable One UI 9 update for the Galaxy S26 series, beginning in South Korea before expanding to other markets.
• One UI 9 brings features like My FanCam and more customizable Now Brief cards to the Galaxy S26 lineup.
• Samsung released seven beta builds over nearly five months, giving it time to fix bugs and refine the software.

Samsung has officially started the One UI 9 update rollout for the Galaxy S26 series, nearly five months after the company kicked off beta testing in May. The stable update for the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra began rolling out in South Korea on September 16 and is now being released in other regions as well.

The test drive of the software wasn’t exactly a quick preview. Samsung released seven beta versions before moving to the finished release, allowing it to have several rounds of feedback and bug fixes to go through. The September security patch is, as expected, included with the stable release.

One UI 9 also includes some Galaxy AI features that first appeared on Samsung’s latest foldables. For example, one is the My FanCam feature, which can keep a chosen person in focus while automatically reframing video for different aspect ratios, while Now Brief gets customizable cards and expanded security and privacy information.

Samsung is also adding Now Nudge for more contextual suggestions and improvements to Interpreter, Document Scan, Voice Recorder summaries, and device care. Security Brief can find and surface warnings around malware, unknown apps, and unnecessary permissions, and on-device AI is able to identify potential privacy risks.

What’s interesting is how One UI 9 is moving away from a singular headline feature and is instead becoming more about tying Samsung’s AI, camera, and security tools into everyday tasks. That could make the update feel more substantial in daily use than the visual changes alone would suggest.

Samsung says One UI 9 will be available to more Galaxy phones and tablets, so international users should keep an eye on Settings > Software update > Download and install as the rollout expands to other markets.

What you need to know

• Samsung's OneDrive Gallery integration is ending soon, but Google Photos appears ready to take its place.
• A new Gallery Cloud Sync service has appeared on the Galaxy Store with support for backing up to Google Photos.
• Samsung hasn't announced the Google Photos integration yet, but it could start rolling out within weeks.

Samsung has started laying the groundwork for what appears to be the replacement for its outgoing OneDrive integration, and unsurprisingly, it's Google Photos.

Earlier this year, Samsung announced that users would no longer be able to use OneDrive to back up photos and videos directly through the Samsung Gallery app. Until now, Galaxy users have been able to automatically sync their Gallery photos and videos with OneDrive without needing to use another app or service.

However, that partnership is coming to an end later this month. And now, Samsung appears to be preparing its replacement with none other than Google Photos.

X user Sandeep Adap has spotted a new Samsung service called "Gallery Cloud Sync" on the Galaxy Store, which appears to be designed to take over from the existing Gallery OneDrive Sync integration. The app listing says Gallery Cloud Sync will safely back up your memories, including photos and videos, to "Google Cloud" so you can access them across your devices.

The mention of Google Cloud might sound slightly confusing, but it appears Samsung is actually referring to Google Photos here.

User That Josh Guy on X was able to preview the upcoming functionality, which isn't live just yet, and found that Samsung Gallery will offer an option to sync directly with Google. The Gallery settings will reportedly show your available Google storage, let you choose which albums to sync, and offer controls to sync over Wi-Fi or while roaming.

This could be a big change if you currently rely on OneDrive for Samsung Gallery backups, since you'll likely need to switch to Google Photos. That said, the overall experience should remain pretty similar, with the sync controls still built directly into the Gallery app.

The OneDrive sync option has already started disappearing from Samsung Gallery for some users and is expected to be discontinued completely later this month. Thankfully, Samsung's upcoming Google Photos integration looks like it could be an even more natural replacement.

Samsung hasn't officially announced Galaxy Cloud Sync or started rolling out the Google Photos integration just yet. But with OneDrive support ending soon, we expect the new option to become available sometime later this month or in early October.

What you need to know

• Samsung introduces the Galaxy S26 series to its Certified Re-Newed program.
• The S26 Ultra starts at $1,099 (a ~$200 price drop), while the S26 and S26 Plus start at $759 and $929.
• The company highlights that buyers can grab Samsung Care Plus protection with Loss and Theft during checkout for unlimited battery repairs and free screen replacements.

If you're looking to save some money, Samsung announced that its latest Galaxy S26 series is now available in its Certified Re-Newed program.

Today (Sept. 14), Samsung announced that its Certified Re-Newed program has welcomed the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. You can view this program as Samsung's refurbished phone line. As always, the company says its "Certified Re-Newed devices offer a like-new phone experience." It has taken in Galaxy S26 devices and equipped them with new (genuine) parts and a "brand-new battery."

A Certified Re-Newed Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1,099. This is roughly a $200 price drop from the standard, new flagship starting price (256GB). When it comes to the S26 and S26 Plus, the program shifts these prices to $759 and $929, respectively.

Samsung says you can only purchase these devices from the Certified Re-Newed program at its main store. The post states consumers can trade in their current phone for a Certified Re-Newed phone and receive "up to $720" in credit. You should check the specifics of this during purchase.

What's more, Samsung says if you are purchasing a Certified Re-Newed Galaxy S26 device, you can add Samsung Care Plus (with Loss and Theft) protection. This protection plan features unlimited battery repairs and free screen replacements.

• See our guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S26 deals of September 2026

Refurbished Galaxy S26

We're a couple of months early, but Samsung brought the Galaxy S25 series into the Re-Newed program last November. The price drops were fairly similar to what we're seeing this year for the S26 series. Costs dropped anywhere from $150 to $260. The model and configuration (RAM/storage) made the difference here. The "cheapest" option last year was the Galaxy S25 with 256GB of storage for $709.

Joining the Galaxy S25 was the Galaxy Z Fold 6, as well as the Galaxy S25 Edge and the Flip 6.

At the time of writing this post (around 3:15 pm ET), the devices are not listed on Samsung's storefront. That should change. If you're interested, check back later today or perhaps later this week. You shouldn't fret about the refurbished tag; you'll still receive all of Samsung's newest features. Now Nudge and Now Brief were highlighted, and if you're getting the Galaxy S26 Ultra, you'll find the Privacy Display.

Internally, the Galaxy S26 series features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

What you need to know

• Rumors claim we might have a Galaxy Z TriFold 2 in 2027, as Samsung is supposedly moving ahead with development.
• The TriFold 2 could feature a "more durable," thinner, and lighter design with a price tag similar to the original model ($2,800).
• It's worth remembering the struggles Samsung encountered with the first TriFold (component prices/prices in general) and that it was a "limited release."
• The TriFold lasted for three months before Samsung pulled the plug.

It's been almost a year since Samsung debuted its Galaxy Z TriFold. Rumors say there's a sequel on the way next year.

Over the weekend, tipster Lanzuk on Naver stated Samsung is already working on a Galaxy Z TriFold 2 (via 9to5Google). One thing the tipster mentions is the phone's price. Samsung could face issues; however, they claim this supposed TriFold 2 could be priced "similarly" to the original—around $2,899. When it comes to upgrades, Samsung is supposedly looking at three areas.

This alleged TriFold 2 could debut as a thinner, lighter, and "more durable" phone. Looking at what Samsung did with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (and 8), reducing the thickness of that phone, this rumor strikes a chord. What's more, the idea of a "more durable" TriFold likely concerns its hinge/display for longevity.

Right now, these rumors suggest Samsung is sticking to its "original schedule" of releasing this "TriFold 2" in 2027. Additionally, rumors say Samsung might reveal a "slideable" phone, too. If it's what we presume it is, Samsung has shown off concepts of this type of phone several times over the past few years.

How the TriFold did

It's interesting to hear this rumor. We all remember Huawei's Mate XT surprise. It beat Samsung to the world of tri-fold phones. It's even more interesting since Samsung effectively stopped selling the Galaxy Z TriFold after three months...

Maybe this wasn't so surprising. Samsung always positioned the Galaxy Z TriFold as a "limited release." These rumors about a TriFold sequel mention something Samsung struggled with before: components. Developing the Galaxy Z TriFold was already incredibly strenuous due to high manufacturing and rising component costs. If Samsung is considering a TriFold 2, in the current climate, that might be difficult (on our wallets).

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how Samsung would treat a TriFold 2. Another limited release might seem strange, but we'll have to see. The Galaxy Z TriFold debuted with a huge, tablet-like 10-inch internal display and a 6.5-inch cover.

What you need to know

• Overseas rumors claim Samsung's Galaxy S26 series could see a ~$100/149,000 KRW price increase.
• Samsung is reportedly grappling with various issues impacting the phone market (RAM/memory).
• This increase has been rumored for Korean consumers; however, Samsung's official statement says nothing is set in stone yet as rumors say this could all happen in October.

Prices are soaring all over the place, whether it's phones or gaming consoles. A recent rumor from overseas says Samsung's latest flagship phones might be next on the list.

A report by Hans Economy (Korean) claims Samsung is mulling over a potential price increase for the Galaxy S26 series (via SamMobile). According to the publication's sources, Samsung is now facing "difficulties" with "maintaining its existing pricing structure." The post alludes to the current stress placed on the phone industry: RAM and memory prices. With that in mind, Samsung is supposedly increasing its Galaxy S26 series prices by ~$100 (USD)/~149,000 KRW.

If this happens, it would push the Galaxy S26 to a ~$999 starting price, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra to ~$1,400. The post claims a mobile carrier started informing consumers about an impending price hike for the Galaxy S26 series. Here's the thing: nothing is confirmed. In fact, Samsung provided an official comment to Hans Economy about these rumors.

The company states that while it has been "internally reviewing" the idea of "adjusting" prices, "nothing has been finalized as of now" (machine-translated).

There's more to consider with these rumors. On one hand, it was suggested that Samsung could hike S26 prices in October for Korean consumers if its internal review finds success. However, it's unclear how widespread this hike could be—meaning it's not clear if the U.S. would see it, too.

Prices are soaring

Let's not kid ourselves, Samsung (technically) already raised prices for the Galaxy S26. It was around the time the series debuted earlier this year. Compared to the S25 and S25 Plus, the S26 and S26 Plus cost roughly $100 more. The S26 Ultra's price remains the same compared to its past-gen counterpart. However, despite the price hikes to the first two models, Samsung's phones still performed well.

Specifically, the Galaxy S26 Ultra performed the best. According to early analytics, the Galaxy S26 Ultra achieved 71% of sales in the first three weeks. This year's Ultra has a lot going on, like the Privacy Display, so that might've helped.

And since we're talking about Samsung price hikes, it's hard not to bring up the horrendous streak it went on in the U.S. in April. Someone needs to save our wallets, because Samsung's Galaxy tablets were hit hardest. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra (1TB) jumped by $280 earlier this year to $1,899.

Android Central's Take

Price hikes are becoming quite the unsettling "norm." Looking at devices in a smart way has never mattered more. We might love to chase after "what's new," but when it starts hitting your wallet, you'll reconsider. Not everyone's in that sort of position where they can chase after every new phone or what-have-you. To be honest, it is that majority that gives companies pause. If they drop out, that's when they're in trouble.

What you need to know

• A reliable tipster says the rumored 50MP 4x telephoto with a large 1/1.9-inch sensor may not make it to the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
• The upcoming phone is said to retain a 5x periscope with a smaller 1/2.52-inch sensor.
• Samsung may ditch the dedicated 3x telephoto camera entirely, leaving the 5x periscope as its sole zoom hardware.

Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra is reportedly getting a major zoom rethink after recent rumors suggested a 50MP 4x telephoto with a much larger 1/1.9-inch sensor. The supposed plan was to swap out the familiar 3x and 5x cameras for a single, larger sensor that could handle more of the zoom range.

Now that upgrade seems a lot less certain. Ice Universe claims on X that the Galaxy S27 Ultra will instead feature a 5x periscope camera with a 1/2.52-inch sensor, which would be pretty much the same sensor size as the one used by recent Ultra models. The competing 4x rumor was described as false, suggesting Samsung could remove the 3x camera while leaving the 5x unit as its only dedicated telephoto.

Samsung has a practical reason for going the safer route. The 5x module is already compatible with the company’s existing camera strategy, but a switch to a new 4x system would mean spending more on sensor development, optics, tuning, and production. If the difference isn’t dramatic enough, it may make more financial sense to stick with proven hardware.

Plus, native 5x optical reach means you'll still get sharp long-range detail at 10x and above with high-resolution sensor cropping, something a 4x lens can have a hard time with when pushed to high magnification.

But that doesn’t mean the 4x idea was for nothing. A 1/1.9-inch sensor would be much larger than the 1/2.52-inch 5x component, possibly allowing for cleaner zoom shots, enhanced low-light performance, improved dynamic range, and stronger portraits.

For now, the safer bet is one 5x telephoto with the 200MP main camera for lower zoom levels. Samsung has time to change course before launch, and with multiple S27 Ultra prototypes reportedly under evaluation, the final camera setup may not be set in stone yet.

The real test for Samsung will be whether its image processing can compensate for not having a bigger sensor if it sticks with the old 5x hardware. Otherwise, axing the 3x camera could be viewed as Samsung simply cutting the spec sheet.

There's a lot to like in the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and although Samsung didn't make too many changes this year, the bigger 5,000mAh silicon battery means the foldable lasts considerably longer than its predecessor.

Thankfully, there's an easy way to boost the battery life even more. Samsung offers performance profiles within One UI, and I switched over to the Light mode, netting me a decent uptick in battery life. So let's take a look at what the mode has to offer, and why you should consider using it.

Standard vs. Light profiles: Is there a difference?

By default, all Samsung phones run the Standard profile out of the box, but there's a Light mode that's designed to prioritize battery life and thermal efficiency. These performance profiles are located in the Device care section, and you can easily switch between the two as needed.

Unlike Energy Saver mode, the Light profile doesn't actually make a difference in regular daily use. You still get 120Hz refresh and similar levels of fluidity when navigating the UI or browsing. What is does instead is reduce the clock frequencies of the processor, so it isn't using as much power all the time. This is absolutely fine on a high-end foldable, as Qualcomm's latest-gen silicon has plenty of power to spare.

As I said, I didn't see any difference after switching to the Light profile, and the device continued to be lag-free even while multitasking. Notably, the profile is only active in regular use; if you launch a game, it uses Game Booster (which is another thing entirely), so you don't need to limit the hardware if you play games regularly.

There's a clear benefit to using the Light profile. I got close to an additional hour of usage (not SOT) over the course of a day, and it meant I didn't need to plug in the phone until the end of the day. It particularly makes a difference with outdoor use, as the profile does a good job balancing thermals.

How to enable the Light profile

Switching between the Standard and Light modes is as easy as it gets. This is how to do it:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Navigate to Device care.
3. Select Performance profile.
4. Choose Light.

That's all there is to it. The best part about this is that the feature is available on all Samsung devices, so if you're using an older Galaxy phone and need it to last a little longer, you should give it a try.

TL;DR: Forget the iPhone 18 Pro, you can score $1,100 off the Galaxy S26 Ultra when you add a line with an eligible unlimited plan at T-Mobile deal.

Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro earlier this week, and for folks who are tempted to try it out: I get it. Even as a representative of Android Central, I have to admit that the 18 Pro is going to give the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra a run for its money when we start ranking the best smartphones of 2026.

The iPhone 18 Pro utilizes a new A20 Pro chip that might match the performance of the Galaxy S26 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor (time will tell), plus the Apple device boasts a larger battery and the ability to shoot video with Dolby Vision support. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is considerably lighter than the iPhone, and you get unique features like Privacy ID and an embedded S Pen stylus.

• See my guide to the best T-Mobile deals of September 2026

It's a close race, and it's one of those debates that will probably be raging for many months to come. While the tech sites sort it out, there's probably only one factor that really matters to you: whether or not you can get a good deal.

Preorder offers for the iPhone 18 Pro don't go on sale until September 12th, but if you're interested in the Galaxy S26 Ultra, you can save a whopping $1,100 right now by adding a line with the Experience More or Experience Beyond plans at T-Mobile. That drops the price of the premium flagship down to just $5.56 per month for 36 months, no trade-in required!

