Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Flip 8: Main differences

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Flip 8 have arrived to counter the foldable iPhone Ultra.

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By , with contribution from
Orhan Chakarov
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Flip 8: Main differences
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is a new name to a familiar device. | Image by PhoneArena
Samsung has just announced its latest Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 8 foldables, and barring the slight name change, these two are the direct successors to both the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7.

Both devices keep the same DNA that can be traced back to the original Fold and Flip, but the designs have been perfected to the best ones yet. Slimmer frames, sturdier hinges, and the usual hardware upgrades are just part of the novelties. Of course, we get lots of AI improvements, something normal in this day and age.  

While neither device is positioned as a direct rival to the foldable iPhone Ultra, either phone will definitely be in the conversation for some better foldables in 2026. 

How does the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra compare against the Galaxy Z Flip 8?

Pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra at $1,200 off
$899 99
$2099 99
$1200 off (57%)
Trade in an eligible device and save up to $1,200 on the new foldable phone from Samsung. With its refined design and large cover screen, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is a top pick for foldable phone fans. You also get a $30 reservation gift and a $200 Samsung credit if you don't trade in a device.
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Pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold 8 at $1,200
$699 99
$1899 99
$1200 off (63%)
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is Samsung's first foldable phone with a passport design. Right now, you can pre-order it with a $1,200 maximum trade-in discount. Alternatively, you get $200 Samsung credit without a trade-in.
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Pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip 8 for up to $600 off
$599 99
$1199 99
$600 off (50%)
The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is now available at the official store. It features an improved build and offers a fantastic foldable experience. Pre-order yours and save up to $600 at Samsung with a trade-in. Alternatively, you can get the phone with a $200 Samsung credit, no trade-in required.
Pre-order at Samsung


Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Flip 8 differences:


Table of Contents:

Design and Size

Important functional changes

In 2025, Samsung released a vastly improved Galaxy Z Fold 7, which finally addressed the long-standing criticisms and adopted a thinner design with a very shallow display crease.

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Well, let's keep that momentum going, as the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra doubles down on that. The phone scores an improved, TriFold-inspired hinge that now features magnets that aid the closing and opening of the inner screen. 

Additionally, Samsung has put an ultra-thin titanium alloy inside the display that's more than 30% thinner than the width of a human hair. The reason for that is further making the crease even shallower and less pronounced. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8
Design
Dimensions
158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1 mm 166.9 x 75.4 x 6.1 mm
Weight
215.0 g 180.0 g

But it's the Galaxy Z Flip 8 that has scored further refinements. For starters, it is now just 6.1 mm thin versus the Z Flip 7's 6.5 mm thickness. The weight has also been slimmed down to 180 grams versus the 188 grams of the Galaxy Z Flip 7

In terms of materials, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Flip 8 rely on the familiar Armor Aluminum/Gorilla Glass Victus 2 sandwich, just as before. Expect mostly a flat aesthetic, as is the trend right now. 

In terms of colors, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra will be available in Violet Shadow, Cream, Graphite, and Violet Green (exclusively online). At the same time, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 will be available in Pink, Cream, and Graphite colors, while online shoppers will be able to get it in Mint color.

Display Differences


Neither the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra nor the Galaxy Z Flip 8 has scored any significant display changes, but mostly logical upgrades. This means the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra continues to rely on a 6.5-inch external and an 8.0-inch internal screen, just like its predecessor. Conversely, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 also retains its 6.9-inch inner and 4.1-inch external cover screens. 

One major improvement to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the new Flex Titanium technology inside, which pairs an extremely thin titanium alloy film inside the display and a new titanium plate immediately beneath the display. The end goal? To further improve the shallowness of the display crease, which is now even flatter than the already pretty much perfect one on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. That's great to see!

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8
Display
Size
8.0-inch 6.9-inch
Type
Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz

Additionally, the phone also scores an anti-reflective coating as well as Vision Booster, plus a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. 

No such new features will come to the Galaxy Z Flip 8, but the clamshell gets a redesigned FlexWindow cover screen, which now will show your notifications, quick settings, apps and recent apps in a more optimized way. The goal is to use the phone this way more conveniently, without the need to always unfold it. 


Both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Flip retain the capacitive fingerprint scanners positioned in their power buttons. 

Performance and Software

Snapdragon power

Samsung relies on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the most powerful variant of the chipset that features a slightly higher clock speed for the prime core. This ensures slightly more explosive performance when necessary, but not much against other devices with the Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite 5 chip on board.

We will likely get 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM in both phones, paired with 256 or 512GB of UFS 4,0 storage. A bit decadent during this global shortage of RAM and NAND chips, don't you think?

