What you need to know
- Caviar unveiled a luxury Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra edition before Samsung has even announced the phone.
- The special edition honors Lionel Messi with hand-painted cloisonné enamel artwork and 24-karat gold accents.
- Only 19 units will be made, with prices starting at a staggering $13,130 for the 256GB model.
Samsung’s next foldables aren’t expected to be announced until its Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, but luxury customization brand Caviar has beat it to the punch with a wildly expensive special edition based on the unreleased Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
The customized Fold 8 Ultra is part of Caviar’s new Legends collection, swapping out the standard rear panel for a hand-painted portrait of football icon Lionel Messi in the colors of Argentina’s national team. The artwork is created using the centuries-old cloisonné enamel technique, and the outlines, jersey number 10, national symbols, and frame accents are finished with 24-karat gold plating. Caviar says the jewelry craftsmanship and the premium materials are meant to help make the foldable a collectible, not just another smartphone.
It sounds exclusive by design, and the production numbers reflect that. Only 19 units of the Caviar will be made worldwide, and pricing begins at $13,130 for the 256GB variant before any optional customization. Buyers can also request additional services such as custom engravings, logos, design modifications, or custom packaging.
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The collection launches ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup final and the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra phone, an appropriate time considering that the 2026 tournament is expected to be the last World Cup appearance for both stars.
None of this, of course, gives us any new information about Samsung’s upcoming foldable phone. The base phone is still expected to be the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra that Samsung will unveil on July 22. What Caviar has done is give us a peek at how luxury brands are already betting on Samsung’s next flagship, if you’re willing to pay more than the price of a decent used car to own one.
Android Central’s Take
I can personally appreciate the craftsmanship here, and there’s no denying that turning a foldable into a piece of collectible art is going to have a tiny niche of deep-pocketed football fans eating this up. But for the rest of us, this is more evidence that luxury phone customizations are less about improving the actual user experience and more about showing off. I’d rather see Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra wow me with meaningful hardware upgrades instead of a layer of gold and enamel that sends the price soaring into the five-figure range. At the very least, this special edition proves there’s always someone willing to pay for exclusivity.