Both of the unlimited plans included in the T-Mobile promotion give you unlimited talk, text, and premium data on the carrier's vast 5G network, a high-speed mobile hotspot, and a ton of international benefits. Going with the more-expensive Experience Beyond plan also gets you free Hulu and Netflix streaming, plus access to the same deals that are usually exclusive to new customers.

The Experience More and Experience Beyond plans start at $90 and $100 per month for a single line, respectively, but you can drop that price down considerably by adding multiple lines and using AutoPay. Adding four lines of the Experience More plan, for instance, will drop the price down to $42.50 per month for each line ($170 total).

The fact is, both the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the iPhone 18 Pro are excellent smartphones with prohibitively expensive price tags. Regardless of the device you choose, you're going to want a good deal, and this Galaxy S26 promo from T-Mobile is one of the best on the web today.

Whether you've just joined the foldable revolution or you've been a long-time foldable phone user, you're probably already aware of how amazing it is to have a mini tablet that folds and fits easily in your pocket. That feels more true than ever since the Galaxy Z Fold 8 came along.

But did you know that your Galaxy Z Fold 8 isn't just a massive canvas for one big app? Samsung makes it easy to run more than one app on your screen at once, and a handful of nifty new multitasking features on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 line further enhance what was already one of the best multitasking experiences in the business.

Whether you want to juggle two apps more efficiently, use a 3-way split screen, or run even more apps at once, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a great way to get things done without a laptop or another larger device.

The taskbar is the key

When you open your Galaxy Z Fold 8, you've probably seen that little floating taskbar appear at the bottom of the screen. By default, this taskbar isn't meant to stick around for long, but one setting changes that.

By pinning the taskbar, you can effortlessly open multiple apps at once, or quickly juggle between apps faster than you can by constantly going back to the home screen. Here's how to supercharge the taskbar:

1. Unfold the phone to use the larger inner display.

2. Open the Settings app.

3. Scroll down and tap Display.

4. Scroll down and tap Taskbar.

5. Tap Taskbar style.

6. Select Stay on screen.

Now, the taskbar will always be visible on the inner display. You can tap any app icon to open that app, but the real magic happens when you press and hold an icon, then drag it around the screen. This lets you easily launch multiple apps at a time and split them any way you want.

Splitting the action

Samsung launched two new multitasking features with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, including 3-way split screen and a new way to juggle between layouts. To get started, choose three apps you want to run side by side. For this example, I'm using YouTube, Chrome, and Google Docs.

1. Unfold the phone to use the larger inner display.

2. Open any app of your choosing. I started with Chrome.

3. Press and hold another app's icon, then drag it to any side of the screen. You'll see indicators to snap the app to a specific area on the screen.

4. Choose another app from the taskbar. If you don't see the app you want, tap the app drawer button on the left side and choose it from there.

5. Drag this new app to a third section of the screen. Your Galaxy Z Fold 8 will show indicators for where you can drop the app.

Now that you have three apps running at once, you can play around with the layout. Most commonly, this means three apps run side by side, but Samsung offers many layout options. Personally, I think three apps side-by-side makes them a bit too small to be useful, and that's where we'll start.

To enlarge an app, grab any separation bar by the "handle" — the part with the dots — and drag it outward. When running three apps at once, this will enlarge one app while leaving the others at the default size.

Here's the coolest part about this setup: when you've got multiple larger apps running at once, the others will hang "off to the side." That lets you run nearly full-screen apps and quickly switch between them by just tapping the app that's off to the side.

But if you want all the apps on one screen and don't want them all vertical, tap any of the "handles" — remember, that's the part of the separator line with the dots — then tap the grid icon that appears. Your apps will now be separated into one half-sized app alongside two quarter-sized apps.

Tapping the handle also brings up additional options. You can easily swap apps between frames by tapping the handle between those two apps, then tapping the "swap" arrow icon. Additionally, you can tap the other grid icon to swap the location of the grid. That lets you move quarter-sized apps from the left to the side half of the screen, and vice versa.

You can even hover an app by dragging the app icon to the center of the screen, letting you run four or more apps at once, similar to a desktop OS. Which layout is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

It's official: Apple's first ever iPhone foldable has been unveiled, but why wait for that October release date when you can still get the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for FREE with T-Mobile's latest deal? Process a trade-in and add a line with the Experience Beyond plan and T-Mo will give you the passport-style Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for free, weeks before the iPhone Duo even goes on sale.

Don't have anything to trade in? Skip that part of the process and you can still score $1,100 off the Galaxy Z Fold 8 when you add a line with the Experience More or Experience Beyond plans on T-Mobile's website.

Sure, T-Mobile's Experience plans aren't exactly cheap, but when I'm looking at grabbing a $1,900 smartphone, I'll take just about any deal I can get. It doesn't hurt that they are also two of the best unlimited plans in the business. If you're interested in one of the most innovative phones of 2026 and you were planning to update your wireless service anyway, this deal is worth grabbing ASAP.

Forget the iPhone Duo: grab a FREE Galaxy Z Fold 8 with trade at T-Mobile

• See my guide to the best T-Mobile deals of the month

Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (alongside the Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8) during a Galaxy Unpacked event a few months back, and the phones are already turning heads. For starters, it's hard to describe the Z Fold 8 as a true successor to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7, as Samsung has given the phone a shorter and wider, "passport-style" design.

This new look makes the phone easy to pocket and use with one hand while folded, while unfolding the device gives you an experience akin to an Android tablet. And as usual, the foldable phone's two AMOLED display are absolutely stunning and smooth as butter.

Under the hood, you still get the powerful Z Fold experience that we've all come to know and love, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and all of the latest AI-boosted software tricks. The phone does clock in at $1,899, however, so deals like the T-Mobile promotion above are essential.

What you need to know

• Samsung has officially ended software support for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 after five years.
• Both foldables received four years of OS upgrades and five years of security updates, as Samsung originally promised.
• Samsung has removed both phones from its security update page, meaning they won't receive regular security patches anymore.

Samsung's foldable phones that launched in the summer of 2021 have officially reached the end of their software support cycle.

Most Samsung flagship smartphones today, including the Galaxy S26 Ultra and even 2024's Galaxy S24 Ultra, come with seven years of software support. But Samsung hasn't always offered updates for this long. Older flagships came with shorter support promises, and now the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 have officially reached the end of theirs.

As spotted by Android Authority, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 have received their final software updates. At launch, Samsung promised four years of OS upgrades and five years of security updates for both foldables, and the company has now fulfilled that promise. Samsung has also removed both devices from its security updates page.

This means Samsung won't be releasing any further regular software or security updates for these devices. The oldest foldables officially supported by the company are now the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. Even those devices have moved to a quarterly update schedule, unlike newer Samsung phones that continue to receive monthly updates.

So, if you're still using a Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Galaxy Z Flip 3, your phone won't receive any new regular security patches from Samsung going forward. That means any new security vulnerabilities discovered from here on may remain unpatched on these devices.

If you're still holding onto one of these foldables, this might finally be the time to start thinking about an upgrade. Samsung recently introduced a completely new form factor with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, while its latest foldables also come with a much longer software support promise.

If you've managed to keep your Fold 3 or Flip 3 running for five years, one of Samsung's newer foldables should last you considerably longer.

What you need to know

• Samsung highlights achievements by its Galaxy Z8 series in 2026, stating the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra sales are topping the Fold 7 by 30% with "high demand."
• While the Flip 8's sales are far lower, Samsung states the clamshell is succeeding as an entry into foldables, and it's also successfully getting users to switch to the Korean OEM.
• The company also highlights hardware changes in the series, such as the Fold 8's light 201g weight, the bigger 5,600mAh battery in the Fold 8 Ultra, and more.

Samsung is highlighting the achievements of the Galaxy Z8 series, as it notes higher sales and the "highest share of buyers" for one phone.

Today (Sept 8), Samsung published its official insights into the Galaxy Z8 series following the trio's launch this summer. Among its shopper analytics, Samsung states consumers have enjoyed the Galaxy Z Fold 8's "thin and light design for greater portability." Alternatively, consumers preferred the Fold 8 Ultra for its larger display. It seems the most common feedback Samsung received was that the Fold 8 Ultra's display reduced the need to carry a tablet.

As a result, Samsung observed "high demand" during the strong pre-order period for these foldables.

Together, the post states the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra are outpacing the Fold 7's sales by 30%. Additionally, these book-style foldables account for 80% of all (current) foldable sales this year.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 has seemed to fall by the wayside this year, but Samsung has excelled in other areas. According to its data, the Flip 8 has reportedly succeeded in getting consumers to switch from other brands. Samsung states 30% of Flip 8 buyers come from competing brands. What's more, "most of those buyers are first-time foldable owners."

Samsung goes down an interesting route. It states that the Flip 8 (or the Flip series in general) serves as a springboard for consumers new to foldables. With that in mind, there are reportedly "more than three times" the number of Z Flip users trading in for a Fold 8 or Fold 8 Ultra in 2026. These numbers are up compared to the Flip 7.

Samsung has observed positivity and growth for its foldables this year. Alongside its sales overview, it also detailed key engineering facts about the devices. The Galaxy Z Fold 8, for example, is just as thin as the Fold 7 (8.9mm); however, it's lighter at 201g. Flex Titanium is a technology Samsung uses for the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra. The post states this tech utilizes Titanium Alloy Film, which is "one-third the width of a human hair."

The materials and structure used reportedly maintain foldable performance despite its thinness. What's more, the Fold 8 Ultra features a 5,000mAh battery (up from 4,400mAh last year) with greater heat-dissipation capabilities. Samsung says it increased this by 7% over the Fold 7.

Samsung's 2026 foldables

This isn't the first time we've heard about Samsung's foldable sales performance. Rumors started late in July, after Unpacked, that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 sales had skyrocketed. We were only in the pre-order phase, but that reportedly didn't stop websites overseas from crashing in the rush of consumers. Sites were crashing within 30 minutes after the product became available for pre-order. Additionally, reports said that shipping dates were delayed, as companies needed more inventory to meet demand.

We're now seeing the whole picture from Samsung. Sales have clearly turned positive for the company. While the Flip 8 has totalled far less than the Fold 8/Fold 8 Ultra, it's found success in another area that Samsung might feel satisfied with.

What you need to know

• Reports have appeared online, as users state the corner's of their Fold 8's display bends or "indents" when pressed.
• This most commonly occurs with the top right corner; however, there are others who haven't experienced this.
• Samsung provided an official statement, stating this is intentional to help avoid damage if thin, fine particles become stuck on the screen.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 consumers have noticed something strange with the device's screen, and it's caused a stir. Samsung has explained the situation, stating the reality is much better than it seems.

Tipster Lanzuk on Naver highlighted users experiencing the Galaxy Z Fold 8's screen bend or "indentation" (via SamMobile). Their post states that one side of the phone's display can be pressed "more severely than the other." They add that this most commonly happens in the upper right corner of the foldable. Lanzuk offered video evidence, showing the Fold 8's unfolded display nightmarishly bending when pressed.

The way it dips into the phone has startled consumers, forcing them to believe something is wrong. It's stirred quality control conversations online. The video highlights other corners without this indentation. Lanzuk says reports vary: some users experience at least one corner bending in when pressed, while others don't.

Samsung might have something to say about this, as a report by Business Post cites an official statement (via 9to5Google). According to Samsung, everything is normal. It adds, "We designed it so the display indents slightly to provide a cushioning effect and prevent damage." The sort of damage Samsung is looking to help users avoid involves very fine or thin particles, such as sand. It explained that if something were to get stuck on the display and it's then folded, it could cause damage.

The small bend or dip helps avoid damage, so you can remove the substance without worry.

Where the Fold 8 could go

It might help settle the rapidly beating hearts of consumers who've noticed their screen bend. It's not something pleasant to see, and the reactions are understandable.

Elsewhere, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has remained quite popular for Samsung since its launch. It's become so popular that rumors suggest the company could restart its "luxury foldable strategy" with the Fold 8. A "special edition" Galaxy Z Fold 8 could be on the horizon for the second half of 2026, with Thom Browne as a purported top contender. This would return the previous partnership that occurred with the Fold 5.

Samsung paired the device with a matching smartwatch, exclusive accessories, and a custom finish. While Thom Browne is a "top contender," Samsung could also look to Maison Margiela, which it previously worked with.

Android Central's Take

The tipster from Naver mentioned that many of these Fold 8 reports got started as September got rolling. Consumers from South Korea, as well as other international countries (like the U.S.) have reported similar findings. It's good that Samsung has been rather timely with a response. I'd freak out, too, if I pressed by screen and I saw it bend. I'd think something was wrong with it. Hopefully, this is the response people were looking for to settle their worries.

TL;DR: the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra just scored a rare 27% discount during Amazon's Labor Day sale, but the deal expires in less than 24 hours!

It's no secret that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is one of the best phones ever built, but its steep price tag has been a major barrier for a lot of Android fans. Fortunately, Amazon's Labor Day sale is live and slashing 27% off the unlocked flagship, dropping the price to a much more reasonable $953.

The only catch is that the deal ends at midnight tonight, so you better act fast if you're interested. We probably won't see another discount like this until the fall sales begin in earnest next month.

• Amazon's Labor Day sale ends TONIGHT: see the full list of deals

The nearly perfect Galaxy S26 Ultra just scored a hefty discount during Amazon's Labor Day sale

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is pure luxury inside and out, with a stunning 6.9-inch AMOLED display (with built-in stylus), IP68 ingress protection with an aluminum and Gorilla Glass build, and a slimmer, more lightweight design than its predecessor.

Under the hood, the phone is equipped with the excellent Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, plus you get 12GB of RAM, a seven-year software promise, and all of the latest AI-boosted software features from Galaxy AI. The S26 Ultra also has the innovative Privacy Display feature that prevents people from seeing your screen unless they're looking at it straight on.

Indeed, even with this discount, $953 is a lot for a phone. But if you've had your eye on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra for a while and you prefer the simplicity of an unlocked device, this deal is tough to beat. Just don't wait too long: once this offer is gone, it's going to be at least a month before the Galaxy S26 Ultra gets another discount this good.

Looking for more? Check out my guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S26 deals of September 2026.

Samsung's latest 'Fan Edition' smartphone has just hit store shelves, and you can already find some solid Galaxy S26 FE deals during Labor Day sales this weekend. Buy the midrange masterpiece unlocked from Amazon, for instance, and you'll get a free $200 gift card with your purchase. No strings attached!

You can even claim an additional gift card worth up to $600 if you trade in an old or broken device on the retailer's website. Not too shabby for an Android phone that was literally just announced last week! No Prime membership is required to receive the gift card, but be aware that Amazon's deal ends on September 20th — so you don't have very long to claim your free cash.

• See my TOP 20+ favorite deals during Amazon's Labor Day sale

The 'Fan Edition' Galaxy S26 FE comes with a free $200 gift card at Amazon

Don't let its unassuming design fool you: the Galaxy S26 FE is one of the best 'Fan Edition' smartphones that Samsung has produced in years. Starting at $699.99 for the 128GB version, the device comes equipped with a lovely 6.7-inch AMOLED display constructed from durable Gorilla Glass Victus+, while under the hood you get a powerful Exynos chipset and a 4,900mAh battery that should easily last a full day on a single charge.

Looking at the camera tech, the Galaxy S26 FE boasts a 50MP main lens, plus you get all of the brand's latest AI-boosted software features, such as Nightography and My FanCam. The midrange smartphone also comes with Android 17 straight out of the box, making the Galaxy S26 FE the first Samsung phone to launch with One UI 9. You even get seven years of OS and security updates guaranteed, which is extremely unusual for phones in this price range.

So what's the catch?

Well, the problem with Samsung's FE series always comes down to timing and price. The midrange phones generally launch months after the release of the company's S-series lineup, which means the flagship devices are often getting discounted by the time the new FE arrives. For example, you can currently buy an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S26 256GB for $721 at Amazon, which is only $21 more expensive than the S26 FE. Although, of course, you won't get the $200 gift card.

If you want a great smartphone with Android 17 out of the box AND $200 of Amazon spending money, this Galaxy S26 FE promotion is an awesome deal. If, on the other hand, you're simply looking for the best Android phone deal imaginable, it might be worth waiting a few weeks to see what the fall sale season has in store for us.

