The Samsung Galaxy ecosystem continues to expand, but with the new Samsung Galaxy Z8 Series, the focus is firmly on the people who use it.
Officially unveiled at the highly anticipated Galaxy Unpacked event in London, the latest foldable lineup is built around identities, lifestyles and the intuitive ways people naturally use their smartphones. Rather than leading with features alone, the Galaxy Z8 Series is designed to adapt to how people live, work, create and connect.
We caught up with the Vice President of Samsung Mobile, Justin Hume, at the local NDA preview event before we headed to London for Galaxy Unpacked, where he shared one clear message: there's a foldable for everyone. "Some people love books, others are overachievers who thrive in every aspect of their lives, while others are creatives who use their phone for different tasks," he explains. "The Galaxy ecosystem recognises all these people. After seven generations of foldables, Samsung knows what users want. It's all about elevating the user experience."
Justin added that the Galaxy Z8 experience opens the door to an entirely new world of possibilities. one where there's a foldable designed to meet you exactly where you are. To make choosing easier, Samsung has grouped the devices according to different lifestyles: the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is for Power Maxxing, the Galaxy Z Fold8 is for Joy Maxxing, and the Galaxy Z Flip8 is for Vibe Maxxing, catering to everyone from content creators and professionals to everyday multitaskers.
Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: Built for Power Maxxing
Expanding on this vision, MX Lead: Product & Commercial Management at Samsung South Africa, Zahir Cajee says the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is designed for users who want to experience productivity without compromising creativity. "Engineered from the inside out, it introduces a new class of agentic experience."
Built for all-day productivity, the Fold8 Ultra allows users to spend more time creating and less time charging. As Samsung's slimmest foldable yet, it combines professional-grade creative tools with an Ultra-level camera system capable of delivering exceptional clarity, flexible 8K shooting and editing, and greater creative control. The result is less time spent editing and more time producing high-quality content.
Some of the standout features include:
- Cine LUT for enhanced creative colour grading.
- Flex Titanium Technology, delivering greater strength, resilience and flexibility.
- A seamless folding experience that unfolds into a highly productive workspace.
Users can also take advantage of Now Nudge, an intelligent feature that makes multitasking more effortless through AI-powered task automation across more than 40,000 apps. The Gemini Notebook helps consolidate scattered information into structured knowledge, while ultra-level performance is supported by 40W fast charging.
Galaxy Z Fold8: Built for Joy Maxxing
Designed for content discovery, creativity and entertainment, the Galaxy Z Fold8 introduces a 4:3 landscape viewing experience that offers an ideal aspect ratio for immersive viewing.
It is Samsung's lightest Fold yet and delivers a versatile camera experience alongside powerful AI editing tools. Photo Assist allows users to remove objects, edit images and recreate scenes with ease, while FanCam makes it simple to create social-media-ready content. For users constantly on the move, the document scanning feature intelligently detects edges and smooths scanned documents for a cleaner finish. The device also boasts a battery life of up to 26 hours, making it ideal for extended viewing, streaming and productivity.
Galaxy Z Flip8: Built for Vibe Maxxing
For those who see their smartphone as an extension of their personality, the Galaxy Z Flip8 is all about self-expression. Designed with content creators in mind, it delivers a smarter and more intuitive FlexWindow experience, allowing users to interact with AI without opening the phone. It adapts to your day by offering personalised suggestions and AI-powered automation while the device remains closed, making it an ideal companion for creating content and staying connected on the go.
Technology built around people
For Zahir, the philosophy behind the Galaxy Z8 Series is simple. "It comes down to the identity and persona of the user. We're saying there's a product catered for the person, as opposed to you changing the way you use your phone. Be comfortable with who you are, express yourself the way you want to. Here's a device perfectly suited for your persona."
Rather than expecting users to adapt to new technology, Samsung's latest foldables are designed to adapt to them, whether they're professionals chasing productivity, creators capturing content or users simply looking for a device that complements their lifestyle.
Matching the foldable to the lifestyle
Mpilo Sithole from Samsung DQX offers a practical way to think about the range. "The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is your corporate phone, it's what you'd use from Monday to Friday for emails, productivity and making the most of AI," he says.
"The Galaxy Z Flip8 is your holiday device. You're vlogging, creating content and capturing experiences on the go." Asserting that the Galaxy Z Fold8 is more for your downtime, when you want to relax, stream your favourite shows and simply Netflix and chill.
