Samsung's slimmer Galaxy Z Flip 8 brings apps and AI to the cover screen
As part of its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip 8, one of three new foldable phones along with the
As part of its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip 8, one of three new foldable phones along with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra. The new device largely retains the design of the previous model (including the cameras, unfortunately), but it's slimmer and there's now more to activity happening on the cover display. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is the smallest, and some may argue the most fun of all the Samsung foldables. It weighs just 180 grams and when folded is a very pocketable 85.7 x 75.4 x 13.1 mm (3.37 x 2.97 x 0.51 inches). Unfolded, it's the size of a regular smartphone at 166.9 x 75.4 x 6.1 mm (6.57 x 2.97 x 0.24 inches).
That's slightly lighter, smaller and slimmer than the last model. The main screen is a 6.9-inch AMOLED 2X (1,080 x 2,520) display with 120Hz adapative refresh rate and Vision Booster. The cover, or what Samsung also calls the Flex Window, is a 4.1-inch 948 x 1,048 AMOLED screen with a 60/120Hz refresh rate. Those display sizes and resolutions are the same as the Galaxy Z Flip 7. The new Flex Window is where most of the new features lie. It brings "apps, insights and actions" directly to the cover screen, along with a feature called Now Brief that offers "next steps and timely insights" to give you glanceable information. It also makes automation through Gemini Intelligence easier to access from the Flex Window, "allowing users to complete connected actions through side-key activation or natural voice requests." In our Engadget review, we weren't fond of the dated cameras in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and unfortunately, Samsung hasn't changed those.
You still get a 50MP f/1.8 main (wide) camera, 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP selfie camera. Of course, you can use the main camera for selfies with the cover display and employ features like the "Camcorder Grip" mode that lets you shoot horizontally while holding the bottom part of the phone. Video shooting at up to 4K 60 fps now features a new horizontal lock option that keeps the horizon steady, a feature found on action cameras like the GoPro Hero 13. Like the other foldable models, the Z Flip 8 comes with Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, which should offer a boost in performance and battery life. However, the battery itself is unchanged from last year's 4,300 mAh dual battery and charging speeds remain the same with 25W max wired and 15W wireless charging rates.
Despite being a minor refresh, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 costs $100 more than before with a $1,200 starting price. It's now on preorder at Samsung, Best Buy, Amazon and other retailers, with shipping starting on August 7.
The BriefWire