TL;DR: I just found some Labor Day deals that carve up to $350 off the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, no strings attached.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has only been out since August 7th, but you can already score some impressive discounts if you know where to look. The best part is that these are straight discounts, which means you don't need to worry about meeting any kind of eligibility requirements to receive the savings.

No confusing contracts, no trade-in process: just good old-fashioned discounts on a powerful Android phone. Considering that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at a steep $2,099.99, these straightforward Labor Day deals are a very welcome sight.

• See my guide to the best Galaxy Z Fold 8 / Z Fold 8 Ultra deals of September 2026

Starting at $2,099.99, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is both a follow-up to last year's great Galaxy Z Fold 7 and a major upgrade upon it. This impressive foldable phone takes its predecessor's thin and lightweight build and adds a huge 5,000mAh battery, the latest Qualcomm chip, and all of the latest AI-boosted software features from Galaxy AI.

As promised, the center crease is less visible than ever before, plus the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra comes with all of the powerful specs you'd expect from a 2026 Samsung foldable, including great cameras, two gorgeous AMOLED displays, and seven years of guaranteed OS and security upgrades.

Indeed, the biggest problem that I have with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is probably its price. Spending over $2,000 on a smartphone simply isn't realistic for many folks, which is why deals like the offer above are so essential. A $350 price reduction may seem like a drop in the bucket for such an expensive phone, but if you want a straightforward offer without any confusing fine print, these discounts are going to be pretty tough to beat (until Black Friday, at least).

Samsung didn't change too many things with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but a key area of differentiation is silicon-carbon battery tech. This is one of the reasons how Samsung managed to slot in a bigger 5,000mAh battery in the foldable while retaining a similar svelte design as the Z Fold 7. In fact, all of Samsung's latest foldables use silicon batteries, but it's the Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra where the difference is immediately noticeable. I asked Samsung a list of questions around its implementation of silicon-carbon tech, and it is interesting to see how the brand is going about integrating the tech into its latest foldables.

As a refresher, a silicon battery has a small mixture of a silicon-carbon material in the anode, leading to an increased energy density. The amount of silicon content in the anode varies by brand, and Samsung didn't share how much it is using in its foldables. To give you some context, most brands use around a mixture of 10% silicon by weight in the anode, with some — like Xiaomi's Redmi Note 17 Pro Max that has a 9,210mAh battery — going with a slightly higher 16% silicon ratio to provide greater energy density.

Why don't brands just use an anode that's entirely made out of silicon-carbon? That's because while silicon has much better energy density — ten times as much as graphite — it undergoes expansion and contraction during charging, something you don't want in a phone battery. As there is a greater risk of long-term stability or battery swelling with extended use, it is mixed with carbon to deliver a mechanically stable structure while offering better electrical conductivity.

Brands are being (justifiably) cautious of the tech, and a Samsung spokesperson said the brand "reengineering the battery system" to facilitate the use of silicon-carbon in the anode, and to ensure that the higher-density batteries it is using this year are just as safe to use as traditional lithium-ion batteries:

"On the anode side, a thin carbon coating helps manage the reactivity of silicon-carbon particles, helping mitigate sudden volume changes during charge and discharge and supporting long-term stability," said Samsung. "On the cathode side, coating and doping help maintain surface stability and structural integrity, even under higher voltage conditions."

Another thing to consider is long-term durability, and Samsung says it added "additives" to the electrolyte to "help form a protective layer on the silicon surface, reducing silicon reactivity and supporting long-term cell stability."

Samsung also made tweaks to the separator — a polymer sheet that sits between the cathode and anode — which has a "high-porosity structure" to "improve ion movement while maintaining strength and thermal stability."

What's interesting is that Samsung is using different battery architectures for its foldables. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra use a "dual-path charging architecture that distributes power more efficiently across the battery system, enabling faster, more stable and reliable charging while improving heat management." This system enables 45W charging on both devices, but with the Flip 8, Samsung "separately optimized for the unique spatial and thermal requirements" of the compact foldable, so it has a battery size and charging tech that's unchanged to last year.

With Samsung just getting started with silicon-carbon batteries, it's understandable that it is playing it safe. While foldables like the Razr Fold, Vivo X Fold 5, and the Find N6 come with 6,000mAh silicon batteries, the Z Fold 8 Ultra has a much more modest 5,000mAh unit. It is still considerable progress from last year, and I'm glad to see Samsung leveraging this tech — I can't wait to see how it evolves with the Galaxy S27 next year.

What you need to know

• The Galaxy S27 Ultra could replace its 3x and 5x telephoto cameras with a single new 4x f/1.9 zoom camera.
• The rumored 4x telephoto camera would match the native optical zoom of the iPhone 17 Pro.
• Leaked CAD renders appear to show room for only one telephoto camera alongside the Galaxy S27 Ultra's main sensors.

A new leak may have revealed the new zoom camera Samsung is planning for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

The Galaxy S27 Ultra is finally starting to take shape. We recently saw CAD renders of the Galaxy S27 Ultra that revealed a redesigned camera module with an iPhone 17 Pro-like horizontal camera plateau. Another leak also suggested that Samsung might finally increase the battery capacity on its upcoming flagship.

Now, the same leaker who claimed Samsung is working on self-healing display glass for the Galaxy S27 Ultra has shared on X that the phone could feature a new 4x telephoto camera with an f/1.9 aperture.

Until now, Samsung has used two different zoom cameras on its recent Ultra flagships, traditionally offering a combination of 3x and 5x telephoto lenses. But with the Galaxy S27 Ultra, it looks like Samsung could be changing that strategy.

The company will reportedly switch to a single telephoto camera offering 4x optical zoom. Interestingly, that's also the zoom level Apple offers on the iPhone 17 Pro.

The recently leaked CAD renders also appear to leave room for only one telephoto camera inside the pill-shaped module next to the two main cameras on the horizontal camera plateau, so that could be where this new 4x camera sits.

The leaker hasn't revealed the megapixel count or any other specifications of the new sensor just yet. But with the Galaxy S27 Ultra still around six months away, we expect to learn much more about the camera setup as we get closer to launch.

Of course, there's still plenty of time for Samsung to change things before the hardware is finalized. But between the redesigned camera module, rumored larger battery, self-healing display glass, and now this new 4x telephoto camera, we're finally starting to get a clearer picture of the direction Samsung could be taking with the Galaxy S27 Ultra

Samsung's book-style foldables have historically featured squarish (1:1) aspect ratios for their main displays, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 changes that. It's a wider foldable with a 7.6-inch folding display that uses a 4:3 aspect ratio. As a result, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is better for widescreen video and mobile games, such as modern TV shows, movies, and game titles you're likely to play on an Android foldable. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 makes a handful of compromises to get there, so it's not for everyone.

Luckily, the Android foldable market is ripe with options — and Apple is said to be gearing up to launch a wide "iPhone Ultra" foldable as well. For now, there are five Android phones I'd consider instead of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Whether you're looking for great displays, long battery life, sharp cameras, or maximum durability, there's something for everyone here.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 is fun to use, but it isn't the flagship foldable of 2026. That would be the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which is a pricey pick at $2,100. This phone uses the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and runs the same One UI 9 software. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra offers enough upgrades to be your top alternative to the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The nearly square folding display is better for multitasking, but it's also larger, with an 8-inch folding AMOLED screen. The cover screen is bigger, too, at 6.5 inches, and its aspect ratio makes the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra feel like a traditional smartphone.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is almost a millimeter thinner and is crazy light, weighing only 215 grams. Somehow, Samsung managed to cram a 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery in this slim chassis — larger than the one in the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Plus, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra includes a triple-camera system on the rear, headlined by a 200MP primary shooter. The ultrawide camera is upgraded to a 50MP sensor this year, and the system is rounded out with a 10MP telephoto. All these spec bumps combine to make the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra a more well-rounded foldable than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, as long as you can live without the wide form factor.

Motorola Razr Fold

If battery life is your main priority, there's no better choice than the Motorola Razr Fold. It runs on a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery that charges at blazing 80W wired charging speeds and 50W wireless charging, as long as you use a proprietary charger. The Razr Fold has the largest foldable battery you'll find in the U.S., and it's still only 9.89mm thick. It is on the heavier side, but Motorola makes up for that with stylish vegan leather materials and a premium look.

The Razr Fold uses an 8.1-inch folding display that's larger than every other foldable on this list. It's also really bright at up to 6,200 nits. What's interesting is that the Razr Fold's 6.6-inch cover screen has a 165Hz refresh rate, making it more responsive than the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Another perk of Motorola's first book-style foldable is its camera system, which we even compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series. Every rear camera lens, from the primary shooter to the ultrawide and telephoto, uses a 50MP sensor. This gives you plenty of versatility, whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 8's ultrawide camera is low-resolution and lacks a telephoto.

The Razr Fold's base Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip might give you pause, but it shouldn't. Even without an "Elite" processor, the Razr Fold performs as it should.

Google Pixel Fold

Samsung is trying to start a new foldable trend with the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Apple might introduce a wide foldable of its own with the iPhone Ultra, but until then, there's only one widescreen alternative to the Galaxy Z Fold 8: the original Google Pixel Fold. Released in 2023, the Pixel Fold has a 7.6-inch folding display with a wide 6:5 aspect ratio that feels similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

If you're set on trying a widescreen foldable, the Pixel Fold is the only real alternative. The Tensor G2 chipset is showing its age, but the Pixel Fold's other core specs still hold up in 2026. You get a 4,821mAh battery, a triple-camera system, and a 5.8-inch cover screen. The phone is still fully supported with Android updates. You can run Android 17 on it today, and it's guaranteed to get at least Android 18.

What makes the Pixel Fold truly appealing is the price. If you can find it in new or refurbished condition, it'll be around $500 or less. On the secondhand market, it's not hard to find a Pixel Fold for $300 or less. That's a steal for a foldable, even one that's a few years old. It might be worth your while to track down an original Pixel Fold to get a Galaxy Z Fold 8 competitor with a wide-folding display at a low price.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

Part of the appeal of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is its compact form factor when closed. Though it's a little wide, the Galaxy Z Fold 8's 5.5-inch cover screen is much more compact than modern Android phones. If you're intrigued by the smaller footprint, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 might be worth a look. As a flip phone, it's certainly a different experience than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, but it comes with practical benefits of its own.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and measures only 85.7 tall when shut, making it disappear in your pocket. Plus, it has the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, meaning you can expect similar performance across the two phones.

Samsung kept the same 4,300mAh battery in the Galaxy Z Flip 8, but it charges fairly fast at 25W via cable. That gets you about 55% of the battery in exchange for a 30-minute charge. The phone has a 6.9-inch display when unfolded, putting it in the Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra territory. The 4.1-inch cover screen is usable, and the software is slowly getting better.

At $1,200, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is about $700 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It might not be exactly what you had in mind when you started searching for a new foldable, but flip phones are fun, functional, and more affordable.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold

Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold does two things better than any other foldable sold in the U.S.: durability and wireless charging. It's still the only foldable to be completely dustproof thanks to IP68 certification, meaning you don't have to worry about dust or sand working their way into your folding display assembly or hinge and causing trouble.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold also has Qi2 magnets inside. This allows you to connect the Pixel 11 Pro Fold to Qi2, MagSafe, or Pixelsnap chargers and accessories without needing a third-party case. This time, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold isn't overtly thick because of its internal magnets. The foldable measures 10.1mm thick, which is respectable. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is thinner, but doesn't have internal magnets.

Google has a few more tricks up its sleeve, like the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's HiLight feature, a colorful LED on the back flash that glows when you receive a call from a favorite contact or start chatting with Gemini. It's a bit gimmicky, but it makes the Pixel 11 Pro Fold unique. This is one of many Pixel-exclusive features on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, such as Magic Capture and Camera Looks.

If you value IP68 and Qi2 as foldable features, you should choose the latest Google foldable over the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Take your pick

If none of these foldables catch your eye, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 may indeed be the best option for your needs. Otherwise, consider traditional flagships, like the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. While they don't have the large folding displays of the other phones on this list, these models are just as capable and cost hundreds of dollars less.

What you need to know

• The latest One UI 9 beta brings the Galaxy Z Fold 8's marquee My FanCam tool to the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra.
• My FanCam lets you crop and reframe pre-recorded Gallery videos to lock focus on specific people for social media, though it doesn't work on pets or animals.
• The update also adds customizable routine cards, real-time security risk alerts, and smarter contextual task suggestions.

The latest One UI 9 beta update for the Galaxy S26 series is here, and it's finally bringing some of the best AI tricks from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to Samsung's flagship slab phones. Starting today, beta program participants can download an update packed full of features that puts the new My FanCam front and center.

If you’ve ever filmed a fantastic video, only to realize that your subject wasn’t perfectly framed, My FanCam is the tool for you. This AI-powered tool lives inside the Gallery app and can take any video you have, track a person you select, and automatically reframe the footage to keep them in the middle. It is ideal for social media creators and can crop the video to various aspect ratios for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and more.

There’s a catch: My FanCam is made for tracking people, not pets or other animals. If the feature has trouble finding someone, you can scrub through the video to a frame where the person is easier to find. The feature also requires a Samsung account, and Samsung does not guarantee it will work on every clip.

Additionally, Samsung is improving the Now Brief experience beyond my FanCam. This personalization hub now offers customizable cards pulling together useful insights based on your routines, interests, and daily needs.

It's also getting a security boost, with new cards surfacing potential risks and suggesting actions you can take to protect your device. The Now Nudge feature is also getting smarter, with more contextual suggestions to help you complete everyday tasks more efficiently. And as a bonus, this update finally lets you declutter your home screen by removing the dedicated Google Search bar.

The Galaxy S26 FE will ship with My FanCam out of the box and will arrive with One UI 9 on September 4. This beta rollout means the core S26 lineup won’t be left behind before that happens.

The update is limited to a handful of markets for now, and there’s no word on when it will be rolled out broadly. If you’re on the beta, keep an eye on your notifications and be ready for a roughly 1.28GB download.

What you need to know

• Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 FE with a 6.7-inch display, and One UI 9 (Android 17), beating the rest of the Galaxy S26 series to the newest software.
• While the display remains the same to the S25 FE, the battery is also similar, arriving at 4,900mAh with 45W wired charging.
• The S26 FE features a 50MP main lens, and Samsung equipped it with the flagship series' Nightography and My FanCam from its latest foldables.
• Consumers can find the Galaxy S26 FE for $699 starting on September 3 at "select carriers" before a wider market debut on September 4.

This morning (Aug 27), Samsung fully unveiled the Galaxy S26 FE, and this slightly more affordable phone is bringing the latest software before its flagship siblings.

In a press release, Samsung states the Galaxy S26 FE runs One UI 9 (Android 17) out of the box before the flagship S26 series. According to Samsung, One UI 9 brings more "intuitive" Galaxy AI features. Consumers will recognize several features, such as Google's Circle to Search, Samsung's Now Nudge, and Now Brief. Now Nudge suggests actions you can take above your keyboard. Now Brief is more personalized, displaying quick weather insights or wellness insights daily.

Something you can immerse your eyeballs in is the S26 FE's 6.7-inch AMOLED display, like its predecessor. Samsung states the screen can reach a maximum 120Hz refresh rate. Internally, the phone is equipped with the company's Exynos 2500 SoC. This was Samsung's 2025 chip that debuted a month before its foldables. It said it upgraded the chip with "powerful" AI capabilities and CPU performance.

What's also remained the same between the S26 FE and the S25 FE is the battery. The latest model offers a 4,900mAh cell with 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.

Samsung carved out space for the Galaxy S26 FE's camera features. The device offers the following rear cameras: a 50MP main lens, 12MP ultra-wide camera, and an 8MP telephoto. The selfie lens arrives at 12MP.

Consumers will find Super Steady and the flagship series' Nightography available for the S26 FE. The former helps capture fast-moving subjects so everything looks smooth in playback. Nightography is Samsung's night mode for capturing "clear shots in low light." One camera feature the S26 FE has received that Samsung's latest foldables have is "My FanCam."

