Marking Eight Generations of Foldable Innovation: The Incredible Evolution of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Series
• Over the years, Galaxy Z Fold has supported large-screen productivity and immersive viewing, while Galaxy Z Flip has introduced new ways to create, express and interact through a compact foldable form factor.
• Today, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 offer three distinct foldable experiences designed to meet different lifestyle needs.
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Do you remember the first time you ever saw a foldable mobile phone?
Modern foldables of today have evolved far beyond just a screen that folds. Samsung’s line-up now combines intelligent features with large displays for productivity, entertainment, and communication.
Since the introduction of the first Galaxy Fold in 2019, Samsung has been leveraging a deep understanding of consumer needs and strengthening expertise in this category. Valuable insights and experiences gained from seven generations of foldable innovation has resulted in the most complete line-up yet – the all-new Galaxy Z8 series.
This exciting line-up is resonating with consumers globally, including those in Southeast Asia and Oceania. In this region, sales of the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra have grown 40% compared to the Galaxy Z Fold7. The new series is also compelling more people in the region to embrace Samsung foldables, with switchers to the Galaxy Z Fold8 series from other brands increasing by more than 60% compared to those who made a switch to the previous Z Fold generation.
From the latest innovations unveiled in 2026, let’s trace Samsung’s evolution of foldable technology through the years – from its newest breakthroughs, all the way back to the debut of its very first foldable phone. Here’s how the journey unfolded.
2026: Three distinct foldables built for immersion, productivity and self-expression
The latest foldable line-up presents a broad portfolio designed to meet distinct user needs. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 bring together advancements across form factor, display engineering, camera features, and Galaxy AI, empowering users with more choice than ever to pick a foldable that best suits their needs.
2024 to 2025: Bigger possibilities for everyone with mobile AI
In 2024, the Galaxy Z series was first equipped with Galaxy AI, offering users AI-powered experiences tailored to each form factor.
| Galaxy Z Fold8
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· A new form factor offers display ratios optimized for content consumption: A 10:16[1] cover screen for quick everyday interactions and a 4:3 main display for games, films, and also reading.
· At 201g, it is Samsung’s lightest Galaxy Z Fold[2], and is powered by the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy[3] and 4,800mAh battery[4].
· Flex Titanium is introduced across the Galaxy Z series – a display structure combining a titanium alloy film with an enhanced titanium plate to make the foldable thinner, strengthen display support, and reduce crease visibility over time. |
| Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra
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· First Ultra foldable brings Galaxy’s Ultra standard for performance, capability and innovation to an expansive 8-inch main display[5] designed for multitasking and content creation.
· Ultra-level camera system: 200MP Main Camera with HDR capability in 200MP mode, new 50MP ultra-wide Camera, improved Nightography, and 8K video recording with the new APV codec and Cine LUT. |
| Galaxy Z Flip8
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· Reimagined FlexWindow brings apps, insights and actions to the cover screen – Now Brief on the FlexWindow surfaces timely insights and next steps.
· Flip camera experience is enhanced with a 50MP camera and ProVisual Engine, alongside Flex Mode, Camcorder Grip with Zoom Rocker, Super Steady with Horizontal Lock, FlipShot and Mirror view.
· Weighing 180g and measuring 6.1mm thick, it is Samsung’s slimmest and lightest Flip[6]. |
| 2025: A Thinner Fold and an Edge-to-Edge FlexWindow
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· The Galaxy Z Fold7 introduced the first flagship-level 200MP wide-angle camera in the Galaxy Z series, pairing upgraded imaging capabilities with a large screen for editing and content creation.
· At just 8.9mm thick when folded and weighing only 215 grams, the Galaxy Z Fold7 was lighter than even the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
· The Galaxy Z Flip7 featured a new 4.1-inch edge-to-edge FlexWindow[1], enabling users to access AI-powered experiences and features like Now Brief without opening the device. |
| 2024: Galaxy AI Comes to Foldables
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· The arrival of Galaxy AI was a pivotal moment, with AI experiences adapted to the distinct foldable form factors.
· On Galaxy Z Fold6, large-screen multitasking was supported by AI-powered features like Note Assist, Composer and Sketch to Image.
