This Z Fold proves Samsung can innovate, plus it's not the expensive one for once

We're somehow at the end of June, despite New Year's only having been about five minutes ago.

But time waits for no man, and neither does Samsung.

The new generation of Samsung Galaxy Z-range foldable phones is expected to launch at around this time next month.

While this hasn't been confirmed, it's the usual time of year for it, and Samsung has confirmed an event will be taking place then, so a new line of Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip phones are likely.

This is not the usual refresh-and-update cycle, though.

No, leaks and rumors say we can expect to see some big changes made to the Z Fold line with the Z Fold 8, including a name change, and an entirely new model.

One of these models has me extremely excited, and for once, it's not the most expensive one.

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The Z Fold 8 is the breath of fresh air Samsung needed

Change and innovation? In this economy?

As unlikely as it seems, change is on the way for the Samsung Z range.

According to rumors, the Z Fold 7 is being succeeded not by the Z Fold 8, but by the Z Fold 8 Ultra.

That leaves a big hole to fill, and Samsung has just the phone to do it.

Formerly known in leaks as the "Z Fold 8 Wide," the now-renamed Z Fold 8 is a very different beast from the foldable phones that came before it.

It's much shorter and wider than previous Folds, and it's immediately obvious why rumors initially said it would receive the "Wide" name.

It's shorter than most smartphones, and because it's not much wider than normal phones, the much shorter height makes it look squat and wide.

That means it's much wider than usual when unfolded, and it's expected to have a 4:3 aspect ratio.

That's a natural size for paper and for watching videos, and so, it should make an excellent multimedia device.

But for me, the real advantage is the lack of height.

Modern smartphones have become very tall, and though my Google Pixel 10 Pro is far from the largest phone around, it's difficult to reach the top of it with a single hand.

I won't have that problem with the Z Fold 8, and that makes it a tempting prospect.

Foldable phones are about to have their Apple Watch moment

The Apple Effect generally describes a phenomenon that where Apple leads, other manufacturers will follow.

That's true to a degree.

We all know what Apple did to the headphone jack. But there's also a part to that effect where Apple can take an existing technology and introduce it to the mainstream in a way that no other company can.

It's about to do that with foldable phones.

Leaks agree that a foldable iPhone is on the way, and it's not unfair to assume that the iPhone Ultra, or whatever it's called, will have the same boosting effect on other foldable phones in the same way the Apple Watch did for smartwatches.

Apple simply releasing a folding iPhone will bring foldable phones into the mainstream in a way that they haven't been before, and even though Apple is late to the party, it would be folly to say it won't.

The Z Fold 8 will be well-placed to take advantage of that.

Not only will the iPhone Ultra likely bring new eyes to the foldable phone market, it's rumored that it will have a 4:3 aspect ratio and a similar shape to the Z Fold 8.

That's likely to be a point in the Z Fold 8's favor.

Will I buy the Z Fold 8 on launch? $2,000 is a hard sell for sure. But you can be sure I'll be looking at it pretty hard when it comes time to upgrade my Z Fold 5.

I think it could be a winner. It's certainly the first foldable I've been excited about in years — and it should excite you, too.

No risk, no reward

I'm making no bones about liking the idea of the Z Fold 8 — but the execution will be crucial.

Being real, there are a lot of potential pitfalls for Samsung here, and as much as I like it, the form factor is going to be one of them.

I like the idea of a shorter and wider display, but until I use one in person, I don't know whether it'll be much different from what I'm used to.

Regardless of reviews, it's always a big leap of faith for a person to pick up and buy such a differently shaped phone.

Samsung's name being attached will help, but in the past, we've seen radically different phones fail to make an impact.

The other potential area for failure is that there's a bigger, more powerful phone in the same stable.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra will loom over the Z Fold 8 like a titan, and its more traditional form factor and extra camera lens will mean the lesser-specced Z Fold 8 may struggle.

Pricing is going to matter.

At the moment, we don't know how much the Z Fold 8 and 8 Ultra will cost, but rumors say the Ultra will be at least $2,100.

Given the price of components, it's hard to see the Z Fold 8 coming in at much less than that.

There's likely to be a few hundred dollars of difference between the two, which would normally be a big difference.

But when you're spending around the $2,000 mark, does saving a few hundred extra matter that much?

Time will tell. But thankfully, time may be on the Z Fold 8's side. Because we may be about to enter the era of foldable phones.