Imagine going to a concert and wanting to capture your favorite member fully without any distraction. Samsung says My FanCam can focus on a singular subject, "intelligently reframing video as the scene moves, so users can turn dynamic moments into social-ready content with less manual editing." Photo Assist helps freshen up your images after the fact, while Gemini Omni lets users create quick photos based on content in their Gallery.

If you're considering the Galaxy S26 FE, Samsung says it has committed to seven years of software updates (security patches, too). What if you're switching from iOS to Android? Samsung highlights the upgrades to Smart Switch, which makes it easier for users to swap from an iPhone to a Galaxy S26 FE by scanning a QR code. Users can wirelessly transfer their files over Wi-Fi, including passwords, passkeys, call history, and more.

Samsung Care is an option for consumers when purchasing the device, as well as a 6-month free trial of Google AI Pro.

The Galaxy S26 FE will be available on September 3 for "select carriers." On September 4, consumers can find it at samsung.com, carriers, and retailers across the U.S. for $699. The S26 FE can be found in Pistachio, Blueberry, and Graphite with the following RAM/storage options: 8/126GB and 8/256GB.

TL;DR: Sign up for T-Mobile's Essentials 4 Line offer and you'll get four Galaxy S26 phones and four lines for only $25/month per line.

It's not unusual to find T-Mobile deals that could land you a free phone, but more often than not, these offers require a trade-in or expensive data plan before you see any real savings. Fortunately, that's not the case with T-Mo's latest offer.

For a limited time, if you add four lines with the Essentials 4 Line offer, you'll get four Samsung Galaxy S26 phones for FREE, while the wireless coverage will be dropped to only $25 per month for each line. That's four 2026 Samsung phones with unlimited coverage for the whole family, and it'll only set you back 100 bucks per month. Sounds pretty good, if you ask me.

The Galaxy S26 may not be the most eye-catching device on the planet, but don't judge the book by its cover. The Samsung flagship is all power under the hood, with a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and all of the latest AI-boosted software features. The phone also sports IP68 water-and-dust resistance, while the butter-smooth 6.3-inch FHD+ AMOLED display is simply a joy to behold.

T-Mobile's Essentials plan is no slouch, either. Although it lacks some of the premium perks included in the carrier's more expensive phone plans, you still get unlimited talk, text, and data on T-Mo's vast network, in addition to 50GB of premium data for each device every single month.

Sure, this T-Mobile deal isn't for everyone, but if you were searching for a good way to get your four-person family set up with some new devices in 2026, it's going to be pretty tough to beat.

What you need to know

• The Galaxy S27 is expected to retain almost the same design and dimensions as the current Galaxy S26.
• The Galaxy S27 Pro could share the Galaxy S27 Ultra's new iPhone-like horizontal camera plateau design.
• Leaked renders suggest the smaller Galaxy S27 Pro won't feature an S Pen slot, unlike the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Following the Galaxy S27 Ultra renders leak, we're now finally starting to see the base Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Pro as well.

Over the past few days, we've seen several leaks surrounding the Galaxy S27 Ultra's new design. Samsung appears to be moving away from its familiar vertical camera layout in favor of an iPhone-like horizontal camera plateau, with two prominent camera lenses on the left and a vertical pill-shaped module next to them.

From everything we've seen so far, it's hard not to notice the inspiration from Apple's iPhone 17 Pro lineup.

And now, we're starting to get a look at the Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Pro as well.

Renders of the base Galaxy S27 were shared by OnLeaks in collaboration with Android Headlines, and unfortunately, it looks like Samsung isn't changing much from the Galaxy S26.

The phone still features three vertically arranged cameras inside a raised camera island in the top-left corner, with an overall design that looks extremely similar to its predecessor. Even the dimensions are reportedly more or less identical. This seemingly confirms that Samsung is keeping its new design exclusive to the more expensive models.

And that theory has gained even more weight thanks to a separate Galaxy S27 Pro leak from Ice Universe on X. The leaker shared outline renders comparing the Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Pro, showing that the two phones will reportedly share a very similar design.

That isn't entirely surprising, since the Galaxy S27 Pro is expected to share several design elements and specifications with the Ultra. However, the renders also appear to confirm one major difference: the smaller Pro model won't come with an S Pen.

There's no S Pen slot visible on the Galaxy S27 Pro, and Samsung will also reportedly reposition the speaker grille and microphone on the smaller model.

In a separate post, Ice Universe also claimed that the Galaxy S27 Ultra will feature a more rounded frame than the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which should make the larger phone feel more natural and comfortable in the hand.

Overall, these Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Pro leaks seem to clear up one major question about Samsung's 2027 lineup. The new horizontal camera design will apparently remain exclusive to the Galaxy S27 Pro and Ultra, while the regular Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Plus will stick with Samsung's more familiar design.

What you need to know

• Samsung is reportedly rolling out its August 2026 security update late this month, including an important fix.
• Users on X highlight a Samsung official's notice online, stating a fix for the Galaxy S26 Ultra's red screen or "red stain" issue is in this update.
• Galaxy S26 Ultra users overseas noticed this problem when the device is at maximum brightness, often resulting in a red band or stain across their screen.

No, you didn't miss it. Samsung is just now rolling out its August security update for stable Galaxy S26 users, and with it comes a long-awaited bug fix.

Late this week, SamMobile spotted the August 2026 security update rolling out for Galaxy S26 users overseas. The update is reportedly rolling out for users in South Korea first, which is typical for Samsung. Users on its Korean community forum pointed this development out, posting a screenshot of the patch hitting their S26. The publication highlights a hefty number of fixes involved in this August patch, but we're putting that on hold.

SamMobile and Tarun Vats on X state this patch will likely hold the long-awaited fix for the red screen or red tint issue that's plagued the Galaxy S26 Ultra. A Samsung official has started informing Korean users that a fix is now rolling out.

As for what the security patch fixes, Samsung's changelog states it's rolling out seven "Critical" and 30 "High" level fixes. Among them, the notes state there's a fix that could let malicious attackers "cause device inoperability" on a Galaxy device. Several fixes for the Samsung Contacts app are rolling out, alongside a fix to stop hackers from accessing a Galaxy phone's SIM card. Once again, Google has not listed its extensive changelog for Framework fixes and more on the Android Security Bulletin.

Fixing some struggles

It was in July that reports about a red screen/red stain on the Galaxy S26 Ultra surfaced. Users in Korea noticed this issue when the phone produced bright colors or when at maximum brightness. The area of redness varied. Some users noticed it appeared vertically on their S26 Ultra, while others reported wide strips across the display. What was a bummer was Samsung's investigation.

According to its discovery, the S26 Ultra's "new technology" was to blame. The only "new tech" to hit the Ultra this year, especially its display, was the Privacy Display. This tech is purely software, which is why we needed a patch to fix it. The good thing is that it seems that this issue should be fixed as of this week (keep your eyes out for the patch).

But the Privacy Display, while useful and incredibly attractive, isn't all rainbows and sunshine. After the device launched, a report quickly surfaced, stating the Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen isn't as bright because of the Privacy Display. Compared to the S25 Ultra, the S26 Ultra is noticeably darker.

What you need to know

• Counterpoint Research published its report concerning the top 10 best-selling phones globally for Q2, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra surprised the results.
• The Galaxy S26 Ultra, a premium phone, topped the charts for Android, marking the first time such a device has done so.
• While Samsung and Apple dominated the top 10 in Q2 2026, Apple's iPhone 17 was number one.

Research data is taking a look back at individual phone performance for Q2 2026. The discovery? A premium phone topped Android's charts for the very first time.

This week, Counterpoint Research published its research into the global best-selling phones for Q2 2026, and one device was a surprise (via 9to5Google). The Galaxy S26 Ultra turned heads this past quarter, as the device claimed the top spot in the best-selling Android phone sector. Counterpoint cites its senior analyst, Harshit Rastogi, who said the S26 Ultra's performance "marks the first time an ultra-premium Android device has led Android sales in a June quarter."

Rastogi highlighted the Ultra phone's Q2 performance over Q1 2026. Considering Samsung's first Galaxy Unpacked this year, sales "shifted more into Q2." What's more, research shows that the S26 Ultra not only outperformed the S25 Ultra, but it also accounted for "more than half of the series' sales" this year. While this is a first for Android, Samsung isn't at the top of the global best-selling phone list in Q2.

That belongs to Apple's iPhone 17. The iPhone 17 Pro Max followed up in second, then it's the 17 Pro. The Galaxy S26 Ultra sits in fourth place, with the more expected Android leader, the Galaxy A07 (a mid-range phone), in fifth. Compared to this time last year, Apple and Samsung dominate the top 10 best-selling phones. In Q2 2025, Xiaomi snuck into the eighth spot, but not this time.

Counterpoint adds that Apple and Samsung total 26% of the global smartphone sales, a 2% increase YoY.

A downward trend

Samsung and Apple's positive Q2 2026 was highlighted in another research report published by Omdia in July. It noted a 2% and 4% increase, respectively, for the companies. Omdia reported that the global smartphone market dipped 4% in Q2, placing the blame on the memory crisis. The current outlook on the smartphone market isn't a pleasant one. According to Omdia's projections, the market may continue to drop into Q3, then Q4.

This would be significant, considering the holiday season is when the market tends to rise. In its report, Runar Bjorhovde, principal analyst at Omdia, said the "sharpest volume decline" is expected in the two upcoming quarters. "Contrained memory chip" supply and the issues that accompany it could sour a time when there are multiple device launches, festivities, and sales.

What you need to know

• Samsung is reportedly rolling out One UI 9 Beta 6 to enrolled Galaxy S26 users in South Korea, India, the U.K., Germany, and Poland.
• The update is just under 1GB, and features a small selection of fixes for display errors and Expert RAW.
• Funnily enough, One UI 9.5 rumors have surfaced online, despite One UI 9 still not available for stable users.

It's been almost two weeks since the last One UI 9 beta, and now a sixth edition is rolling out to enrolled Galaxy S26 users. All we're wondering about is a stable launch.

Earlier this morning (Aug 25), Samsung started rolling out One UI 9 Beta 6 to enrolled Galaxy S26 series users (via SamMobile). Samsung is only fixing a handful of problems its devices have experienced, but users will still have to download an 851MB file. According to its patch notes, Beta 6 is fixing a "display error" with the Now Brief widget. Similarly, the notes highlight another pair of display errors being fixed: one for the Home Screen and another for the camera widget.

What's more, the changelog details a fix for an issue where "images are saved differently at specific focal lengths when shooting with Expert RAW 24MP."

On X, tipster Tarun Vats states One UI 9 Beta 6 is rolling out in South Korea, India, the U.K., Germany, and Poland. Any enrolled testers in the U.S. should begin seeing it as the week progresses. Vats states Beta 6 lacks any new features for Galaxy S26 users. It seems like, once again, Galaxy S26 users are treated to a beta full of bug fixes and nothing new.

The one thing many are waiting on is a stable launch of One UI 9, and there's still no telling when that could be.

Still a One UI 9 waiting room

A couple of weeks ago, Samsung rolled out One UI 9 Beta 5 to Galaxy S26 users. This patch was larger, rolling in at 1.1GB. However, it consisted mostly of bug fixes (and there was a long list of them). Beta 5 also included the August 2026 security update, so that was a welcome addition to testers. While another beta was fine, what shone brighter earlier this month were One U 9.5 rumors. A tipster on social media claimed that a test build for One UI 9.5 for the Galaxy S26 was discovered.

Additional rumors quickly surfaced, as Samsung could chase a familiar UI redesign for its next major release. Samsung's One UI could take after Apple's Liquid Glass for "visual depth" across multiple elements. Taking after Apple seems to be the running trend for Samsung as of late. What's more, App Lock was reported for One UI 9.5, meaning users could lock apps behind biometrics, a password, and more.

What you need to know

• New Galaxy S27 Ultra renders show Samsung moving away from its familiar vertical camera design.
• The Galaxy S27 Ultra could feature a horizontal camera plateau that looks similar to the iPhone 17 Pro.
• Samsung is expected to finally add native Qi2 magnets, enabling MagSafe-compatible accessories without a case.
• The redesign could also make room for a larger battery, while Samsung may finally ditch the old 10MP 3x camera.

Newly leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra have now given us our best look yet at what the device could look like in real life.

It was recently reported that Samsung is cooking up a major redesign for the Galaxy S27 Ultra next year. The leak suggested Samsung is planning to move away from the vertical camera layout we've seen for years in favor of a horizontal camera plateau, similar to the iPhone 17 Pro series.

And now, new renders from OnLeaks in collaboration with Android Headlines give us a much better look at that design.

As you can see in the renders, Samsung is indeed moving away from its familiar vertical camera layout. Instead, the Galaxy S27 Ultra features a large horizontal camera plateau across the back, with two prominent camera lenses on the left and a vertical pill-shaped section next to them housing the remaining sensors and LED flash.

And honestly, it's pretty hard to look at these renders and not see the similarities with Apple's latest iPhones. The Galaxy S27 Ultra definitely seems to take some design inspiration from the iPhone 17 Pro lineup.

Alongside the renders, the publication has also shared the alleged dimensions of the device, which reportedly measure around 163.76 x 78.25 x 7.97mm. That's pretty close to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, so despite the major camera redesign, the overall size of the phone shouldn't change dramatically. The report also suggests Samsung may finally ditch the aging 10MP 3x telephoto camera.

One benefit of the new design could be native Qi2 support. The Galaxy S27 Ultra's new design should allow Samsung to finally integrate the Qi2 Magnetic Power Profile directly into the phone, meaning you'll be able to attach Qi2 and MagSafe accessories without needing a magnetic case.

That said, it remains to be seen whether Samsung actually takes advantage of the extra space and adds native Qi2 support this time around. The redesigned internals could also reportedly give Samsung more room for a larger battery, although we don't have concrete details about the capacity just yet.

What do you think of the Galaxy S27 Ultra's new look now that we've seen these renders? Do you like the redesign, or does it look a little too much like an iPhone? Let us know in the comments.

What you need to know

• Samsung and Corning are reportedly developing self-healing display glass for the upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra.
• The new Gorilla Armor could recover from everyday micro-scratches instead of focusing purely on scratch resistance.
• Self-healing tech isn't entirely new, but the Galaxy S27 Ultra could bring it to a flagship phone's front display.
• The Galaxy S27 Ultra is also rumored to feature a major redesign with an iPhone 17 Pro-like horizontal camera plateau.

Rumors and leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S27 series are starting to pick up, and the latest one claims Samsung could be working on a self-healing display for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Samsung already introduced a major display upgrade with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, adding its Privacy Display technology that prevents people around you from easily seeing what's on your screen. With the Galaxy S27 Ultra, though, Samsung could be preparing another major upgrade, this time allowing the display to recover from minor scratches on its own.

According to leaker Schrödinger on X, Samsung and Corning are reportedly working on a new self-healing surface for the next generation of Gorilla Armor. The goal, according to the post, is to create a display that can recover from a certain level of everyday micro-scratches over time.

Instead of simply making the glass harder and more scratch-resistant, Samsung and Corning could take a different approach. According to the leak, the surface itself may be slightly softer than the tempered glass we're used to, but would gain the ability to recover from smaller scratches on its own.

If the technology works as intended, Samsung could essentially move Gorilla Armor from focusing purely on scratch resistance to scratch recovery.

The leaker doesn't reveal much more about how the technology works or how far along Samsung and Corning are in its development. However, the feature is explicitly said to be intended for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, meaning we could potentially see it debut within the next six months.

This wouldn't be the first time we've seen self-healing technology on a smartphone. More than a decade ago, LG introduced the LG G Flex 2 with a self-healing back panel that could recover from smaller scratches. But we haven't really seen the idea make its way to the front display of a mainstream flagship, which could make Samsung's implementation particularly interesting.

There have been a few other Galaxy S27 Ultra leaks recently as well, including one suggesting a major redesign that looks eerily similar to Apple's iPhone 17 Pro lineup. Samsung could reportedly ditch its familiar vertical camera arrangement for a horizontal camera plateau stretching across the back, with two large camera lenses on the left and a pill-shaped module next to them.

