Folding space: How Samsung’s new foldables redefine screen time
Through eight years of continuous innovation, Samsung’s latest lineup proves that choosing a foldable no longer requires compromising on durability, flagship performance, or camera quality. Samsung now has three foldable phones in their latest 2026 lineup, or as Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia & Oceania, President and CEO CU Kim put it, a total of six phones for 2026 as the previous 7th generation are still part of the… fold.
Now, as a Fold user from two iterations back, I’d like to share some insight on how the new devices differ in terms of use cases.
We have three new flagships in three different form factors, but all sharing mostly similar internals—including the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. This is a signal from Samsung that at this level, it’s all about the way we use them in our daily lives.
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The new generation revealed at Galaxy Unpacked includes the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Flip8, along with the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9.
Folding space: Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra & Galaxy Z Fold8
Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: Bringing “Ultra” Power to Foldables
Not to be mistaken with the S-series Ultra sporting a candybar form factor, the Fold8 Ultra is the new name for last year’s Fold7 form factor. Closed, it resembles a Samsung S-series flagship with a slightly shorter width. To be honest, the Fold7 form factor was the best of both worlds for people like me who would use the phone folded while on the go for basic tasks like messaging and social media, where my thumb can pass across the entire screen.
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Unfolded, I call this “deploy mode” where I am at a coffee shop or at home in my safe space browsing the web, watching YouTube or Netflix, or checking an Excel file, a PowerPoint presentation, or a PDF—activities that require 100% attention. The display features Flex Titanium technology, up to 3,000 nits peak brightness, and an anti-reflective coating.
In a roundtable discussion with Sunghoon Moon, EVP and Senior Executive, Mobile R&D Office on the durability of the Fold8 Ultra, he said that Samsung had placed a layer of titanium plate and a thin layer of a titanium alloy film for enhanced durability and to remove the crease (which also helps prevent green line issues). The Ultra’s second titanium alloy is so thin, it’s even thinner than a strand of human hair. He showed us a cross section of the screen components with a total of five layers – two titanium layers – one an alloy to remove the crease and increase durability. It’s the same titanium used to strengthen the hull of the Mars Rover. As a whole, this technology has been referred to as Flex Titanium and is exclusively available on the Fold8 Ultra for maximum durability.
The Fold8 Ultra comes with three cameras: a 200MP main camera with HDR, a new 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x zoom. For those looking for better telephoto, it seems that this feature is relegated to their other flagship line, the Galaxy S26 Ultra. But if you’re more after improved night photography, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra does take some lessons from the latest S-series, so there’s that. It also brings ProVisual Engine support, Nightography, and Cine LUT / APV codec support.
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On the software side, Galaxy AI integration brings contextual productivity features right into your workflow. The Fold8 Ultra has the largest inner screen and because of Samsung’s close partnerships with Google, Gemini Notebooks, the product formerly known as NotebookLM, looks great on the screen. Because I can multitask easily, I am able to add several sources (Youtube videos, PDF’s, website links) to my Notebook when I do research. It’s like having a mini-laptop that’s truly portable since I move around a lot but want a screen real estate that’s larger than the average phone.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra comes with a 5,000mAh battery, which is a bump from the previous generation. With AI pushing some battery-saving magic, we should be getting similar or even slightly better battery life to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is roughly a 24-hour day, give or take a few hours.
Colorways: Violet Shadow, Cream, Graphite, and an online exclusive Green Shadow (which looks super elegant).
Pricing: ₱165,990 (1TB) | ₱137,990 (512GB) | ₱123,990 (256GB)
Galaxy Z Fold8: The Content-Native Workhorse
The newest member of the foldable family is the passport-sized Fold8. This device sits right in between the Flip and the Fold8 Ultra in terms of form factor. The Fold8 is the device that has gotten the most buzz on the Internet because finally, we have a mainstream passport-sized smartphone that unfolds into what I would describe as a cinematic experience.
No joke. If you’ve been reading the buzz about how Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey is absolutely gorgeous on IMAX, well, the best way to explain the Fold8’s aspect ratio is that it gets the 4:3 (or 3:4) viewing experience just right. For most of the population, this is the most traditional way of viewing content (most cameras default to 4:3 for photography). The inner screen of the Fold8 unfolds to a 4:3 aspect ratio while the outer screen keeps a 10:16 aspect ratio for wider content.
I’ve been using both configurations depending on the situation: games and reading articles are best in “book mode” with the inner screen. When browsing social media, the Galaxy Z Fold8 shows an icon on the upper right side of the screen allowing you to flip it vertically to make scrolling down content easier. This mode makes more sense for your Facebook newsfeed, TikTok, or Reels. The UI allows you to switch between full screen horizontal, full screen vertical, or a more nuanced Window mode that shows vertical content on a horizontal inner screen.
