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While rumors suggest the Galaxy Z Flip 8 could be Samsung’s last flip-style foldable make me a little sad, I’m actually more concerned about what Samsung seems to be doing with its book-style foldable lineup.
According to recent leaks, Samsung is set to rename (in the most needlessly confusing way) the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, while introducing a new standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 that’s designed to compete directly with Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone.
On paper, that might sound like a smart strategy. But the more I look at it, the more I think Samsung is making a pretty big mistake with this new direction. Here’s why.
Ryan Haines / Android AuthorityThis isn’t the first time Samsung has tried to preempt a phone’s launch. We saw the company make the same mistake last year with the Galaxy S25 Edge.
I honestly do applaud Samsung for being ambitious and pushing into the market early. I like that it’s willing to experiment rather than wait around for everyone else. But the same feeling I had last year, when Samsung first moved into the thin smartphone space, has crept back up on me.
If you don’t remember, Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge in May 2025. This was part of its plan to preempt the iPhone Air, Apple’s slim smartphone, by offering an Android alternative before it even arrived.
But the result? The Galaxy S25 Edge massively failed.
Ryan Haines / Android AuthorityThere weren’t many issues with the Galaxy S25 Edge in isolation. In fact, plenty of users and peers I still meet at events continue to say it was probably the most interesting and useful smartphone from the entire S25 series last year. But launching a device just for the sake of it, and doing exactly what a rival brand is doing, is what ultimately led it to fail.
The Galaxy S25 Edge completely flew under the radar when it came to sales. Samsung struggled to move units, and a report even suggested the company was seeing a nosedive in Galaxy S25 Edge sales. Even after repeated deals and discounts, it remained a tough sell.
The outcome was exactly what many expected. The Galaxy S26 Edge, which was at one point rumored to replace the Galaxy S26 Plus in the lineup, was canceled, and Samsung brought back the Galaxy S26 Plus instead.
I think Samsung is heading down the same path with the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Once again, the company is trying to preempt a launch, this time aiming directly at Apple’s foldable iPhone. And blindly following Cupertino’s approach doesn’t leave me feeling very hopeful about the new form factor Samsung is chasing, especially based on what I’ve seen so far.
Android HeadlinesJust like any other Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra have leaked ahead of their launch. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks really similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 from last year. After all, Samsung only did a redesign after nearly four years, so Samsung wasn’t expected to make any major overhaul this time around, apart from the possibility of a creaseless display.
But the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is new territory for Samsung. The leaked renders suggest the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will use a less-tall, wider form factor. When unfolded, it should open up into a true mini tablet-like experience.
Unlike current foldables, which turn into a squarish display when opened, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will unfold into something closer to a true tablet display (almost 16:9). That should help with things like fewer black bars when watching videos and more immersive gaming.
However, the leaked renders don’t have me feeling all that hopeful, simply because Samsung isn’t letting go of its design language for this phone. The company is plainly carrying the design from last year over to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which means it’s also expected to have flat edges and sharper corners.
Ryan Haines / Android AuthorityI’m not saying this design will ruin the phone, but those sharp edges look like they’ll dig into your palms whenever you’re using the device unfolded. In my opinion, Samsung should go with Google’s Pixel Fold or even Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone approach and opt for curved edges.
A wider foldable is supposed to feel more like a tablet, and tablets are meant to be comfortable to hold for long periods. Flat, sharp edges don’t really help with that.
I’m not writing the phone off just yet, but the more I look at it and read about it, the more it feels like Samsung is launching it in a rush rather than because it was fully ready to go.
Prakhar Khanna / Android AuthorityIt would be easy to criticize Samsung for seemingly rushing a wider foldable just to get ahead of Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone. But to be fair, the company also appears to be addressing several long-standing complaints at the same time.
The rumored battery upgrades across the Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup are genuinely encouraging, and there are also reports suggesting Samsung is finally improving the cameras. Add that to last year’s redesign and the rumored reduction in the display crease, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is shaping up to be one of the most compelling foldables Samsung has made.
I’m also not completely dismissing the Galaxy Z Fold 8. I actually like the idea of a wider foldable. It’s just hard to ignore the timing.
Samsung has spent nearly a decade building foldables, yet it has suddenly decided to introduce a form factor that looks remarkably similar to Apple’s rumored foldable just months before Apple is expected to unveil its own.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence. But from the outside, it certainly doesn’t feel like one.
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