Of course, nothing is set in stone just yet. The Galaxy S27 Ultra is still months away, and plenty could change before launch. But with leaks now starting to pick up, we're finally getting a better idea of what Samsung might have planned for its next flagship.

What you need to know

• Samsung may revive its luxury foldable strategy with a Galaxy Z Fold 8 special edition planned for the second half of 2026.
• Thom Browne is reportedly a top contender, potentially bringing back a partnership that last appeared with the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
• Availability will likely be limited, with select-market launches and a substantial price premium over the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Samsung has never treated its foldables as just another smartphone. Over the years, the company has collaborated with fashion labels like Thom Browne and Maison Margiela to give its Galaxy Z lineup a more exclusive edge. That approach could be making a comeback with the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

According to reliable tipster Lanzuk on Naver Blog, Samsung is working on a luxury-brand collaboration for the Z Fold 8, with a special edition reportedly aimed at the second half of 2026. Samsung hasn’t confirmed any partnership, but Thom Browne is one of the leading candidates.

That would make sense, considering the companies’ history. Samsung has previously launched Thom Browne editions of the original Galaxy Z Flip, Z Fold 2, Z Fold 3, and Z Fold 5. These weren’t just simple reskins, either. They were available with custom hardware finishes (pebble gray, matte white, and even a sleek black suit-inspired design for the Z Fold 5), along with deep software customizations that extended even to the packaging and accessories like watches and S Pens. The last two generations of Folds missed this treatment, but it looks like the runways are clearing for a return.

Samsung’s last Thom Browne release is a good hint of how things might go. The Z Fold 5 edition wasn't simply a different paint job: Samsung included a matching Galaxy Watch 6 and exclusive accessories, hinting at how these collaborations can transform a phone launch into a broader lifestyle package.

Of course, Thom Browne is not the only option available. Samsung has previously partnered with Maison Margiela on the Z Flip 4 and Z Flip 5, so the tech giant could easily opt for another collaborator or someone entirely new. The gray-and-stripe look has become a collector's hallmark, and given how much previous bundles commanded eye-watering prices — the Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition retailed for $3,299 and still trades at a premium on secondary markets — it’s safe to say the Z Fold 8 luxury edition won’t be a budget-friendly affair.

Whoever it is, expect the usual limited quantities, rollout in select markets, and a price tag that's a significant jump from the standard model. The Fold 8 is on a roll, so a designer drop would be the perfect way to keep it in the limelight. We should hear more concrete details over the coming weeks.

What you need to know

• Recent rumors suggest Samsung's Exynos 2700 has posted positive scores that outperform Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips in "early benchmarks."
• These reports state the Exynos 2700 has beaten Qualcomm in the graphics department (GPU), as well as its CPU performance and AI capabilities.
• Earlier Exynos 2700 rumors claim the chip is progressing with better HPB tech for better heat dispersion and more.

Samsung's placed more focus on its in-house chip brand, Exynos, over the past couple of years. A rumor surfaced online this week, claiming the next chip could top Qualcomm's flagships.

These rumors about the Exynos 2700 started swirling after a post by Yonhap News (Korean), which highlighted "early benchmarks" (via SamMobile). What's incredibly interesting is what these tests have allegedly shown regarding GPU performance. The publication cites "industry sources" in saying the Exynos 2700 has surpassed Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip. In a test, Samsung's SoC outperformed Qualcomm by 5% in a peak performance scenario.

What's more, the Exynos 2700 also recorded "24% higher performance" over the 8 Elite Gen 6 and "22% higher" than the (rumored) 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. In a multi-core CPU performance test, the Exynos 2700's scores were roughly 9% better than the Gen 6 Pro. AI, especially Galaxy AI, has been a focal point for Samsung in developing its next-gen phones.

The company reportedly tested Qualcomm's chips and its in-house brand for AI performance and prompt understanding. In another test, Exynos 2700 generated responses and understood prompts faster than Qualcomm's chips. If this report is accurate, Samsung's chips could be in a better position compared to recent years.

A brighter future for Exynos?

In a bit of house cleaning, it's worth mentioning that Samsung created a "task force" to spearhead its Exynos chip creation. Samsung got serious about its in-house chip in 2025 in an "urgent" push for the Exynos 2600. What we received was an Exynos 2600 that was a major step in the right direction for Samsung. Exynos chips haven't always been the greatest, grappling with various performance and overheating issues. It's the latter point that Samsung is reportedly looking to solve with the Exynos 2700.

Rumors in March said Exynos 2700 development was progressing with upgraded HPB (Heat Path Block) tech. This upgrade would help phones disperse heat better. Elsewhere, we heard speculation about the chip's performance in April. It was alleged that the chip could sport a 10-core structure with its fastest cores clocking in at ~2.88GHz. A ~12% performance boost could make the difference for the 2700 over the 2600.

Android Central's Take

Now this is interesting. I want to reserve my thoughts for when the Exynos 2700 gets announced, and we see its performance for real. To think that Samsung's chip could outperform Qualcomm's in graphics is interesting, but I'm going to be skeptical. Would I like for this to be true? Absolutely. Imagine the competition there. Imagine both sides pushing to improve their gaming graphics, pushing to improve CPU performance. Exynos has always been behind the crowd. If it's trying to step up, let it.

What you need to know

• Early Galaxy S27 Ultra leaks point to a major redesign with a horizontal camera plateau similar to the iPhone 17 Pro.
• Samsung could finally bring native Qi2 support to the Galaxy S27 Ultra, with magnets seemingly visible in leaked renders.
• The Galaxy S27 Ultra could reportedly launch in two sizes, potentially giving buyers a smaller Ultra option for the first time.

With the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series out of the way, attention is now turning toward Samsung's next flagship smartphone lineup. And if the latest round of leaks is anything to go by, the Galaxy S27 Ultra could be getting a major redesign that looks a lot like Apple's latest iPhones.

For the past few years, Samsung has stuck with a vertical camera layout across its Galaxy S lineup. In fact, the company has been criticized several times for shipping very similar-looking Galaxy S Ultra phones year after year. It now looks like Samsung is finally planning to move away from that design, but perhaps not in the direction everyone expected.

Leakers Sonny Dickson, Max Jambor, and Ice Universe have shared what is claimed to be the Galaxy S27 Ultra's new design on X, and it's hard not to see the resemblance to Apple's iPhone 17 Pro lineup.

The leaked design shows a horizontal camera plateau across the back, similar to the latest iPhones, with two large camera rings and an elongated section that will likely house the remaining cameras and LED flash.

It's pretty clear where Samsung may be taking some design inspiration from this time around. On the bright side, though, the leaked renders also appear to show a Qi2 magnetic ring on the back, suggesting Samsung could finally build native Qi2 support directly into the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

The leaks also suggest Samsung could offer the Galaxy S27 Ultra in two different sizes, something we've heard rumored previously. If true, that could mean we're finally getting a more compact version of Samsung's Ultra flagship alongside the larger model.

Of course, we're still months away from the Galaxy S27 series launch, and plenty could change before Samsung makes anything official. But these early leaks certainly suggest Samsung is preparing a pretty major design shake-up, even if the inspiration appears to be coming straight from Cupertino.

What do you think of the rumored design? Let us know in the comments below.

Motorola may have kickstarted the modern flip phone, but Samsung popularized it, and for years the Galaxy Z Flip series was the standard for a stylish, pocketable foldable. Now that the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is out, it arrives at a tumultuous time for both flip phones and smartphones in general.

On the plus side, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 undercuts and is, in some ways, the better buy than Motorola’s Razr Ultra 2026, something I never thought I would say. And despite rumors suggesting the Flip 8 may be the last of its kind from Samsung, it receives some notable changes that I think even Motorola can learn from.

However, with the price increase, few actual hardware upgrades, and the launch of the very compelling Galaxy Z Fold 8, it’s becoming harder to justify buying the Galaxy Z Flip 8.

If it ain't broke...

I didn't get to use the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but I was jealous of its thin profile, especially when compared to the Razr Ultra 2025. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 goes further with an even thinner chassis, and it's noticeably lighter than the Razr Ultra 2026. It's pretty impressive, especially since flip phones become quite thick when folded in half, so this goes a long way towards making it truly pocketable.

That said, that thinness comes at a bit of a price: the battery is much smaller than the Razr's, clocking in at just 4,300mAh. That's unchanged from its predecessor, and while it can get me through a day, I haven't been able to squeeze much more out of it. Also unchanged is the charging speed, which, at 25W, feels quite slow for a $1,200 smartphone.

Fortunately, performance is anything but slow, thanks to the beefed-up Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and 12GB of RAM, which is as snappy as you'd expect. I play Honkai: Star Rail on the highest available settings and the phone doesn't falter. The only thing I notice when doing any heavy gaming is the top half of the phone getting rather warm, but that's nothing new for flip phones, given their limited internal space for things like a copper vapor chamber.

Beyond the overall performance, a benefit of the newer chip is better AI capabilities and access to newer features. Galaxy AI and Gemini Intelligence are found throughout the experience, and features like Now Brief and Now Nudge keep me up to date on my day and make it easier to grab the information or content I need when I need it.

Gemini Screen Automation also supports more apps, though I rarely find much need for it, aside from ordering food when I'm too lazy to open an app myself (is this what we've come to?).

The main display hasn't changed much, and unfortunately Samsung's new Titanium Flex isn't available here, so the crease isn't as inconspicuous as on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. That said, the crease feels very shallow, and dare I say, it feels even better than my Razr Ultra 2026.

My only annoyance is that the hinge joint protrudes quite a bit on either end of the screen, which sort of ruins the seamless feel of the display.

That said, the hinge remains relatively stiff, so I can open the Flip 8 to as wide as 45 degrees before it falls back. It's also much easier to flip the phone open with one finger and slam it shut, thanks to the redesigned display bumpers and a more forgiving hinge mechanism.

The cover screen gets (mostly) fixed!

That said, how the main display feels doesn't matter much to me, because most of my time with the Galaxy Z Flip 8 has been spent with the cover screen. Previous versions of Samsung's cover screen that I used felt half-baked, but the company did something new this year by integrating Now Brief into the cover screen and making it the default home screen. It's honestly pretty smart, and it turns the cover screen into a hub for updates on your day and activities.

But that's just the start of Samsung's cover screen overhaul. The company revamped the experience so that it acts more like the main UI. That means swiping down enables the Quick Settings menu, while swiping up reveals the app drawer. This differs from previous versions, where apps were available on a separate panel.

What I like about this is that it defaults to Samsung's first-party apps while providing easy access to third-party apps, which are sectioned off underneath. Samsung also makes it easy to access third-party apps, with a button to download the MultiStar module from Good Lock when you first set it up.

I find this new UI quite effective, making the cover screen much more accessible and useful than previous versions. I think Motorola could even take a note from Samsung's revamped UI, as it still keeps its apps on a separate panel.

Plus, any additional panels you create can be filled with app widgets, and some, like Spotify, will take up an entire widget panel. Unfortunately, not every widget is available on the cover screen, but there's a good amount to make them useful.

As for using apps, the experience is largely the same, but with some interesting updates. Apps can now open in three different aspect ratios: full screen, cropped up (to avoid the cameras), or in portrait mode for a more full app experience with black bars on either side.

There's a button at the bottom that lets you easily change the app's aspect ratio, which comes in handy depending on the app you're using. The only downside is that, for some reason, the app doesn't stay that way if I switch apps or go back to the home screen and then back to the app, and I find myself constantly switching views.

Of course, you can still use the camera with the cover screen for selfies, and you get quick access to photos, videos, and portrait mode. There's also an interesting Flip Shot feature that I didn't understand at first, but I think it's meant to add a little razzle-dazzle to your mirror selfies by displaying various graphics on the cover screen. And since I take a lot of mirror selfies with the camera preview on, this could be a good way to show off the Z Flip 8.

But as for the actual cameras, they're largely the same, and image quality is good but not spectacular. In good lighting, photos look fine, and the cameras even do a good job of freezing time, so you can be sure your dog photos should come out well enough. The downside is that you can't get too close to your subjects, as there's no Macro Mode, unlike on the Razr Ultra.

I also love the My FanCam feature, which can take any video and reframe it to focus on one subject, such as your kid or a friend. It's easily one of the best editing features Samsung has released in recent years, and a great way to make social-media-ready clips.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8?

On the outside, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is a minor update from its predecessor. A new chipset and smaller chassis are welcome changes, although I wish the battery and cameras had been upgraded.

The software is the star of the show, and Samsung's One UI continues to be more useful, whether you're using the main display or cover screen. That said, for $100 more than the Galaxy Z Flip 7, I'm not sure it's worth spending this much on a phone that Samsung seems largely uninterested in these days.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is good, but it's not $1,200 good. If you can find a discount, however, I would say go for it, or grab the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 if you can find a good enough deal.

I knew Samsung hadn't changed the design with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but it was still surprising to see just how similar it is to last year's model — I had to double-check the box to confirm I wasn't sent the Z Fold 7 again.

That sums up the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra in a nutshell; at the surface-level, it is indistinguishable from the Z Fold 7. It is just as thin and light, weighs the same, and has the same in-hand feel. I was holding out on Samsung moving to a design with rounded edges — similar to what Google does with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold — but that isn't the case.

Thankfully, there are a few upgrades. Samsung finally moved to silicon-carbon battery tech, and was able to slot in a bigger 5,000mAh battery in a chassis that's the same size as last year. There's also 45W charging, a crease that isn't quite as noticeable as last year, a new rear camera, and Android 17 with One UI 9 out of the box. But is that enough to warrant a price hike to an eye-watering $2,099? Let's take a look.

It's the little things that matter

Samsung didn't make any outward changes to the design, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a new hinge that feels better to use, and it allows the foldable to be fully flat. It's another thing that it took Samsung eight years to get to this point while Chinese brands have managed it in less than half that time, but at least there's some progress in this area.

The other side effect of the new hinge is the crease, which is barely noticeable now. It's still evident in daily use, and it isn't quite as creaseless as the Find N6, but there is a difference from the Z Fold 7. Samsung didn't change the panel sizes this year, so you get a 6.5-inch outer and 8.0-inch inner screen, and they're a little brighter this year.

What I like is that the inner panel has an anti-reflective coating, and it makes a difference when using it outdoors. It also gets a higher resolution (2504 x 2256), and as I prefer reading to watching media on my phone, I like these changes — that's one of the reasons I'm using the Z Fold 8 Ultra instead of the Z Fold 8.

There isn't anything missing when it comes to the internals as well. You get the latest Qualcomm silicon, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. I think a foldable that costs over $2,000 needs to have at least 512GB of storage, but with the RAM shortages, I'm glad Samsung didn't move the base model to 128GB and call the 256GB edition an upgrade.

While it has the same silicon as the S26 Ultra, the inherent foldable nature means the Z Fold 8 Ultra is thermally constrained, so it throttles sooner, and tends to get hot in extended gaming sessions. This is the case with all foldables and isn't something unique to Samsung. I didn't see any issues with connectivity (thankfully), but the only change in this area is that the foldable has a single SIM slot, with the secondary slot requiring an eSIM.

We need to talk about the wobble

The one thing Samsung should have changed with the design is the placement of the rear camera module. The Z Fold 8 Ultra has an oblong camera housing that sits to the left, and because the modules protrude quite a bit from the body, you get a constant wobble when using the foldable on a table.

It doesn't matter if you're using the phone folded or unfolded, the wobble is ever-present and a routine source of frustration. This is why all other brands have switched to center-mounted cameras; I didn't see this problem with my Find N6, Vivo X Fold 5, Moto Razr Fold, or the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

I just don't understand why Samsung continues to be obstinate about this; clearly, this is a major design flaw, yet the brand chooses to ignore it. On that note, the foldable once again misses out on IP68 dust and water resistance. You get IP48 instead, and while it's decent, it doesn't prevent dust ingress.