· Galaxy AI unlocked new possibilities for content creation with the Galaxy Z Flip6. With Auto Zoom, FlexCam could automatically detect the subject and adjust framing, making it easier to capture hands-free photos and videos. |
2021-2023: Bringing foldables into everyone’s everyday life
As the category developed, Samsung continued to refine foldables to improve durability and increase versatility, enabling the form factor to better fit into everyday life.
| 2023: Flex Hinge and Flex Window Refine the Foldable Form
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· Galaxy Z Fold5 introduced the new Flex Hinge, designed to diffuse external impact and support a more balanced foldable design.
· The Galaxy Z Flip5 was equipped with a 3.4-inch FlexWindow, expanding access to Widgets, messages, and camera functions directly from the cover screen.
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| 2022: Foldable Experiences Support Hands-Free Content and PC-Like Multitasking
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· Galaxy Z Fold4 was the first foldable to ship with Android 12L, a version of Android created specifically for large-screen experiences.
· A new Taskbar supported a PC-like layout, and new swipe gestures made it easier to move between apps and multitask on the Main Screen.
· Galaxy Z Flip4 expanded creative possibilities with FlexCam, enabling hands-free photos and videos from multiple angles, while enhanced Quick Shot right from the cover screen made selfies more convenient. |
| 2021: Enhanced durability with IPX8 Water Resistance
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· As foldables became a bigger part of everyday life, improving durability was a top priority.
· Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3 brought IPX8[1] water resistance to the foldable line-up, marking an important advancement for the category.
· Both devices were also built with Armor Aluminum, which was the strongest aluminum ever used on a Galaxy phone. |
2019-2020: Can you fold a mobile phone?
Long before foldables became familiar in everyday mobile experiences, Samsung took the bold step of reimagining what the category could look like. And after launching a foldable for the first time in 2019, Samsung continued to show that foldables were not just phones with flexible screens, but devices that could support entirely new ways to enjoy mobile experiences. With relentless innovation over the years, Samsung has driven the technology from concept to mainstream adoption.
| 2020: Hideaway Hinge and Flex Mode Unlock New Foldable Experiences
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· Galaxy Z Fold2 came with an expanded 6.2-inch Infinity-O Display and introduced Flex Mode, enabling the phone to be used with a variety of angles depending on user needs – wide open, standing upright in a folded position, and more.
· At the same time, Samsung launched the first Galaxy Z Flip, featuring the industry’s first foldable glass display built using Samsung’s Ultra-Thin Glass technology.
· These innovations showed that foldables were not simply smartphones with flexible screens; they could create entirely new ways of interacting with mobile devices. |
| 2019: Galaxy Fold Opens a New Chapter in Smartphone Innovation
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· The first step in the journey began in 2019 with the Galaxy Fold bringing foldable technology to mainstream consumers for the first time.
· Its 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display could transform a compact phone into a larger screen designed for viewing, productivity and multitasking.
· Features such as App Continuity and Multi-Active Window demonstrated how software and hardware could work together across a completely new form factor.
· At the time, it was a bold vision of what the future of mobile technology could look like. |
More still to come for the Galaxy Z series
What began as a bold idea in 2019 has evolved into a comprehensive Galaxy Z portfolio shaped by relentless innovation and improvements. The journey is far from over. Across the Galaxy Z series, Samsung will continue to make the foldable experience even more intuitive, capable, and seamless for everyone.
| Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the difference between Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8? The three devices are designed around different foldable experiences. Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra brings Ultra-level productivity and content creation to an expansive foldable display, Galaxy Z Fold8 focuses on immersive content discovery and consumption through its new form factor, while Galaxy Z Flip8 centres on self-expression and quick interactions through its AI-native FlexWindow.
Q. Is Galaxy Z Fold8 one of the lightest foldable phones available? The Galaxy Z Fold8 is the world’s lightest book-style foldable phone, combining the portability with an expansive screen when you want more. Weighing just 201g, the device is easy to carry throughout your day and its slim profile fits comfortably in your hand. You can slip it into your pocket smoothly or unfold whenever you want more room to watch, read, work, or play on the spacious main screen.
Q. How do I transfer my data over from another phone to Galaxy? Bringing your data over is easier than ever with the upgraded Smart Switch experience on Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8. There is no need for an extra app and data can be transferred wirelessly to make the move over to Galaxy even simpler. Migrate data including passwords and passkeys, call history, accessibility settings, eSIM data and more. |
TAGSFoldable InnovationGalaxy AIGalaxy Z Flip seriesGalaxy Z Flip8Galaxy Z Fold seriesGalaxy Z Fold8Galaxy Z Fold8 UltraGalaxy Z seriesMobile ProductivitySamsung Foldables
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