Every year, around this time, the same ritual repeats itself. A new phone arrives, a new number is added after its name, and we’re told once again — this is the best yet. This time, it’s Samsung’s turn. The Galaxy Z Fold8, the Z Fold8 Ultra, and the Z Flip8 are now available worldwide, following Friday’s official launch. And right behind them, waiting quietly in the wings, is Google — the Pixel 11 series arrives next week. One story ends, another begins.
The Fold8 When Numbers Do the Talking
The Galaxy Z Fold8 has already made its point before a single review was written: 40% of all Z8 pre-orders in Europe, and in Korea, a striking 70%. But numbers like these raise a question worth asking — do people buy a phone because it’s good, or because everyone around them is buying it too? Our review takes a closer look at this new wide-form-factor Galaxy to answer exactly that.
The Fold8 Ultra A Name Carrying an Old Inheritance
The word “Ultra” is new here, but the device itself carries a lineage going back to the very first Galaxy Fold. It brings real, tangible upgrades over the Z Fold7 — a larger 5,000mAh battery among them. There’s more to say about battery life and faster charging, and if you’re stuck deciding between the Fold8 and the Fold8 Ultra, our comparison piece lays out the honest trade-offs of each.
The Flip8 A Quiet Difference Hidden Inside
On the surface, the Z Flip8 looks like it belongs to the same family. But open it up, and in the US and several other regions, you’ll find a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset instead of the Exynos chip that powered last year’s Flip7 — and that still powers Flip8 units sold in most of the world. The same name, yet not quite the same phone everywhere.
The Watches Small Numbers, Real Meaning
The Galaxy Watch9 moves on from the Exynos W1000 to a Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset. The 40mm model gets a decent battery bump — 325mAh to 390mAh — though the 44mm model has to settle for just 10mAh more. Sometimes progress arrives unevenly, even within the same product line.
The Watch Ultra2 The Real Sequel, After a Year of Waiting
Last year brought only a refresh. This year, the Watch Ultra2 is the proper successor to the 2024 original. It swaps in the same Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset, adds an IP69K rating alongside EN13319 certification for diving, and thanks to Si/C battery tech, jumps from 590mAh to a substantial 800mAh. When a company finally delivers a real upgrade, it’s worth noticing.
And If You Don’t Believe in Folding Phones?
The Galaxy S26 lineup holds its ground with steady pricing. The S26 Ultra’s 256GB model dips back under $1,000, down from $1,050 last week. The 512GB S26+ also slips under the $1,000 mark, while the standard S26 remains the most affordable of the three.
