Samsung’s next flip phone is almost certain to launch later this month. But if these renders are accurate, the company hasn’t been listening to me.
Just hours after Samsung confirmed 22 July as the date for its next Galaxy Unpacked event, the supposedly official renders began flooding in.
Among them was the Galaxy Z Flip 8, a device which I’d be shocked not to see unveiled at the event in London.
Android Headlines has posted dozens of what it says are official images of the device. Given the site’s strong track record for Samsung, I have no reason to doubt them.
Unfortunately, if they turn out to be accurate, Samsung will have failed to deliver one of the upgrades it needs more than ever.
Here we go again
Just last week, I wrote about the 5 upgrades that the Galaxy Z Flip 8 really needs in order to stay relevant.
The stakes couldn’t be much higher: one leaker suggests that the Flip 8 could be the last in the lineup, with Samsung potentially shifting its full foldable attention to the wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra successors.
Even if that doesn’t turn out to be true, I can’t condone the lack of ambition when it comes to the design. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 looks basically identical to the Z Flip 7, right down to the number of camera lenses on the front.
Android Headlines
While the specs of these sensors aren’t yet confirmed, Samsung is almost certain to have stuck with a main and ultrawide, shunning the telephoto that you’ll find on Motorola’s Razr 70 Ultra. As a result, you can look forward to terrible zoom photography once again – no digital zoom can compete with the optical version that a dedicated telephoto enables.
it’s no secret that people want folding phones that don’t compromise on cameras
With Samsung seemingly sticking with the full-screen 4.1-inch cover screen, there’s plenty of room for it to introduce a third lens without negatively affecting the user experience in any way. It’s a real shame that the company has decided to settle rather than trying to make the absolute best flip phone possible.
Of course, I don’t expect Samsung to have read my piece last week and adjusted their entire device. But it’s no secret that people want folding phones that don’t compromise on cameras compared to regular bar phones. Indeed, I complained about this in my Z Flip 7 review last year, listing it as one of the phone’s main cons.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
A price rise to go with it?
Assuming this is accurate and there are no other major upgrades, Samsung has zero justification for a price rise – RAMaggedon or not.
Indeed, just a few days ago, the company reported (via BBC News) an incredible 19-fold increase in its profits in Q2 of 2026, making around £43.6bn/$58.4bn in just three months.
If the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is any more expensive than the Z Flip 7’s £1,049/$1,099 starting price and doesn’t represent a major step forward, there’s no logical reason to buy one. With a cost of living crisis affecting many countries around the world, a huge corporation should be able to absorb the cost of a temporary shortage.
Could that mark the end of the road for Samsung’s flip phone? If the Z Flip 8 is as disappointing as it looks, that could well be the case.