On day seven of my Galaxy Z Fold8 use, I discovered that you can display up to three windows to multitask on. It isn’t advertised by Samsung, but after displaying two windows by tapping the notification drawer on top, you can display a third screen by dragging apps from the bottom app drawer to display three vertical columns or one vertical and two horizontal windows.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 comes with a dual-camera setup with two 50MP wide and ultra-wide lenses with 2x optical zoom. The camera system is great for wide landscape shots, “groufies” with the outer screen as the viewfinder. The 10x digital zoom can get you some decent photos, but I recommend using the 2x optical zoom for tourist shots for less aberration. Nonetheless, as a whole, the camera system is quite versatile. I’m still a huge fan of Samsung’s low-brightness contrasts as you can clearly see from some of these photos of Westminster Abbey. I’ve compiled a series of group shots using the front camera, and various shots using the wide and 2x and 10x zoom.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 comes with a 4,800mAh battery with 45W fast charging and 20W wireless charging. After using it for several days, I can confidently say that the battery life has been adequate because it’s powering a smaller screen compared to the Ultra. AI isn’t just used for generative functions, but also for saving battery life with automating certain processes.
Colorways: Lavender, Cream, Graphite, and an online exclusive Pistachio.
Pricing: ₱151,990 (1TB) | ₱123,990 (512GB) | ₱109,990 (256GB)
Expressive & Effortless: Galaxy Z Flip8
The refreshed Z Flip8 continues to be Samsung’s portable selfie companion, albeit with a refresh of internals. Weighing in at only 180 grams and measuring an ultra-thin 6.1mm, this is the lightest Flip so far, built with Advanced Armor Aluminum and a reinforced hinge.
Among the three devices, the Flip8 has the strongest selfie camera setup featuring a 50MP flagship sensor coupled with Super Steady Horizontal Lock for stable FlexCam footage.
Enhancements have been made to the FlexWindow (cover screen), allowing you to access AI features like Gemini automation right from the cover screen without unfolding the device. The redesigned home layout makes notifications, the app tray, and quick settings easily accessible, supported by an upgraded Now Brief for glanceable insights and custom widget dashboards.
Colorways: Pink, Cream, Graphite, and an online exclusive Mint.Pricing: ₱91,990 (512GB) | ₱77,990 (256GB)
Next-gen, next-level Galaxy Wearables
Galaxy Watch Ultra2: A dive computer and more
This is a watch best experienced 40 meters underwater. More than just a fitness tracker and life companion, it’s also a high profile dive computer. The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is a first of its kind in the Samsung ecosystem that is meant for recreational scuba diving rated for 40 meters or roughly 120 feet, the recommended limit for advanced open water certifications. Samsung has partnered with leading underwater equipment manufacturer Mares for the dive computer components and software. It comes with real time Nitrogen tracking, so you can see how far you are from decompression without guessing, automatic surface interval time, and decompression safety stop time. Like most dive computers with a maximum operating depth of 40 meters, it comes with 10ATM water resistance or roughly 100 meters of pressure.
Above ground, the Ultra2 is perfect for trail running with an IP69K rating for dust particles apart from it being water resistant thanks to its titanium finish. The exclusive trail run mode comes with detailed elevation data, climbing progress, and cumulative ascent / descent progress.
The Watch Ultra2 is the first wearable powered by the Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset. It comes with an 800mAh battery and has a display capable of 5000 nits.
Galaxy Watch9: Proactive Daily Health & Wellness
As a Watch8 user, I’m rooting for the new Watch9 as Samsung has redesigned this wearable with a sleeker and lighter profile in both 40mm and 44mm faces. I truly believe that Samsung is the best-in-class for health monitoring when it comes to syncing with Google Fit as the global company has been truly touted as Google’s flagship Android OS carrier. The Watch9 recreates the five pillars of fitness: mindfulness, activity, sleep, nutrition, and vitals into one holistic package so it’s easy to monitor. In case you forget your watch, you can still track your steps with your Samsung Z-series phone and Samsung Health will consolidate and fill in the gaps.
The Galaxy Watch9 comes in a sleek aluminum design with a 3,000 nits display. Paired with your Galaxy smartphone, it supports Raise to Talk wrist controls.
Conclusion & Pre-Order Offers
With similar batteries ranging from 4,800 to 5,000 mAh across the board, the name of the game is form factor. Samsung is making a huge bet on the passport-sized design for content consumption, and I can see why. It brings both the selfie and wide-screen consumption worlds together in a hugely pocketable all-in-one. It also cements a choice that the new Z Fold family is a productivity and entertainment-focused line while the S-series is your concert camera because of the better telephoto.
If you are a first-time foldable convert, the Galaxy Z Flip8 is attractive at less than ₱100,000. I predict however that the darling device that will sell loads is the passport-sized Fold8, if even just for the 256GB model. I’ve been using the Fold8 for more than a week and it’s become a head-turner and conversation starter in coffee shops and restaurants because Samsung has absolutely nailed this sweet spot for a portable foldable.
Pre-Order Incentives (July 23 – August 13)
Samsung Philippines is once again offering pre-order promos:
· Double the Storage: Save up to ₱7,000.
· Trade-In Savings: Save up to ₱14,000 with phone trade-in promos.
· Protection & AI Trial: Free 3-month Samsung Care+ subscription and a 6-month trial of Google AI Pro.
· Flexible Payments: 0% interest installment promos for up to 36 months with major banks including BDO, BPI, EastWest, UnionBank, Metrobank, PNB, Security Bank, HSBC, RCBC, and Chinabank.
Now, last but definitely not least: because Samsung offers 7 years of free software and security updates, you may also want to consider previous-generation foldables from the past two years if you can still find good deals. The Samsung ecosystem is so robust that there’s no shame in trying to find a good deal on foldables that were released in the past 24 months.