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8
Hardware
System chip
Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite 5 for Galaxy SM8850-1-AD (3 nm) Samsung Exynos 2600 S5E9965 (2 nm)
Memory
12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0)
12GB/512GB
16GB/1TB
12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0)
12GB/512GB
OS
Android (17), up to 7 OS updates Android (17), up to 7 OS updates

Software-wise, both phones will launch with One UI 9.0, which is based on the recently released Android 17. One of the very useful new features of Android 17 is app bubbles, which will surely improve the multitasking capabilities of the foldable phone

Among the new Galaxy AI software features that Samsung will bring to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 are a more proactive Now Nudge feature, which will now intelligently suggest maps, calendar invites, and auto-split your current apps when relevant. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 will get improved Now Brief, a more proactive AI assistant with up to 112 cards across 56 different scenarios. 

Both phones will be supported for seven years. 

Camera

A new ultrawide for the Ultra

Hardware-wise, the Ultra scores a new 50 MP ultrawide camera, up from the 12 MP one used previously. The main camera remains a 200 MP one, and the telephoto is the familiar 10 MP one. 

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 retains the 50 MP main camera and only gets Super Steady video recording with Horizontal Lock, like the Galaxy S26 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8
Camera
Main camera
200 MP (OIS, PDAF)
Aperture size: F1.7
Focal length: 24 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.3"
Pixel size: 0.6 μm
50 MP (OIS, PDAF)
Aperture size: F1.8
Focal length: 23 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.57"
Pixel size: 1.0 μm
Second camera
50 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F1.9
Focal Length: 13 mm
Pixel size: 0.7 μm
12 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F2.2
Focal Length: 13 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.2"
Pixel size: 1.12 μm
Third camera
10 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF)
Optical zoom: 3.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 67 mm
Pixel size: 1.0 μm
Front
10 MP (HDR) 10 MP

Samsung is bringing a host of mostly software improvements to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, like an enhanced ProVisual engine that delivers a more advanced low-light video processing. There's also more flexible 8K video recording and editing, support for Samsung's efficient APV codec, as well as four new cinematic LUTs for on-device color grading of your log video.


Battery Life and Charging

Some welcome upgrades

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra comes with a 5,000 mAh battery, a very welcome upgrade over the 4,400 mAh one inside the Z Fold 7, with an official battery life of 27 hours of general use. Samsung has finally caved in and used silicon-carbon technology, which could be a sign of great things to come for the company's battery capacities in the coming years. 

Samsung promises up to 27 hours of mixed battery usage, which likely means this phone will still require daily charges. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8
Battery
Type
5000 mAh 4300 mAh
Charge speed
Wired: 45.0W
Wireless: 20.0W
Wired: 25.0W
Wireless: 15.0W

The phone has also scored much faster 45 W wired charging that will fill 67% in just 30 minutes. There's 20 W wireless charging as well. 

Specs Comparison



Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8
Design
Dimensions
158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1 mm 166.9 x 75.4 x 6.1 mm
Weight
215.0 g 180.0 g
Display
Size
8.0-inch 6.9-inch
Type
Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz
Hardware
System chip
Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite 5 for Galaxy SM8850-1-AD (3 nm) Samsung Exynos 2600 S5E9965 (2 nm)
Memory
12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0)
12GB/512GB
16GB/1TB
12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0)
12GB/512GB
Battery
Type
5000 mAh 4300 mAh
Charge speed
Wired: 45.0W
Wireless: 20.0W
Wired: 25.0W
Wireless: 15.0W
Camera
Main camera
200 MP (OIS, PDAF)
Aperture size: F1.7
Focal length: 24 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.3"
Pixel size: 0.6 μm
50 MP (OIS, PDAF)
Aperture size: F1.8
Focal length: 23 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.57"
Pixel size: 1.0 μm
Second camera
50 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F1.9
Focal Length: 13 mm
Pixel size: 0.7 μm
12 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F2.2
Focal Length: 13 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.2"
Pixel size: 1.12 μm
Third camera
10 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF)
Optical zoom: 3.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 67 mm
Pixel size: 1.0 μm
Front
10 MP (HDR) 10 MP


Summary


Both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Flip 8 have a pretty hard task ahead of them, and it's the foldable iPhone that's coming our way. 

However, given that Samsung is in pretty good shape in the foldable market, and even if they don't score many changes, both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Flip 8 will have a strong starting market position from the get-go. That's because Samsung's foldable phone lineup is already more mature and well-established.

All the newly announced upgrades are pretty intriguing and relevant to the lineup, especially the boost to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra battery. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 also arrives with some aggressive upgrades in the design and usability aspects. 
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