Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the new king of the foldables, but it will cost you

After months of rumors and leaks, Samsung finally told us everything we wanted to know about its new marquee foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was officially announced during a Galaxy Unpacked showcase in London, where the company also debuted two more foldable phones and two new Galaxy smartwatches. In a twist to its usual naming convention, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is the successor to last year's excellent Z Fold 7.

That means it's a new book-style foldable with some hardware and software improvements over the Z Fold 7. (The newly announced Z Fold 8 is an entirely new model with a wider body.)In keeping with the Ultra name, and the general state of the tech industry, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is also the most expensive of the new foldables announced on Wednesday.

It starts at a staggering $2,099.99, a $100 price increase over the Z Fold 7. Mashable got the chance to demo the new foldable smartphones ahead of their release, and we can finally share all the details and our first impressions.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: By the numbers An Ultra display. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / CNET Group This year, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 rumors and leaks were pretty spot on. As expected, the new device features a new Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset (the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy), an improved battery, and some new AI features.

Remarkable, it's even thinner than last year's model.The specifications for the Galaxy Z Fold 8:Inner display: 8-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rateOuter display: 6.5-inches AMOLED display 120Hz refresh rateProcessor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipsetUnfolded dimensions: 158.

4 x 143.2 x 4.1 mmFolded dimensions: 158.

4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mmRAM: 12GB to 16GB RAMStorage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storageBattery: 5,000mAh batteryCharging: 45W wired, 20W wirelessCameras: 200MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP selfie cameraSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra key upgrades Yep, still thin.

Credit: Joseph Maldonado / CNET Group The Z Fold