Pre-orders for Samsung’s 2026 foldables wrapped up this week, but telcos across Australia are clearly in a generous mood, as they kept their previous pre-order deals live for a wee bit longer, giving you a bit more time to save on the new devices.

And save you might, because this year, Samsung has introduced a third premium Z-series foldable in 2026 with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 This new model introduces a new design: a short and wide 5.5-inch cover screen when folded, and a 7.6-inch main screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio that can fit widescreen videos better than the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s square display, or resemble an ereader when in portrait mode.

The direct successor of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is now confusingly called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which is thinner than ever (4.1mm down from an already ridiculously thin 4.2mm) and also features a 50MP ultrawide camera (up from 12MP), a higher-resolution main screen, and increased peak brightness from 2,600 nits to 3,000 nits.

With all that said, these foldables have arrived as some of the most expensive phones you can buy in Australia, with the base 256GB models starting from AU$2,699 for the Z Fold 8 and AU$2,999 for the Ultra. The latter also represents a AU$100 price hike from the Z Fold 7.

If you’ve been sold on all the features and are happy to buy either handset outright, you can check out the current best outright deals below and then pair that with one of our best SIM-only plans.

However, the high upfront costs of both foldables will likely mean many buyers may prefer to pay either one off over a multi-year contract from a major Australian telco like Vodafone, Optus or Telstra.

We’ve crunched the numbers on the big three’s Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra plans below — including any current promotions and discounts — to help guide you to the best value options for various needs.

The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 plan overall

The best premium Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 plan

The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra plan overall

The best premium Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra plan

Outright Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra deals

Not interested in purchasing through a telco with a postpaid plan? Many Aussie retailers offer the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra outright, including an option to pay in instalments through Samsung Australia directly. Here are the top current offers available from our retail partners.

What’s new with Samsung’s latest foldables?

Samsung’s latest foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 8, mark substantial design and usability upgrades over their predecessors – pushing the boundaries of what a foldable phone can be.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the newest addition to the Z-series range, featuring a new short and wide form factor when folded, and a main screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio that can fit widescreen videos better than most foldables’ square display, or resemble an ereader when in portrait mode.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s direct successor is now called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which is now even thinner at 4.1mm when unfolded and its main display gets a resolution bump at 2256 x 2504 pixels (up from 1968 x 2184 pixels). Its most prominent upgrade though is the camera system with a new 50MP ultrawide sensor to pair with the 200MP shooter, similar to those found in the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Both devices get a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB RAM (or 16GB in some instances) and new silicon-carbon batteries to fit in larger capacities compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries in the same physical size — 4,800mAh for the Z Fold 8 and 5,000mAh for the Ultra.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is thinner and lighter than its predecessor at 6.1mm unfolded and 13.1mm folded, compared to the Flip 7’s 6.5mm and 13.7mm, respectively. There’s also a refined hinge that’s aimed at making the handset easier to open one-handed and reducing the crease. While it doesn’t get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip used by its foldable cousins here in Australia, it still gets an upgraded Exynos 2600 found in the base Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus. The handset also gets the silicon-carbon treatment here, although it retains the same 4,300mAh capacity as the Flip 7.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8 specs