Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z Fold 7: what's actually new?

Samsung released its first Galaxy Z Fold in 2019, and in the eight generations since, the lineup has evolved dramatically in both design and performance. Last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7 was especially impressive, thanks to its incredibly slim 4.2mm profile when unfolded, along with its larger 8-inch main display and 6.5-inch cover screen, both of which I found to be game-changers for everyday usability.

Now, following this year's Galaxy Unpacked event in London, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the direct successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The new "Ultra" branding clearly positions it as Samsung's top-tier book-style foldable, especially now that the all-new, passport-inspired Galaxy Z Fold 8 has joined the lineup.

So, just how different is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra from the Galaxy Z Fold 7? Let's break down everything that's changed this year, from pricing and specs to design, cameras, battery life, and more.

Prices, specs, and availability

Looking back at the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it launched in July 2025 with a starting price of $2,000 USD ($2,500 CAD) for the 256GB model. It features an 8-inch Main Display and 6.5-inch Cover Display, and is available with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. The 1TB model also bumps the RAM up to 16GB, while the 256GB and 512GB variants come with 12GB. Color options include Blue Shadow, Jetblack, and Silver Shadow, plus the online-exclusive Mint finish.

Turning to the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, it retains the same 8-inch Main Display and 6.5-inch Cover Display, along with identical storage and RAM configurations. What has changed this year, of course, are the colors and, unfortunately, the price.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is available in Violet Shadow, Graphite, and Cream, with Green Shadow being offered exclusively through Samsung's online store. Pricing now starts at $2,100 USD ($2,700 CAD), a $100 increase over last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. As much as I hate seeing another price hike, I can't say I'm surprised given the ongoing RAM and memory shortages.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra are available now, with the foldable set to launch on August 7.

Design and display

Small differences

At first glance, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks almost identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, aside from the new color options. But once you pick it up, you'll notice Samsung has made a few subtle refinements. The updated hinge mechanism makes opening and closing the phone feel even smoother, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is slightly slimmer than its predecessor, measuring 4.1mm when unfolded compared to the Fold 7's 4.2mm. While a 0.1mm reduction might not sound like much, it's an impressive achievement considering Samsung has also improved battery life this year, which I'll get to in a moment.

Build quality remains excellent. Like the Fold 7, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra uses Advanced Armor Aluminum, and the weight difference is negligible, with the Fold 8 Ultra coming in at 215g versus 216g for the Fold 7.

As for the displays, it's even harder to tell the two phones apart. Samsung has kept the same screen sizes and resolutions this year, with both featuring an 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Main Display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 2504 x 2264 resolution, alongside a 6.5-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Cover Display with a 2520 x 1080 resolution. The one notable difference is that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's Main Display now has an anti-reflective coating, which should make it easier to use outdoors in bright sunlight.

Internals and software

Upgraded chipset and battery

Under the hood, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 7 differ substantially. The Z Fold 8 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the same SoC Samsung used in the Galaxy S26 series earlier this year. It offers modest performance improvements over last year's Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which was used in the Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and S25 series.

The battery is where the difference is much more substantial, as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra features a 5,000mAh battery, a welcome upgrade from the Z Fold 7's 4,400mAh battery. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra also supports 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0, which Samsung says can charge the battery to 65 percent in just 30 minutes. This is much faster than the Fold 7, which only supports 25W Super Fast Charging.

If you're wondering whether the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra finally supports Qi2 magnetic charging, unfortunately, Samsung has once again opted to forgo magnets in the device, so you'll need a case for magnetic charging. This isn't totally surprising, given that the S26 series didn't have magnets either. When Google implemented magnets in the Pixel 10 series last summer, including the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, I was hoping Samsung would finally do the same, but unfortunately that's just not the case. Fingers crossed for next year.

Software-wise, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra runs One UI 9, based on Android 17, right out of the box, and comes with a full suite of AI features, including Now Nudge, which can analyze the text on your screen to make suggestions, such as opening your calendar when someone asks if you're free. It also includes other AI features for image editing, like the Magic Eraser for removing annoying details in your photos, and Remaster, which can upscale lower-resolution photos to much higher quality. There's also a new My FanCam feature, which you can use to crop and reframe videos and track subjects in them. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 will eventually support One UI 9, but the update has yet to roll out to the device and will likely do so later this year. That said, One UI 8 on the Fold 7 has many of these features, except for My FanCam.

Cameras

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra gets an improved ultra-wide lens

Samsung has made a few meaningful upgrades to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's camera system compared to the Fold 7, though much of the setup remains the same.

The Fold 8 Ultra retains the same 200-megapixel main camera with an f/1.7 aperture, along with a 10-megapixel telephoto camera featuring an f/2.4 aperture and 3x optical zoom. The biggest change is the ultra-wide camera, which has been upgraded to a 50-megapixel sensor with an f/1.9 aperture.

By comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 featured a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture. That jump to 50 megapixels should allow the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra to capture significantly more detail in wide-angle shots, making it better suited for landscapes, landmarks, architecture, and large group photos.

When it comes to the selfie cameras, nothing has changed on the Z Fold 8 Ultra compared to the Fold 7, with both the Main Display and Cover Screen featuring a 10-megapixel front camera with an f/2.2 aperture.

Verdict: Is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra a worthwhile upgrade over the Z Fold 7?

Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is undoubtedly Samsung's most powerful and capable foldable yet, delivering meaningful improvements to battery life, performance, and cameras.

That said, if you were hoping Samsung would completely reinvent the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra this year -- especially with the introduction of the new "Ultra" branding -- you may come away a little disappointed. It looks almost identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with the biggest physical change being its slightly slimmer 4.1mm profile when unfolded. Personally, though, I really liked the Fold 7's design, so I'm glad Samsung chose to refine it rather than overhaul it. And if you're looking for something that feels genuinely different, Samsung now offers the Galaxy Z Fold 8 with its all-new passport-inspired design.

If you already own a Galaxy Z Fold 7, there's very little reason to upgrade. But if you're coming from an older model, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Z Fold 5, there are enough meaningful improvements to make the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra well worth considering. And if you've never owned a foldable before and simply want the best book-style foldable Samsung has to offer, it's an easy recommendation.

The biggest drawback, of course, is the price. Samsung has raised it by $100 this year, with the 256GB model now starting at $2,100 USD ($2,700 CAD).

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is available for pre-order now and launches on August 7.