[Anchor]

Samsung Electronics has unveiled its new lineup of foldable smartphones, introducing a brand-new model for the first time. The move is seen as an early strike ahead of Apple's anticipated launch of its first foldable smartphone.

Here is a report from Paris by our correspondent Kwon Yeongin.

[Reporter]

A new size of foldable phone that feels almost like holding a passport in your hand.

This is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, newly unveiled by Samsung.

When unfolded, the Fold Ultra features a 4:3 screen aspect ratio, marking the first new lineup added since Samsung released its first foldable phone in 2019.

Samsung stated that the Fold Ultra is the top-tier model focused on productivity, boasting the thinnest thickness ever for a Fold series at 4.1 mm.

[Moon Seong-hun / Executive Vice President, MX Business at Samsung Electronics: We reflected actual customer usage patterns gathered over seven generations and integrated our innovative technologies into this lineup.]

With the introduction of the Ultra version, the existing Z Fold 8 model has been re-focused more heavily on content immersion.

Its width has been extended compared to its predecessor to allow users to focus better on reading, watching movies, and gaming, while its weight has also been made the lightest ever.

The simultaneously unveiled Flip 8 was also built as the thinnest and lightest Flip released to date, with Samsung explaining that it significantly improved the interface that can be used without opening the screen.

Unveiling its 8th-generation foldable phone lineup, Samsung announced that it has further strengthened its agent AI capabilities.

In particular, it is evaluated to have enhanced user convenience by featuring Gemini Intelligence for the first time through a collaboration with Google.

Regarding pricing, the 256GB model of the Fold 8 is priced about 100,000 won cheaper than its predecessor, while the Flip 8 is 198,000 won more expensive.

The Fold Ultra, launched for the first time as a top-tier model, is priced at 2,577,300 won.

The new products will be released sequentially worldwide, starting in South Korea on August 7, with domestic pre-orders beginning on July 28.

[Video Editing: Kim Jun-hee]