The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Just Got a New Shape, Here's the Story Behind It
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 at Unpacked on 22 July 2026, and the first thing anyone noticed wasn't a spec, it was the shape. After seven generations of a tall, narrow book-style fold, the Fold 8 opens into something shorter and wider. A few reviewers have taken to calling it the "passport fold," since fully opened it reads closer to a passport booklet than the slim paperback shape Samsung has used since the original Fold. It's not an official name, but it's a fair description of what changed.
What's new about the Z Fold 8?
The headline change is the aspect ratio. Where the Fold 7 unfolded into a tall, narrow rectangle, the Fold 8 opens to a wider 4:3 screen: shorter top to bottom, and noticeably wider side to side. Samsung also reworked the hinge and crease, and paired it with a new anti-reflective coating that cuts glare by roughly half compared to the previous generation. It's a smaller change on paper than it feels in the hand: the previous shape made sense for a phone that unfolds into a phone-shaped screen, and the new one makes more sense for a phone that unfolds into something you actually want to read, write, or watch something on.
Why did Samsung make it wider instead of taller?
Book-style folds have always had an awkward middle step — closed, they're a slightly thick phone; open, they're a tall, narrow tablet that doesn't quite match how most content is laid out. Widening the aspect ratio closes that gap. Documents, split-screen apps, and video all sit more naturally on a wider canvas than a taller one, and a wider-but-shorter shape is arguably easier to hold open with one hand than the old design. It's less a redesign for its own sake and more Samsung acknowledging that "tablet when open" was the actual selling point all along — so the shape may as well commit to it.
What's still under the hood?
Aside from the shape, the Fold 8 is a meaningful spec bump: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and storage up to 1TB. The cover screen sits at 5.5 inches, with a 7.6-inch 120Hz inner display once unfolded. The camera setup pairs a 50MP main sensor with a 50MP ultrawide, and the 4,800mAh battery supports 45W wired charging. Samsung also introduced a Fold8 Wide and a Fold8 Ultra alongside the standard model, giving buyers more of a lineup to choose from than the single-model Fold 7 generation.
When can you get one in South Africa?
The Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Fold8 Ultra are available to pre-order now through MyMobile an Authorized Samsung Distributor, with the standard Fold8 (bundled with a battery pack and 45W charger) at R40,999, and the Fold8 Ultra at R50,999. View the Z Fold8 range