Samsung upgraded the wrong camera

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra uses the same 200MP main camera as last year, and it has a 10MP telephoto and a new 50MP wide-angle lens. Okay, great, but just one question: who uses the wide-angle camera? I take plenty of photos, and I predominantly use the 2x or 3x lenses while framing, and I think Samsung should've upgraded the ageing 10MP lens instead — this is the same module that's being used from the Galaxy S21 days.

Also, the tele lens is particularly useful as a portrait shooter, and I use it all the time because of this. To have a distinctly average tele lens on a foldable dubbed an Ultra is egregious to say the least, and the Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn't measure up to the Find N6 or the Vivo X Fold 5 in this regard. Shots at 3x don't have much in the way of definition, and anything shot at 10x and beyond is just a blotchy mess without any detail.

Thankfully, the other cameras are quite good, and you get decent shots with Samsung's traditional oversaturated look. It does a good enough job in low-light situations as well, and while the cameras aren't on the same level as regular phones — or current-gen Chinese foldables — they are pretty good for the most part.

The battery is better

Samsung finally started using silicon-carbon batteries, and the Z Fold 8 Ultra gets a 5,000mAh unit. The foldable manages to last a day as a result, and while I still had to plug in before the end of the day at times, it wasn't anywhere as frequently as previous years.

What I like even more is the 45W charging. It may not seem like a big deal, but the move means the battery gets to a full charge in just an hour, which is 30 minutes less than its predecessor. A 30-minute charge gives you a 40% charge, and it's just refreshing to be able to get decent charging speeds on a Samsung foldable. However, Samsung once again missed out on adding Qi 2 magnets, so if you want to use a Qi 2 or Qi 2.2 power bank or charger, you'll need to buy a case.

Double dose of AI

Just like the physical design, Samsung isn't changing things too much with One UI 9, its Android 17-based interface. The UI should be immediately familiar if you've used a Samsung phone, and while there are a few tweaks, the design as a whole is unchanged.

Galaxy AI (once again) is the key focus, with Samsung shoehorning on-device AI into just about every corner — and there's Gemini Intelligence as well if you wanted even more AI. The agentic model is designed to take actions on your behalf, but it isn't quite useful just yet.

You get good fluidity and an exhaustive feature-set, including intuitive multi-tasking modes to maximize the real estate. Just like previous years, the foldable will get seven years of software updates, similar to what Google offers on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Should you buy it?

It irks me that Samsung calls this foldable an Ultra — the only thing fitting of that moniker on the Z Fold 8 Ultra is the pricing. At $2,099, this is the costliest phone around (at least until the iPhone Fold shows up), and I'm not sure you're getting anywhere close to a good value.

Of course, this is a moot point in the U.S.; generous trade-in deals and carrier subsidies make getting the foldable a lot easier. That isn't the case in other regions, and I think the Find N6, X Fold 5, and the Moto Razr Fold are a better all-round deal if you're ready to move to a foldable. There's no denying that Samsung has a strong foldable in the Z Fold 8 Ultra, but the pricing makes it hard to recommend, and I'd suggest looking at other choices before making a decision — you'll be surprised to see just how good the competition is these days.

What you need to know

• Samsung will hold its next Galaxy Event on August 27, where it is expected to unveil the Galaxy S26 FE.
• The Galaxy S26 FE is expected to feature a 6.7-inch 120Hz display and Samsung's Exynos 2500 chipset.
• Leaks point to a 50MP main camera, 3x telephoto lens, 4,900mAh battery, and support for 45W charging.

It's the day the Pixel 11 series officially goes on sale, but Samsung isn't keeping quiet either. The company has confirmed its next Galaxy launch event for August 27, 2026.

Samsung has sent out invites to the media for its "Galaxy Event August 2026." Interestingly, the company isn't calling this one Galaxy Unpacked. Samsung says it will introduce the latest addition to the Galaxy S26 family at the event. While it hasn't officially named the device, all signs point toward the Galaxy S26 FE.

Samsung says the keynote will also be livestreamed for anyone watching from home. You'll be able to catch the event on Samsung's website as well as the company's YouTube channel, with the keynote scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. KST (8 a.m. ET) on August 27.

As with almost every Samsung launch these days, though, there probably isn't much left to surprise us. A massive leak recently gave us our clearest look yet at the Galaxy S26 FE, including what appear to be Samsung's official marketing materials, revealing both the phone's design and most of its specs.

According to those leaks, the Galaxy S26 FE will feature a 6.7-inch FHD+ display with support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone is expected to be powered by Samsung's Exynos 2500 chipset, the same processor that powered the Galaxy Z Flip 7 last year. It's also expected to come with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage.

On the back, the Galaxy S26 FE is rumored to feature a triple-camera setup consisting of a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and an 8MP telephoto camera with up to 3x optical zoom. The phone is also expected to pack a 4,900mAh battery, the same capacity as last year's Galaxy S25 FE, along with support for 45W wired charging.

There's no word on pricing just yet. But with the ongoing RAM crisis and memory shortage affecting smartphone makers across the industry, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Galaxy S26 FE arrive at a higher starting price than its predecessor.

Thankfully, we don't have much longer to wait. Samsung's next Galaxy event is just a week away, and if everything points in the direction we expect, the Galaxy S26 FE will finally make its official debut on August 27.

What you need to know

• The Galaxy S26 FE leak reveals a familiar Samsung design with Blueberry, Graphite, and Pistachio colors.
• Samsung's Galaxy S26 FE could feature a 6.7-inch 120Hz display, Exynos 2500 chipset, and 4,900mAh battery.
• The Galaxy S26 FE is expected to feature a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, and 8MP telephoto camera.

Now that the flagship phone season, including the Pixel 11 and Galaxy S26 series, is mostly out of the way, it's time to turn our attention toward some new budget Android phones. And now, an extensive leak has revealed almost everything you need to know about the upcoming Galaxy S26 FE.

The leak, shared by Android Headlines, gives us an extensive look at not only the Galaxy S26 FE's design, but also its specs and marketing materials. The publication has shared a total of 28 marketing images, revealing pretty much every major detail about Samsung's upcoming FE phone.

Starting with the design, the Galaxy S26 FE will reportedly look similar to Samsung's other recent smartphones. Like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the S26 FE appears to feature a vertical, pill-shaped camera module in the top-left corner of the rear panel.

In terms of colors, the phone is expected to be available in Blueberry, Graphite, and Pistachio. The Galaxy S26 FE will also reportedly carry an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

Coming to the specs, the Galaxy S26 FE is expected to feature a 6.7-inch Full HD+ display with support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the phone will reportedly be powered by Samsung's Exynos 2500 chipset, the same processor the company used in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 last year.

The phone is also expected to pack a 4,900mAh battery with support for 45W wired fast charging. If that sounds familiar, it's because those numbers are pretty similar to what Samsung offered with last year's Galaxy S25 FE.

In terms of software, the Galaxy S26 FE is expected to pick up the new My FanCam feature that debuted with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup, alongside features like Horizontal Lock for video recording.

On the back, the Galaxy S26 FE will reportedly feature a triple-camera setup consisting of a 50MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and an 8MP telephoto camera. The phone is also expected to ship with Android 17 and One UI 9 out of the box, along with Samsung's usual promise of seven years of OS updates.

The leak doesn't reveal anything concrete about pricing just yet. However, with RAM and other component prices continuing to rise this year, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Galaxy S26 FE launch at a slightly higher price than its predecessor.

What you need to know

• Samsung's new Warranty and care menu in One UI 9 centralizes warranty tracking, diagnostics, repairs, and support inside Settings.
• See remaining warranty period and Samsung Care+ eligibility for your current device, plus coverage details for every Galaxy product linked to your Samsung account.
• Built-in Diagnostics tests battery, charging, sensors, touch response, and connectivity, then suggests fixes or points you to repair options.

Samsung is adding a new Warranty and care hub in One UI 9, giving Galaxy users a single place to check warranty coverage, run device diagnostics, access repair options, and get support.

The feature debuted on Samsung’s latest foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8. Now Samsung has made clear what the hub actually does, and it goes way beyond checking when your warranty expires.

Open the new hub and you can see the remaining warranty period for your current device, along with Samsung Care+ eligibility. If you have other Galaxy products linked to the same Samsung account, their warranty and coverage information can appear there too.

The hub also acts as a troubleshooting center. Its Diagnostics tool can test hardware and functions such as battery, charging system, sensors, touchscreen, and connectivity. If something does go wrong, Samsung can recommend fixes or point you to repair options.

Bixby is also baked into the experience for troubleshooting questions. If something doesn’t feel right, you can ask the AI without leaving the Settings app for troubleshooting steps. Samsung's warranty process has always been a nightmare — online forums are full of users stuck in an endless loop between Samsung and service centers, with warranty claims getting lost in a no-man's-land between the standard warranty and Care+ policies. This new hub is designed to cut through that bureaucratic black hole and give you one clear path forward.

When software updates don’t work, you can request repairs from a Samsung-authorized service center without leaving Settings. You can also get remote support and compare estimated repair costs with Samsung Care+ pricing.

Warranty and care isn't necessarily identical everywhere. Available services may differ by country, device, and coverage plan.

While this hub currently debuts across Samsung's newest foldables, keep an eye out for the streamlined experience coming to Galaxy S26 series phones and older flagships as One UI 9 spreads its wings.

What you need to know

• Samsung is reportedly developing two wide foldables for 2027.
• One model could use an aspect ratio designed for movies and YouTube, addressing a major weakness of today’s squarer Fold displays.
• The company could make as many as six foldable models, including two wide Folds, a regular Fold, Fold Ultra, Flip, and TriFold successor.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is barely out the door, but the company may already be preparing to take its wide-screen experiment to the next level. A new report out of South Korea says the company is developing two wide foldables for the Galaxy Z9 generation in 2027, potentially giving buyers more than one way to escape the traditional tall-and-narrow Fold design.

According to ETNews, Samsung has begun development of two wide foldable phones and has shared these plans with suppliers. One of the devices is said to have an aspect ratio specifically for widescreen video, something that could make movies and YouTube content look more natural when the phone is unfolded.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 features a 4:3 inner screen with a more squarish shape that’s better for multitasking but not as good for most widescreen video.

There’s also a bit of fun history behind this. Earlier this year, a reference to a “WideFoldModel” in Samsung’s own test software for One UI 9 indicated that the company was working on a horizontally oriented Fold before these latest reports came out. Therefore, this isn’t something that just happened after the Fold 8 launched. Samsung has apparently been prepping the software for a different form factor for months.

The timing of this report makes sense. For example, it was said that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 accounted for about 70% of Galaxy Z8 pre-orders in South Korea alone, with the Z8 series setting a new record of 1.44 million pre-orders, compared to 1.09 million for the previous generation.

But the question will be whether Samsung can differentiate two wide Folds in a meaningful way. The report suggests a potential six-device foldable lineup for 2027, including the regular Fold, Fold Ultra, Flip, TriFold successor, and the two wide models.

None of this is confirmed, and display sizes or aspect ratios could still change in development. More concrete details should emerge closer to Samsung’s next-gen foldable launch. But if Samsung can get the balance right, the future of the Fold could be about making it genuinely better for the stuff people actually watch.

Samsung did a thing this year, making its foldables exciting again with the launch of the smaller, wider Galaxy Z Fold 8. It's basically the little brother of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, a larger foldable that follows the taller and more square design of its predecessors.

Apparently, the smaller Galaxy Z Fold 8 is very popular, as Samsung has highlighted a dramatic increase in preorders and has reportedly ramped up production. But should you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8? Here are my thoughts after spending a few weeks with the phone and extensively testing its camera.

Why you should buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8

It really is the perfect size

I have an affinity for flip phones and have used one as my go-to. I like that they're small and pocketable, though they tend to be quite thick when folded. On the flip side, I tend not to care for larger book-style foldables, as they are quite tall and only open to a larger, square-ish display.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like a Goldilocks foldable, adopting the smaller size of a flip phone while offering the utility of a book-style foldable when open. It's actually the size of my passport when closed, and it's incredibly lightweight and easy to slip in my pocket. I honestly didn't think I would like the Fold 8 until I held it in my hand and something just clicked.

Open it, and it feels more like a tablet than traditional foldables, which I think adds to its appeal.

Additionally, both displays are gorgeous, vibrant, and easy to see outdoors. It also helps that the inner display is basically creaseless. Sure, you can see the crease from certain angles and depending on how the light hits it, but if you run your finger across it, it's pretty much not there.

If Apple really is working towards releasing a foldable, this should be the blueprint.

Multitasking and media

One of the most awkward things about multitasking on larger book-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is that they don't always handle multitasking as well as they should. Samsung's One UI can open three apps at the same time in a split-screen view, but due to the square-ish aspect ratio, only one app is open in full view on one side of the display, while the other two are split in half on the other side.

However, what I love about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is that you can run three full apps side by side or in a row, which makes it feel more like a tablet than its larger sibling.

What also helps is how the Galaxy Z Fold 8 handles media and content. Ebooks look great on the inner display, whether you read them in landscape or portrait orientation. Videos also look much better on the inner display than they do on the larger Ultra. They aren't any bigger when open full screen, but the black bars on the top and bottom are smaller.

It also handles vertical videos from TikTok and Instagram better, since you can rotate the phone in a portrait orientation. And you can always watch horizontal videos or videos on the external display, which also look great in either orientation and better fill the 16:10 aspect ratio.

Performance and cool AI features

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, which is currently the most powerful mobile processor on the market. It's paired with 12 or 16GB of RAM, depending on your storage configuration, so there's little issue with performance. It is a flagship, after all, and it handles graphics-intensive games like Honkai: Star Rail quite well.

You'll also get plenty of cool AI features like My FanCam, which lets you reframe a video by focusing on a subject, making it the perfect way to share memories with friends or on social media. You also get plenty of Gemini Intelligence features, such as the ability to let the AI order food or book rideshares and hotels for you, and many of the Galaxy AI features can be processed on-device to keep your data as private as possible.

And the AI gets even more proactive by suggesting actions for you based on the context of your conversations, such as surfacing relevant photos for you to share, scheduling information, or your location.

The only downside I've noticed is that it can get a bit warm if you're gaming for an extended period, but this is lessened if you're using a Galaxy Z Fold 8 case.

Price (it's cheaper than the Ultra)

Foldables aren't cheap, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold Ultra. If you're trying to choose between the two, price is definitely something to consider, especially since you get roughly the same performance, storage and RAM options, seven-year software promise, and mostly the same feature set. And for the extra couple hundred that you save, you can get yourself some extras, like Qi2 charging accessories.

Why you shouldn't buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8

Price (it's still expensive)

That said, $1,900 isn't cheap, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is still a very expensive phone. Yes, I do love this phone, but I'm not sure if I would spend that kind of money on any smartphone (that's more than what I pay for rent in Seattle, WA).

If you're willing, you can always trade in an older phone or try to take advantage of Galaxy Z Fold 8 deals. Buying from carriers also makes it easy to spread the cost over time, but the fact of the matter is that you're paying nearly $2,000 for a smartphone.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is still better

For just $200 more, you can get a technically better phone. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra offers larger displays, a bigger battery, and a better camera system that incorporates a 200MP wide and 10MP telephoto sensor.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra also supports the Flex Panel, a handy One UI feature that turns the bottom half of the display into a keyboard or shows various controls when the phone is folded at an angle, depending on the context of what's on the upper half of the display.

So, it's up to you to decide if the $200 upgrade is worth it.

Cameras are meh

I really wanted to like the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, but they're just okay. You get two 50MP sensors that produce decent images, but they tend to lack vibrancy and detail compared to other similar camera systems. I tested the Galaxy Z Fold 8 camera against the Razr Ultra 2026 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the latter two phones produced more pleasing images of the same scenes.

It also doesn't do particularly well in low light, can be a little noisy, and zoom images lack detail compared to other cameras. Given the lack of a telephoto camera, that's understandable, but that adds to why you might wanna splurge for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

No S Pen support

If you're hoping for a return of the S Pen to foldable phones, you'll be disappointed with the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Unfortunately, the S Pen remains elusive on Samsung's foldables once again. It's a strange omission, especially given that Motorola now supports an active stylus on the Razr Fold and Samsung continues to include an S Pen with the Galaxy S Ultra models.

