Samsung Electronics will unveil its flagship Galaxy Z8 foldable smartphone lineup at an event in London on July 22, expanding its foldable portfolio to three models while highlighting a new Galaxy experience designed for the era of agentic artificial intelligence (AI).
On July 9, Samsung sent out media invitations for Galaxy Unpacked 2026, which will take place at Old Billingsgate in London.
The event is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. BST (9:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 p.m. KST) on July 22 and will be livestreamed through the Samsung Newsroom, Samsung.com, and the company's official YouTube channel.
Samsung is expected to introduce three foldable devices: the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8. The company is widely expected to rebrand its premium Fold model as the “Ultra,” while launching a second Fold variant featuring a different display aspect ratio. The Galaxy Z Flip8 will retain Samsung's signature clamshell-style foldable design.
Ahead of the event, TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung's Device eXperience (DX) Division, emphasized the importance of hardware design in the age of agentic AI.
“As AI becomes more personal, proactive, and capable of assisting users in multiple ways, the form factor of the device becomes increasingly important,” Roh said. “A foldable display that expands when opened and fits comfortably in your hand when closed unlocks even greater possibilities.”
He added, “Since pioneering the foldable smartphone category, Samsung has continuously refined the technology--making devices thinner, lighter, stronger, and more immersive with every generation. The defining question of the next AI era is no longer who has the smartest AI, but who understands people best and transforms that understanding into a trusted user experience.”
The new Galaxy Z8 series is expected to officially launch on August 7. Pre-orders are likely to run from July 28 through August 3, followed by early activations beginning August 4.
Prices are expected to increase by as much as KRW 200,000 (approximately US$145) compared with the previous generation due to rising component costs. The 256GB models are reportedly priced at around KRW 2.57 million for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, KRW 2.27 million for the Galaxy Z Fold8, and KRW 1.68 million for the Galaxy Z Flip8. Samsung is also expected to offer its popular Double Storage promotion, allowing customers to receive the next higher storage tier at no additional cost during the pre-order period.
Samsung selected London as the venue for this year's Unpacked event because of the city's unique blend of history, innovation, fashion, and art. The company believes London's longstanding reputation as a global center for technology, design, and culture makes it an ideal stage to showcase the evolution of its foldable lineup.
Industry observers also note that the British Museum is scheduled to host a major exhibition of Korean cultural artifacts this October, including works donated by the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee. Samsung's decision to unveil its latest foldables in London is therefore seen as part of a broader effort to promote not only its technological innovation but also Korea's cultural and design excellence on the global stage.
