Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Price, specs and cheapest plans

Samsung's flip-phone is back. Regardless of whether you're after the more general gist or an in-depth breakdown of the specs for the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, we've got you covered.

From how the Z Flip 8 compares to last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 to when you can get your hands on the device and how much it will cost in Australia, here's everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 in Australia.

Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone are all expected to offer the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 on a plan. 

No matter which telco you go with, you can pick from a 24-month plan or a 36-month plan. A 36-month plan will always be cheaper, but it means you're paying your phone off over a longer period of time. 24-month plans are also available, but cost more per month.

While official plan pricing for either device is still being confirmed, we already have a pretty good idea what to expect. If you pick up the Galaxy Z Flip 8 on a plan, you'll be looking at paying the usual price of your plans plus the RRP of the device (divided by either 24 or 36 months) minus any launch or preorder discounts.

We'll update this page once the plans for both devices go live but in the meantime you can find a snapshot of the Optus, Vodafone and Telstra plans you'll be able to pair Samsung's latest flip-phone up with.

In Australia, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 starts at $1,949. That sum might be a hard sell for some. It's $150 higher than the recommended retail price for last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 and there's little to show for it aside from a better processor.

For a breakdown that shows how this year's Galaxy S devices compare when it comes to price, check out the table below. 

The price isn't the only part of the Galaxy Z Flip 8 worth talking about, but it's hard to overlook. