Samsung Launches New Foldable Smartphones Amidst Apple Competition Speculation

Samsung on Wednesday launched its latest foldable smartphones as it looks to maintain its leadership in a product category that it pioneered, ahead of Apple potentially entering the market.

The South Korean tech giant unveiled its Galaxy Z8 Series at an event in London. The three devices and their prices are:

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra ($2,099)

Galaxy Z Fold8 ($1,899)

Galaxy Z Flip8 ($1,199)

Samsung's foldable products have usually consisted of two devices — the Fold brand which opens like a book and the Flip device which opens like a traditional flip phone.

However, Samsung now has three products with the "Ultra" being its highest-spec smartphone of the series and one that resembles its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold7.

"2026 is a huge year for foldables with the near certainty that Apple will be unleashing a foldable iPhone iPhone later in the year," Ben Wood, chief analyst and chief marketing officer at CCS Insight, told CNBC.

"Therefore, this is a critical launch for Samsung who were the market makers in this category, because Apple joining any category immediately gives it another level of legitimacy."

Various reports have indicated that Apple is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone this year, adding more competition to the market that Samsung has dominated since it launched its first foldable in 2019.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 is a new style of device. While it opens like a book and is smaller than the "Ultra," Samsung said that the smartphone is designed to ensure a better viewing experience for content due to its 4:3 screen ratio.

"It is little surprise that we have seen Samsung deliver a different form factor for its Fold portfolio, because it has been widely rumoured that Apple is looking to have a wide screen foldable for the forthcoming iPhone and it is something that Samsung and others are keen to get ahead of," Wood said.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and the Fold8 both run on Qualcomm 's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

There are some differences between the two devices. The Ultra has a more advanced camera with three different lenses as well as a bigger battery.

There is a $200 difference between the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra which, which may not be that large at the high-end of the market where buyers are willing to pay more. It does mean that Samsung will have to provide its customers with a clear reason to buy the Fold8 over the Ultra model.

"The lower specification on the Z Fold8 means Samsung will have to have a very strong sales proposition for this device so consumers can understand why they would choose this device over the Z Fold8 Ultra, which is only $200 more," Wood said.