When helping customers choose the right device, Mpilo says the first question isn't about which phone they want, it's about the phone they already have. "One thing that gives you insight into the customer is their current phone and what they use it for. That's the story you get, and you move from there. If they're already using a Flip, for example, you'd suggest upgrading. It's also worth noting that the new Flip supports 16 apps on the FlexWindow, compared to just four on the Flip7."
For customers switching from another brand, the approach remains the same. "You still need to do the analysis," he explains. "Find out whether they're into content creation, more corporate work, gaming or streaming. Once you understand how they use their phone, it becomes much easier to recommend the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 or Galaxy Z Flip8 that best suits their lifestyle."
Ultimately, that's the thinking behind the Galaxy Z8 Series. Instead of asking users to fit into a particular device, Samsung has created a portfolio of foldables designed to fit seamlessly into different identities, ambitions and ways of living. Whether you're power-maxxing, joy-maxxing or vibe-maxxing, there's a foldable built with you in mind.
Beyond the fold: The future of health with Galaxy Watch
While the Galaxy Z8 Series reimagines how users interact with their smartphones, Samsung is also expanding the Galaxy ecosystem beyond the fold with its latest smartwatch innovations.
The focus is shifting from simply tracking health metrics to becoming an intelligent health companion, moving from reactive care to preventative wellbeing.
The future of health, according to Samsung, is about using technology to help users understand their bodies better, identify meaningful changes earlier and make more informed decisions every day.
Galaxy Watch Ultra2: Built for the ultimate experience
At the top of the range, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 represents the best of the Galaxy Watch lineup, combining powerful performance, advanced health capabilities and purpose-built features for users who push boundaries.
With an 800mAh battery, the highest capacity in a Galaxy Watch, the Ultra2 delivers significantly improved endurance, while its brightest-ever smartwatch display ensures enhanced visibility in any environment.
Its computational design has been fine-tuned for comfort, stability and durability, making it ideal for demanding activities. Built for professional-level sport tracking, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 introduces features such as Trail Run, designed for outdoor athletes with advanced tracking capabilities, including elevation insights.
The watch also introduces smarter lifestyle features, including nutrition alerts that help users make more informed choices. For diving enthusiasts, it supports professional diving capabilities by tracking real-time diving data and functioning as a professional diving computer. This advanced diving experience will be available on the watch later this year.
Galaxy Watch9: Iconic design, enhanced comfort
The Galaxy Watch9 combines Samsung’s iconic circular design with enhanced comfort, improved performance and intelligent health insights.
With 20% improved battery life compared to the Galaxy Watch8, the Galaxy Watch9 is designed to support users throughout their day while delivering deeper insights into their health and fitness.
Moving beyond raw data, its preventative health features transform information into actionable insights. These include:
- Vascular Load, providing intelligent early-warning insights by monitoring changes associated with cardiovascular health.
- Heart Health Score, offering users a clearer understanding of their overall heart wellness.
- Daily Cardio Load, helping runners understand when to push harder or when to prioritise recovery.
- Fitness Index, analysing key metrics to provide a more complete picture of fitness progress.
Through On-Wrist Intelligence, the Galaxy Watch9 delivers a more natural and immediate experience, designed around movement and the way users interact with technology throughout the day.
AI as the foundation of the Galaxy experience
Reflecting on Samsung’s evolution from the Galaxy Watch5 series to today’s AI-powered experiences, Marketing Lead for Mobile eXperience at Samsung Electronics South Africa, Kgomotso Mosiane, highlights how the role of technology has expanded beyond the device itself. "We've grown from the 5 series. Today's experience has demonstrated that it's not just about the device, but AI. It's about helping users move seamlessly from intent to action towards a more integrated AI experience."
For Kgomotso, this evolution reflects Samsung’s broader ecosystem vision: creating experiences that understand users and adapt to their needs. Whether it is a smartwatch supporting a user’s health journey or a foldable designed around their lifestyle, the focus is on creating technology that works more naturally around the individual.
This same philosophy sits at the heart of Samsung’s foldable strategy: recognising that users are different. One name does not mean one experience; three different products within the Galaxy Z8 Series cater to different identities, lifestyles and ways of interacting with technology.
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