Samsung just announced its 2026 flagship foldable lineup at Galaxy Unpacked in London, unveiling a trio of new phones. This includes the more iterative releases, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8.
That won’t be all, as rumors suggest a third foldable is also being introduced, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks to be the first time that we’ve seen Samsung truly diverge from the recipe it concocted with the original Galaxy Fold.
Instead of going for the thin and svelte design, which will still be available with the “regular” Z Fold 8, Samsung is opting to take a page out of Google and Oppo’s old playbook.
Google was right all along, apparently
Apple is following Google; Samsung doesn’t want to miss out
It’s been just over three years since the original Google Pixel Fold was unveiled, where it was almost immediately lambasted for its dated design.
Don’t get me wrong, the Pixel Fold definitely had its problems, such as not really being able to be opened 180 degrees, and bezels so large that it doubled as a Boeing 747 runway.
The “passport” style of the Pixel Fold felt outdated, especially when Samsung introduced its Flex Hinge with the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Google hasn’t fully ditched the passport design, but it’s focused more on refinement, stretching the phone vertically and shrinking it horizontally across iterations.
Samsung has stuck to its guns, with foldables that are tall and thin.
This is the same approach I expected Apple to take with its first foldable, opting for sleek and svelte as opposed to short and wide.
Rumors suggest that Apple and Samsung are going to follow in Google’s proverbial footsteps, which is something that I never really expected to say.
Considering that Samsung has had ample opportunity to release a phone with such a design previously, I can only posit that Apple forced its hand.
But that doesn’t really change how odd a decision it is, seeing as Samsung is now on its eighth-generation foldable.
So while Apple and Samsung duke it out this Fall, perhaps this is an opening for Google’s next foldable phone to be taken more seriously. All the while, Google can also sit back and say, “I told you so.”
There’s a reason the ‘passport’ works
Actual multitasking is best suited for two apps, not four or five
As an early adopter of foldable phones (I started with the Galaxy Z Fold 2), I was perplexed about Google’s short and wide phone.
It’s not at all what I pictured the original Pixel Fold to be, but more importantly, I was worried about app compatibility.
Except for Samsung’s Good Lock app, which would essentially “force” apps to work with the odd aspect ratios, developer adoption of foldable phones used to be rather lackluster.
It wasn’t until Google began introducing new APIs and tools that more apps were updated to support foldable phones.
And even then, it was a struggle, despite Samsung practically being the only option in North America, and a leader in other regions.
Then, Google comes in with a foldable phone that is completely different, opting to stand out instead of conforming.
It wasn’t really until the Pixel 9 Pro Fold that I understood what Google had been trying to do from the start.
See, part of the wonder of a foldable phone is being able to multitask and have at least two apps open at the same time.
The problem is that, at least with Samsung foldables at the time, you could have up to four app windows open and sized differently.
That sounds like a benefit, not a detractor, so why is that a problem?
When you use two apps at the same time on a foldable phone, it’s really not a comfortable experience.
Resizing windows can be tedious, with that annoyance further compounded by the lack of a stylus for more precise adjustments. Plus, how often do you really use more than two apps at one time?
To sum up, Google chose the screen size it did because it lets you open two full-size apps side by side.
Now, there is. Was this ever in the game plan when the original Pixel Fold was unveiled? Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer.
However, I imagine this is the idea that led Apple to adopt the passport-style design, only for Samsung to follow suit for the sake of traditional competition.
Apple already doesn’t have the greatest track record when it comes to multitasking, as the company has struggled to solve the problem with iPadOS.
So instead of potentially running into similar issues with its first foldable, it would make sense to keep things simple and at least allow you to use two apps side by side simultaneously.
The industry leader isn’t always the first one out of the gates
Samsung hit the market before Apple and Google, but there’s usually some drawback
It still feels odd to see Apple and Samsung follow Google’s footsteps when it comes to mobile device design.
These two companies are consistently considered “the best” in industrial and modern design, while it clearly takes Google a couple of iterations to smooth out the kinks.
What’s also interesting is seeing Samsung take a stab at another type of design, especially a year after it drastically altered its flagship foldable with the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Last year’s release marked the first Galaxy Z Fold to be released without S Pen support since the functionality was added with the Z Fold 2.
There are rumblings that Samsung could bring back S Pen support with the Fold 8 “Ultra,” which I would greatly appreciate.
It would also provide Samsung with a way to separate itself from Apple and Google, with neither company’s foldable expected to include any official stylus support.
Sure, you’ll probably be able to use a cheap non-capacitive stylus from Amazon, but it’s nothing like what we used to have with the S Pen integration.
It’s weird, but I’m all for new foldable phones
I don’t care one way or another if Samsung and Apple “steal” Google’s design for a foldable phone (or any phone for that matter).
What I do care about is seeing the space continue to grow and evolve, by any means necessary.
And it sure feels like things are on the right trajectory with new foldable phones on the horizon from the three major players in North America.