It kinda feels like a waste of all that screen real estate, even though it would make for a great canvas and note-taking device, especially with the minimal crease.

What you need to know

• Additional One UI 9.5 rumors surface online, as a tipster claims Samsung is chasing a glass aesthetic that delivers "visual depth" for its elements.
• It seems Samsung would apply this to its home screen widgets, such as Now Brief, as well as in its Phone app and more.
• One UI 9.5 rumors got underway as One UI 9 Beta 5 rolled out, claiming development had begun on the Galaxy S26.

Another round of One UI 9.5 rumors concerns its UI, but in reality, it feels like we're caught in a time loop.

Early this morning (Aug 14), SamMobile highlighted a set of leaked screenshots that tipster Fahad Ali posted on X about One UI 9.5's UI. The tipster calls out the software's UI "polish," and it seems Samsung is approaching its 9.5 update with a glass design in mind. Many elements, such as Now Brief and floating UI elements in Samsung-made apps, resemble shinier glass along the edges.

Certain elements reportedly offer a blur when over objects, which is something we've become accustomed to over the years of phones and software design. Another aspect Ali points out is the "subtle backdrop shading." It looks like Samsung is trying to facilitate more separation, detail, and "visual depth" between its UI and the background (or app).

The Phone app looks the same (so far); however, Ali states Samsung has moved the search icon to the floating navigation bar at the bottom. This icon is currently placed at the top of the app, between the new contact button and the three-dot menu. Another post on X claims Samsung could add App Lock in One UI 9.5 to secure certain apps with a password, biometric, or other verification method.

Clear as glass

Rumors about One UI 9.5 started earlier this week, which is funny since Galaxy S26 users don't have One UI 9 yet. Samsung rolled out One UI 9 Beta 5 for S26 users, leaving testers with a 1.1GB download. A handful of fixes were detailed in its patch notes, alongside the August 2026 security patch. What we were most curious about was the 9.5 update rumors by a tipster on X. The tipster suggests Samsung has started developing One UI 9.5 for the Galaxy S26 far earlier than previously.

You shouldn't expect this update anytime soon, as rumors claim it might not debut until April or May 2027. What has us concerned is Samsung's history of software updates. One UI 8.5 was met with heavy delays throughout its development. There's also a chance that the 9.5 update Beta Program won't begin until late this year.

What you need to know

• One UI 9 Beta 5 is rolling out for enrolled Galaxy S26 testers in a few overseas regions with a 1.1GB download.
• The patch carries a handful of fixes, alongside the August security update.
• However, rumors on social media claim Samsung has started developing One UI 9.5 for the Galaxy S26, despite the main upgrade still in the Beta Program.

There's a lot happening today (Aug 12), but that's not stopping Samsung's beta program. Enrolled users, beware: Beta 5 is here.

This morning, the folks at SamMobile spotted the arrival of One UI 9 Beta 5 for the Galaxy S26 series. Currently, the beta has only been spotted in overseas countries: the U.K., South Korea, and India. This isn't unusual, as Samsung usually begins spreading its availability out little by little. Users in the U.S. should prepare for it to arrive later this week, if not the next. One UI 9 Beta 5 reportedly carries a 1.1GB download and the August 2026 security patch.

The publication highlights Samsung's patch notes, which highlight a few important fixes. It's fixing a "white screen" and "app freeze," which would occur for users when viewing "some menus" in Settings. What's more, Samsung is fixing a camera app issue when opened from the lock screen. Some users encountered lag or a black screen when attempting to open it.

Another fix is rolling out for the bottom floating bar when using the Phone app. Samsung received reports of it not appearing properly, which was reportedly patched. The remainder of the fixes are as follows:

• Improved issue where a blank screen is temporarily visible when entering the recent files list in the My Files app
• Improved issue where 1×1 size shortcuts are not added to the bottom bar of the home screen
• Improved issue where the preview screen position is misaligned or flickers in the Video Editor and Photo Editor
• Improved issue where the screen intermittently flickers in certain situations
• Fixed Wi-Fi connection errors and improved connection stability

If you're enrolled in the One UI 9 Beta Program, keep your eyes out for the update in your respective region.

While this is interesting and gets us closer to launch for the Galaxy S26, rumors are already looking ahead to One UI 9.5. On X, tipster Tarun Vats reports that Samsung has started developing One UI 9.5 for the Galaxy S26 (via GSMArena). Vats says the early build sports version ending CZH1. Samsung has started development on its next major software update even earlier this time. Vats and users on X were quick to highlight Samsung's earlier schedule.

Vats reminds us that One UI 8.5's development began around September, before the Beta Program started for the Galaxy S25 in December. It's hard to forget that One UI 8.5 was heavily delayed throughout its Beta Program. Here's hoping that Samsung can avoid that this time around. Vats adds that Samsung likely won't roll out One UI 9.5 any time soon, meaning we may see it arrive around April or May 2027.

The beta rolls on

It's been nearly a month since the last One UI 9 beta. In mid-July, Samsung rolled out One UI 9 Beta 4, which included a host of fixes for early Android 17 problems. Much like what we're receiving in August, the July patch was ~1.25GB. One fix aimed to solve an issue with the S26 Ultra's Privacy Display routine. The feature would occasionally "not operate normally" while a routine was running. Other fixes involved an unstable UI for Live Notifications and other performance problems for the Quick Settings.

Everything you need to know about Galaxy Z Fold 8 durability

First things first, no smartphone is completely waterproof. Many flagships are water resistant, but this does not mean they are fully protected against liquid ingress. Instead, the water-resistance level of a phone is measured using the International Protection (IP) standard. When you look at an IP rating like IP68 or IP69, the first digit signifies the device's dust protection while the second digit denotes the device's liquid protection.

IP68 and IP69 are currently the highest levels of the International Protection (IP) standard. The "6" in IP68 and IP69 means a device is completely dustproof. The number "8" as the second digit means a device can withstand submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater depth for up to 30 minutes. The number "9" as the second digit in IP69 means a device could survive high-pressure and high-temperature water jets in addition to the submersion depth and duration specified by the "8" in IP68.

With that background in place, we can evaluate the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's IP48 certification. This rating means neither the Galaxy Z Fold 8 nor the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra are completely dustproof. Instead, both devices are merely protected against the ingress of dust particles larger than 1mm in size. But what about their water resistance?

The "8" in IP48 indeed means the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra both meet the highest International Protection (IP) level for submersion. Both phones can withstand submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Note that your mileage may vary with salt water submersion (like in the ocean) or chlorinated water submersion (like in a pool). Additionally, these phones do not support IPX9, meaning they are not protected against high-temperature or high-pressure water jets.

Keep in mind that water resistance is not a permanent condition. Samsung only guarantees IP48 certification when your device leaves the factory and arrives at your door. As the company explains in a support document, you can expect the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's water resistance to diminish over time.

To sum up, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra are highly water-resistant. However, this doesn't mean you should rush to use your foldables in the water. The phones' IP48 ratings only guarantee water resistance in specific conditions, and only at the time you buy them. Every drop wears down the rubber seals inside your phone that keep liquid out, and the seals degrade over time even if kept in perfect condition.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 surprised me. As someone who has not been a big fan of book-style foldables and generally prefers flip phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 seems to flip everything on its head. In fact, given its small stature, it sits somewhere in the Goldilocks zone between both types of foldables.

I think this is why I like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 so much. I was ready to dismiss the new design when I saw leaks of the phone, but as soon as I put it in my hand, something clicked, and in my two weeks of testing, the phone has been a joy to use. Between the pocketability, the performance, and the price, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 might be the ideal foldable phone for most buyers, although you'll have to deal with a few compromises.

It's a little strange that Samsung popularized the current foldable design, only to shift to a form factor that few others have tried and abandoned. That said, Samsung's iteration seems to take the design a bit further by incorporating a shorter chassis and wider displays.

The result is a phone that feels admittedly very different from what we're used to, especially following the advent of taller smartphone displays. But holding the phone sort of puts the whole thing into perspective; it's thin and light, and nearly the entire phone fits in the palm of my hand. That's important for reachability, something that taller smartphones seem to have forgotten is still important.

It's literally the size of my passport, and it fits in my pocket better than any other smartphone I've used in recent years, including flip phones like the Motorola Razr Ultra.

Part of my original concern was how apps would scale to this odd 16:10 aspect ratio on the external display, and my concerns were mostly unfounded, although not completely.

Vertical videos are still watchable on the external display, and while the minimum black bars on the sides may annoy some, I don't mind them. I actually like that the app’s UI elements are pushed away from the video. Watching longer-form videos like movies, TV shows, and YouTube also feels pretty natural on the external display.

The downside of having such a short, wide external display is that app content is a bit condensed, and there are times when I find myself scrolling more than I normally would because of the lack of vertical real estate.

This can be addressed somewhat when you open the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to reveal the surprisingly seamless and tablet-like display.

The wider aspect ratio reminds me of how I felt when I first saw the Galaxy Z TriFold: this is exactly how a foldable phone should feel, like a phone when closed and a tablet when open. It also helps that the new Titanium Flex display makes for a barely noticeable crease. If Apple's been waiting to get rid of the crease for its eventual foldable, now is definitely the time.

Videos are also a joy to watch on the larger display, and there are fewer black bars on the top and bottom, at least compared to the Ultra.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 also acts like a tablet when it's open. That means apps like Gmail, YouTube Music, and Chrome open in tablet mode, and you can pull up a taskbar of apps at the bottom from just about any screen.

Oddly enough, there's no support for the Flex Mode panel, which is on both the Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8. That's because the hinge can't really be freely adjusted to stay at different angles, especially beyond 90 degrees. It's a bit of a missed opportunity for viewing content.

But the wider display means better multitasking. One thing I love about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is that you can use three apps side by side, instead of having one app take up a full side and two apps split in half on the other. And of course you can drag and drop content between apps and resize them to your liking.

Another benefit the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has over the more square Ultra is that the wider display gives you more options for app layouts. Sure, I can use apps like Instagram or read ebooks in a horizontal orientation, but I can turn the phone and use the app vertically so that certain content fits the screen better.

Of course, not all apps will scale very well on either display. That mostly goes for games, and while some like Honkai: Star Rail look just fine on either panel, Pokémon Go doesn't look very good on the inner display. Scaling is very awkward for this game and for a lot of other vertically oriented games as well, and you're like I'm going to have to fiddle around with the scaling options to find a fit that works for you.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy and base 12GB of RAM help the Fold 8 perform just as well as you'd expect, with no hiccups. That said, I notice that the phone gets pretty warm, mostly when gaming, and I imagine it's due to the phone's small stature.

The small chassis also means there's not much room for a huge battery. The 4,800mAh battery should get you through most of the day, although now that Samsung is using silicone carbon batteries, I feel that the company could have squeezed in its larger-capacity unit. After all, the smaller Razr Ultra 2026 squeezed in a 5,000mAh battery with much faster charging.

There are plenty of AI features scattered throughout One UI 9, although admittedly they're the least interesting thing about the Galaxy Z Fold 8. If you can stand using Samsung Keyboard, which is still pretty bad, you'll get access to many of Samsung's Galaxy AI features like writing tools, translation, and Gemini Intelligence.

When I receive a message, for instance, the AI will suggest responses based on the conversation, and even gave me prompts in German when a friend of mine texted “Danke," which I found pretty fun. It also suggests certain actions, like opening my calendar when my friend asked if I was back in town after a long trip, or sending my location when another friend asked how my trip was going.

And of course, with Gemini intelligence, you can have it perform actions on your behalf, and it supports even more apps than before.

One of the highlight features on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is My FanCam, which can pinpoint a person in a video and focus on them, allowing you to crop out the rest of the video so that it's social media-ready. It's actually quite ingenious, and the result is often better than I expect.

The phone does a good job keeping up with the subject, wherever they happen to be in the video, although the camera movements can be a bit wobbly when tracking subjects. Still, it saves me a ton of time having to edit the videos manually.

As for the cameras, the dual 50MP sensors on the back can capture decent images, and you can see my Galaxy Z Fold 8 camera review/comparison for more on that. There is no telephoto sensor, which is also likely due to the phone's limited space. On the plus side, Samsung included new video capture features the creators will love, such as the ability to capture LOG video or add LUTs to give your videos a dramatic look.

This is one of the things I loved about using LG smartphones like the V30, so I'm glad to see it here.

Should you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8?

Th writing has been on the wall for some time that the era of modern flip phones may be coming to an end. Samsung hasn't said anything about it, but reports have pointed to the rising popularity of book-style foldables, so much so that even Motorola has joined the party.

If there's one phone that I can see killing the flip phone and taking foldables truly mainstream, it's the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It may not have all the Ultra features of its sibling, but it brings much of that added utility of a larger foldable to a smaller, more pocketable, and much more affordable form factor. And it's a damn joy to use.

Samsung makes some of the best camera phones in the ever-shrinking North American market. With the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra hitting the market, I decided to take their cameras for a spin, taking 1,000 photos between both phones to get a good idea of how they perform.

Beyond just testing the cameras of Samsung's newest foldables, I also took the time to compare the camera performance to two of my favorite foldables: the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 and Razr Fold. Motorola has come a long way, and the Fold has proven that the company knows how to make a good camera.

How I tested them

I've been testing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra since their launch on July 22. I captured photos in various scenarios and environments, using both devices alongside the Razr Ultra 2026 and Razr Fold.

I didn't fiddle with any settings or tap a subject in the viewfinder to adjust the exposure; all of these were just point-and-shoot.

Juggling four phones isn't easy, and it isn't the most scientific method, but I tried to keep things as fair as possible. I made sure to capture photos with the same or similar composition across devices. Still, there may be some slight differences between photos.

Also, for the sake of my sanity (and your time), I'm not uploading all 1,000 photos I captured with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series. However, I have selected a number of images that I think best represent the capabilities of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series in different situations.

Note: Click the expand button in the corner for a better view of the images.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Between the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, the hardware differences are quite massive. The former sticks to two 50MP cameras, while the latter has a massive 200MP primary sensor and a third telephoto camera. The result is noticeably more detail in the Fold 8 Ultra's images, while the Fold 8 tends to lean a bit softer.

That goes for color as well; images from the Fold 8 Ultra tend to be punchier, while the Fold 8 tends to appear a bit muted. I find I prefer the Ultra's images, although it can go a bit overboard with saturation, especially when it comes to the color red.

This is the complete opposite for the ultrawide sensor, which is punchier on the Fold 8, and I tend to prefer these images over the Fold 8 Ultra's ultrawide.

Both phones do relatively okay when it comes to selfies and portrait images, although I still feel like they lack proper tuning for skin tones like mine.

The Ultra clearly has the upper hand with zoom. The Fold 8 can take 2x shots at optical quality, but anything beyond that and you'll see the quality drop. In most cases, images for the Ultra appear much cleaner, while the Fold 8 can sometimes struggle to produce the necessary detail.

Sometimes the Fold 8 gets it right, and while the AI is clearly putting in some work to make up for the lack of a telephoto camera, things like text can appear sharper on the Fold 8 compared to the more natural processing from the Ultra's optical sensor. Still, the Fold 8 isn't as consistent with zoom shots, and your best bet is to stick with 2x.

Both phones do a decent job with challenging lighting, but I wouldn't say either excels. Photos are often a tad noisy, though this is more of an issue with the base Fold 8 than the Fold 8 Ultra, which often delivers cleaner, more detailed shots.

Overall, both phones have their strengths, and Samsung seems to have improved how its phones capture movement. I really like the ultrawide shots on the Fold 8, but the Fold 8 Ultra unsurprisingly comes out on top, with the 200MP primary camera bringing more vibrancy and detail to images, while the telephoto camera keeps zoom shots relatively clean.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Motorola Razr Ultra 2026

Both the Galaxy Fold 8 and Razr Ultra 2026 have dual 50MP cameras for wide and ultrawide shots. However, both phones handle color and lighting a bit differently. Regarding color reproduction, the Razr Ultra 2026 does a better job of staying true to the scene, while elements (like the sky) can be a bit more dramatic due to the added contrast and detail. The Fold 8 again feels a bit more muted in many scenes, but still does a decent job.

