Will There Be a Galaxy Z Flip 8 Redesign This Year?

It looks like Samsung has big ambitions for 2026. At present, they’re sitting atop the entire foldable smartphone business world like a dominant colossus and are the undisputed kings of the foldable phone market. However, while their foldable sales remain strong, there is competition.

There’s been a lot of excitement about the imminent iPhone Fold. The arrival of the first foldable iPhone is (understandably) generating a lot of buzz, and we can understand that the top Samsung management figures might be looking over their shoulders. Samsung launched its first foldable phone in 2019, and Apple releasing a competing model could directly impact its foldable sales. 

Consequently, it looks likely that the Z Flip series is getting an overhaul. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 has yet to be officially unveiled, but as more leaks appear online, we’re confident that it’ll be noticeably different to previous Z Flip models. How so? Let’s explain. 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 At A Glance

First, the big picture: what can you expect from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8? The earlier members of the Z Flip family were unveiled at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked events, which take place in July. When the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is revealed this summer, we’re anticipating:

• 12GB RAM

• The Exynos 2500 chip

• 256GB or 512GB storage

• 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide rear camera, and 10MP selfie camera

• A slimmer build

• A $1,049 - $1,099 price tag

The Z Flip 8 is expected to go on sale to the public two weeks later. This will be along the company’s flagship Galaxy Z Fold 8, a smartphone that we’re very keen to get to grips with. Samsung is reportedly aiming to keep the Z Fold’s prices similar to the previous iteration, which is why we’re expecting no significant price increase for the Z Flip 8 either. 

A Major Redesign for a Popular Flip Phone?

The juiciest gossip about the Galaxy Z Flip 8 came from a new report on The Bell. This Korean site has a long history of tracking Samsung rumors, and while they aren’t 100% accurate, they do have a strong record and are generally reliable. 

They’re reporting that Samsung aims to increase its folding phone sales by 10% this year. The redesigned Z Flip 8 plays a major part in that. If they’re successful, it should help them retain their position as the world’s biggest flip phone developers. 

To this end, Samsung plans to give its popular flip phone a slimmer and lighter design. The Z Flip 7 is an elegant device, but is comparatively chunky when compared to its sister phone, the Z Fold 7. If The Bell’s sources are correct, Samsung plans to make the next generation more comfortable to hold and to feel less bulky when sat in your pockets. 

Achieving that attractive sleek and slim design has always been harder with flip phones than regular smartphones. Samsung has made great strides here already, and if you compare an earlier flip phone with today’s equivalents, you’ll see a remarkable difference (thank heavens they got rid of those massive hinges). The Galaxy Z Flip's makeover is likely to see even more drastic reductions. It's a direct response to Apple's plans for its first foldable phone. 

What’s Happening with the Z Flip 8’s Battery?

While the expected redesign is attracting most of the attention, we can’t ignore another rumor about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, especially considering it could be linked to its new look. The Z Flip 8 might not be getting a battery upgrade. 

Galaxy blog recently posted an article about a leaked spec sheet. This report shows two EB-BF776 and EB-BF777 batteries linked to the Z Flip 8. These have a combined capacity of 4,174mAh.

This is the same battery capacity as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. Samsung has an established history of steadily increasing battery capacity with each successive phone, so it’s unusual to see this. We don’t know why they’ve (allegedly) made the decision, but it is entirely possible that this is an unwanted side effect of the slender new design they’re aiming for. Batteries take up space.  

We can understand that some Samsung fans might take umbrage at this, but frankly, we don’t think it’ll be a deal breaker. The Z Flip 8 should still be a reliable all-day phone. 

No Big Changes To The Camera

You might have noticed something about those camera specs we listed earlier: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is inheriting the Z Flip 7’s camera setup. If you like your smartphone cameras to be improved every generation, that might be a disappointment. It’s already caused a minor controversy in some corners of the online tech community who were upset that there was no dramatic change.  

However, there is positive news. The cameras themselves might be almost identical to those of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes. Samsung is concentrating on software enhancements. Among the rumored alterations, we found:

• Improved sensors

• Upgraded image processing

• Enhanced night photography

• Upgraded AI scene optimization

These small increments will make taking photos more user-friendly. It’ll be easier to get crisp, detailed photographs at the click of a button. 

So, Will There be a Redesign?

We must emphasize that at the time of posting this article, everything we’ve discussed here is a rumor. We are confident in our research (even if our Korean is rusty), but we can’t rule out there being any surprises when the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is officially unveiled. The new Galaxy Z Flip model looks like they’re taking deliberate steps to head off the iPhone fold’s arrival.

We’re not predicting any outlandish leaps forward in technology, and certainly aren’t expecting to get a teleporting phone or anything like that. We could be wrong about the battery capacity, or the big redesign might turn out to be less than we believe. 

We can’t even be certain about the thickness reduction. And we might be overestimating how much Apple’s entry into the foldable phone landscape is causing concern for Samsung executives. But not knowing these things for definite is part of why being a smartphone enthusiast is so exciting. 

If all this talk has got you thinking about personalizing your smartphone, we can help there too. Why not have a look at our cases and accessories for the Galaxy Flip series, and see if anything catches your eye?