The Razr Ultra 2026 also handles trickier lighting situations a bit better, brightening subjects without adding a ton of noise in the process. However, the caveat is that while it does better with things like neon signs, my unit doesn't seem to like bright street lamps very much, as they can flare up and ruin a scene.

I also tend to prefer selfies on the Galaxy Z Fold 8's external front-facing camera, as the Razr Ultra tends to do some weird overprocessing. However, I find the Razr is better at portrait mode photos.

When it comes to zoom, neither phone excels here, and they tend to trade blows in detail, lighting, and color. Sometimes, I prefer the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and other times the Razr comes out on top. Either way, I don't think there's a winner here, as neither is particularly good beyond 2x zoom.

Overall, I think the Razr Ultra 2026 has the upper hand when it comes to just the point-and-shoot camera experience. That's not to say the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is bad, but there's a general lack of pop in its images. I think the camera could use some additional tuning, perhaps with future updates (which Samsung is good about).

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Motorola Razr Fold

The Fold 8 Ultra's 200MP camera should theoretically come out on top compared to the Razr Fold's 50MP sensor, right? Well, surprisingly, Motorola holds its own. Both phones bring plenty of detail to their images, and while photos from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra can appear more vibrant, such as when taking photos of the sky or of water, the Razr Fold handles low-light situations better.

As you can see from the photo of the door or the floating planets, the Razr Fold's camera brings more light into a scene while keeping noise levels low. The alleyway also shows how the Razr Fold handles tricky lighting better, as you can see much more clearly into the distance than in the Fold 8 Ultra's photo. And I don't even know what happened with the Carnegie Library; the Fold 8's color is way off.

That said, the Fold 8 handles moving objects better than Motorola's, as the Razr Fold's post-processing can often result in a missed moment or a blurry subject. The Fold 8 Ultra also handles selfies better with its external front camera.

But what I was really curious about was how both phones handle zoom. This was a big highlight of my Motorola Razr Fold camera review, so I wanted to see if the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was up to the challenge. Shockingly, that doesn't seem to be the case.

At 3x zoom, both phones are neck-and-neck, and unless you need to go any further than this, you should be fine with images from either phone. If you go beyond this point, however, Motorola's AI kicks in and handles a lot of the work, and it does a bang-up job doing it in most cases. Lines are cleaner, text is more legible, and you can see clearer figures of people from off at a distance of even 30x zoom.

That 30x zoom happens to be the limit of the Fold 8 Ultra's zoom capabilities, but perhaps Samsung should have limited it even further, because images at this level are not very usable. You can probably get away with decent 10x zoom photos, but more often than not, the Razr Fold will produce the better photo, regardless of the lighting (although there are some exceptions).

Verdict

Samsung doesn't make bad cameras, but it doesn't make the best cameras either. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra hold their own, and I don't think anyone would be particularly disappointed with either phone's camera.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is clearly not as good as its Ultra sibling, and it even falls behind Motorola's Razr Ultra 2026 in some areas. However, unless you're trying to zoom in really close or take photos in the dark, I think it's more than adequate.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the better of Samsung's latest foldables, and produces great images with vibrant colors and plenty of detail. However, its zoom capabilities leave a lot to be desired, especially compared to the Razr Fold, and I'm hoping Samsung can address this in future updates.

It's official: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 has landed, and it doesn't disappoint. One problem, however, is that the innovative foldable now boasts a starting price of $1,199.99 for the 256GB configuration, which is $100 more expensive than its predecessor.

Fortunately, I'm already hard at work tracking down the best Galaxy Z Flip 8 deals so you don't have to go searching. The offers aren't quite as good as the promotions we saw during the preorder period, but you can still score some impressive savings if you know where to look. Keep reading for my recommendations on buying the brand new flip phone, and don't forget to check back later to see what's new: I'll keep adding new offers to this list as I find them.

Quick links

• The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra deals
  
• T-Mobile: Get the Z Flip 8 for $100 with eligible plan
• Samsung: up to $600 off with trade-in, free credit
• AT&T: up to $1,000 off with trade-in, new line
• Amazon: free $200 gift card
• Best Buy: free $200 gift card
• Xfinity Mobile: up to $1,000 off with trade-in

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 deals

FAQ

How much does the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 cost?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 will start at $1,199.99 / €1,299.00 / £1,149.00 for the 256GB configuration of the phone. That's $100 more expensive than last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7, which was already more expensive than its predecessor. This price increase is even further proof that no one is exempt from the ongoing RAM crisis, which is why finding good deals is so important nowadays.

I already own the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Is it worth upgrading?

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 and last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 share a lot of similarities on the design and hardware side, especially at first glance. Both flip phones come with 12GB of RAM and a 4,300mAh battery, and they feature virtually identical camera systems and displays, although the Z Flip 8 does clock in at 8 grams lighter than its predecessor. The Z Flip 8 also uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, which is a bit more powerful than the last generation's Exynos chip.

Do these minor upgrades justify the $100 price increase? It's a tough call, but if you're already happy with your Galaxy Z Flip 7, I see no reason to rush to the store to grab the new phone. On the other hand, if you're a flip phone fanatic, the Z Flip 8 offers one of the best experiences around.

Samsung's new lineup of foldable phones has only been out for a few weeks, and we're already beginning to see some Galaxy Z Fold 8 deals that are worth checking out. This is great news for anyone who wants to experience the latest in foldable phone technology but would rather not shell out $1,899 (or more).

Whether you want the ultra-wide Z Fold 8 or the super-powered Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, if you want to save money on these innovative Android phones, all of the web's best offers can be found in this guide.

Unlike some phone releases that feel purely perfunctory, Samsung is really changing things up with its newest book-style foldable phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 sports a brand new form factor that we've compared to a passport, while the brand new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is one of the largest foldables we've ever seen. These phones aren't just pretty to look at, either. They also feature incredible specs under the hood, with powerful Snapdragon chips, useful AI-boosted software features, and years of guaranteed OS updates.

Interested in Samsung's newest clamshell-style flip phone? I also put together a guide to the best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 deals for your perusal.

Quick links

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review
• Samsung Galaxy Z fold 8 Ultra review
  
  Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 deals - quick links
• T-Mobile: FREE Galaxy Z Fold 8 with eligible trade-in, new line
• Verizon: new line savings, trade-in deals
• Samsung: up to $800 of trade-in credit
• AT&T: FREE Z Fold 8 with eligible trade-in, new line
• Xfinity Mobile: up to $1,200 off with trade-in, new line
  
  Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra deals - quick links
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off Z Fold 8 Ultra with trade-in, new line
• Verizon: new line savings, trade-in deals
• Samsung: up to $800 of trade-in credit
• Amazon: $300 discount with purchase
• Best Buy: $300 discount with purchase
• AT&T: up to $1,900 off with trade-in, new line
• Xfinity Mobile: up to $1,200 off with trade-in, new line

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 deals

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra deals

FAQ

How much does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 cost?

The new wide-style Galaxy Z Fold 8 is set to cost $1,899.99 for the 256GB version, while the Fold 8 Ultra will start at $2,099 USD. Samsung's foldable phones have always been expensive, but the ongoing RAM crisis has contributed to increased prices across the board. It's just one more reason why the above deals are so essential.

How does the Galaxy Z Fold 8 compare to the Z Fold 8 Ultra?

It may sound strange, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the true successor to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. Starting at $2,099, the phone boasts virtually identical dimensions to last year's foldable with an upgraded 5,000mAh battery, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and 12GB of RAM for the 256GB and 512GB models. It also weighs just 215 grams, which is the same as last year's model. The fact that Samsung was able to pack a larger battery into the same thin frame as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is impressive, but some folks may be disappointed that the design is otherwise largely unchanged.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, on the other hand, is where things start to look interesting. The phone boasts a 7.6-inch main display and 5.5-inch cover display (both stunning AMOLED, of course), resulting in a device that looks a bit like a passport book. Clocking in at just 201 grams, the Z Fold 8 also comes with the same Snapdragon chip as the Ultra, plus a 4,800mAh battery, the latest AI-boosted software features, and up to 16GB of RAM. Moreover, the Z Fold 8 is $200 cheaper than the Ultra.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 worth it?

It depends! If you already own a foldable phone, such as the Z Fold 7 or the Motorola Razr Fold, there's really no reason to upgrade right away. These OEMs push out new foldable phones every year, so it's okay (and probably financially responsible) for you to skip a generation here and there.

On the other hand, if you want to try the latest in foldable phone technology and you're able to get a good deal that works with your budget, the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra really do offer some of the most innovative Android experiences around.

The latest foldable phones from Samsung hit store shelves in just a few days (August 7th), but there are plenty of preorder deals for the folks who don't want to wait to save.

One such offer comes from Samsung itself, where you can score up to $1,200 off the Galaxy Z Fold 8 when you trade in an old or broken device. Don't have anything to trade in? The company will still hook you up with a $200 credit when you order the Z Fold 8 through its site. There are also some bundle discounts up for grabs if you pair your preorder with a Samsung watch. The promotion ends in just a few days, however, so you better act fast if you're interested.

Score up to $1,200 off your Galaxy Z Fold 8 preorder at Samsung

What about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8?

More Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8 deals

After months of leaks and rumors, Samsung finally unveiled its Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Pixel Fold, meanwhile, was once close in form factor to the standard Z Fold 8, but the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has since shifted closer to the Z Fold 8 Ultra's dimensions.

If you're in the U.S. and looking to buy a top-tier Android foldable, your choice may come down to Samsung and Google: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Now that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is official, the real question is which foldable is actually right for you.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Pricing and availability

Samsung officially introduced the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra on July 22, 2026. Unfortunately, what we expected is now true: Samsung has increased the Z Fold 8 Ultra's price by $100 this year, so it starts at $2,100 in the U.S, with 256GB of storage and only 12GB of RAM.

On the other hand, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold was announced alongside the Pixel 10 series on August 20, 2025. It starts at $1,799 for 256GB, undercutting the Fold 8 Ultra by $300. It's also available in 512GB and 1TB variants at higher prices, but all variants offer 16GB of RAM.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Design and display

Compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the company has kept minimal upgrades for the Fold 8 Ultra. That means you get a triple-camera setup on the back, arranged vertically in a pill-shaped module, along with a clean back and squared edges.

What's great is that Samsung has made the Z Fold 8 Ultra even slimmer than before, coming in at just 4.1mm when unfolded, while fitting in a larger battery, which we'll get to later.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold also sticks to the same design as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Compared to the Z Fold 8 Ultra, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold remains thicker and heavier. The former measures 8.9mm when folded and weighs just 215 grams, while the latter is about 10.8mm thick and weighs around 258 grams.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold leads in durability, offering IP68 dust and water resistance, which is rare for foldables. Samsung, on the other hand, despite the upgrade to the hinge mechanism, offers only IP48.

Compared to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a much less visible crease on the inner foldable display, thanks to its new Flex Titanium technology.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold features a slightly smaller 6.4-inch cover display, but the inner display is also around 8 inches. Both phones offer high-brightness displays, offering up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Hardware and specs

Samsung leads the pack, powering the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. This is currently the best chipset for Android phones, so you can expect the best performance.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is powered by the Tensor G5, the same chip used across the Pixel 10 lineup. It's Google's first TSMC-made 3nm chipset, and while it's a big step up over the Tensor G4 in terms of performance and efficiency, it falls behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in raw power.

Internally, Samsung has also upgraded the battery to silicon-carbon tech, which means the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra now features a 5,000mAh cell. In terms of charging, Samsung has upgraded to 45W wired charging, which is much faster than what you get on the Pixel Fold.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold already comes with a 5,000mAh battery, so it's still too early to say which one offers a better battery life. But one area where the Pixel clearly has an advantage is charging convenience. It supports PixelSnap, Google's take on Qi2, with built-in magnets, meaning you can use MagSafe accessories without needing a case.

This is something Samsung skipped on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which requires a case for Qi2 magnetic charging.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Cameras

Samsung upgraded the primary camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to 200MP, and this time it upgraded the Fold 8 Ultra's ultrawide sensor to a 50MP unit, alongside the same 200MP primary sensor as before and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold comes with a 48MP primary sensor, a 10.5MP ultra-wide, and a 10.8MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. It's still too early to say which one will perform better, but considering Samsung has been refreshing its camera setup over the past couple of generations, I do expect the Fold 8 Ultra to have an edge here.

That said, we'll be doing a proper camera comparison soon, so do keep an eye out for the same.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Which foldable is better?

All things considered, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra brings some genuine upgrades this year, including a less creased inner display and, finally, a much more capable battery. But Samsung has also raised the price by $100, and the omission of Qi2 magnetic charging still stings on a phone at this price point.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold, on the other hand, not only costs less to begin with, but it's also often available at a discount for even less. Add in better durability and the promise of day-one Android updates, and it's hard not to see the Pixel as the more lucrative pick on paper.

Samsung found a hit with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 last year, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra does even more to solidify its spot as the best North American foldable. It's the first Samsung foldable to bear the Ultra name, and for good reason.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra proves to be a major upgrade over the Galaxy Z Fold 6 — in every way but one. The latter is the last Samsung foldable to support the S Pen. If you're a Galaxy Z Fold 6 user wondering if it's time to upgrade, the answer is probably yes... unless you need the S Pen.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Pricing and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra launched in July 2026 at a Galaxy Unpacked event. It hits store shelves Aug. 7, 2026. The new foldable retails for $2,099.99 with 256GB of storage. You can optionally upgrade to 512GB and 1TB of storage for an additional cost. Out of all the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra colors, Green Shadow is exclusive to Samsung's online store.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 was released on July 10, 2024, for $1,899. It was available in Pink, Navy, Silver Shadow, Crafted Black, and White colorways. Now, the phone is mostly unavailable in new condition, but refurbished and used models are enticing — they'll only run you about $500.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Design and display

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra keeps the same general design language as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but it has a different chamfer that makes it easier to open. Compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, though, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is considerably thinner and lighter. The new model measures 4.1mm thick opened and 8.9mm closed. That's quite the jump from the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which is 12.1mm folded and 5.6mm unfolded.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is also heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, with the older foldable measuring 239 grams versus 215 grams. The thinner and lighter form factor makes the Fold 8 Ultra feel like a regular phone that happens to unfold, rather than two phones stuck together.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has an 8-inch main screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. Compared to newer models, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a more visible crease.

The older foldable's main screen is only 7.6 inches, but it supports the same 120Hz refresh rate and uses identical OLED technology. The outer screen is narrower than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, as Samsung has finally settled on a slightly wider cover-screen aspect ratio. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a 6.3-inch outer screen, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra comes with a 6.5-inch cover screen.

Both devices are covered by an IP48 water and dust resistance rating, despite higher levels of protection from other foldables. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra adds anti-reflective properties to the folding display cover.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Hardware and specs

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is still supported with Android OS upgrades and has a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor with 12GB of memory. However, the latest Qualcomm chips are major leaps over older Snapdragon platforms. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is faster and more capable than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset.

Samsung upgraded the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's battery by increasing the capacity to 5,000mAh and using silicon-carbon battery tech. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 4,400mAh capacity, which is the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It also has slower charging, supporting 25W speeds over a cable and 15W wirelessly.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6's camera system is already behind the curve. It offers a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide sensor, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom capabilities. By comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's primary camera is a 200MP sensor. Even the secondary lenses are better, with a 50MP ultrawide camera and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Which should you buy?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is quite capable for 2026, even though its form factor might feel outdated as foldables chase thinner and lighter designs. The thicker build makes the Fold 6 feel more premium and lets its hinge stay open at more angles without tipping over. The S Pen support is an added bonus, since the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra ships without it.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra builds upon the upgrades already introduced with the Fold 7. That means you get great performance, a thin and light design, a superb camera system, and excellent software. It may be tough — if not impossible — to justify spending $2,000 on a new foldable if you already shelled out for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 two years ago.

That said, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is tempting. Almost everything is better, and if you get a good trade-in deal, the upgrade could be worthwhile.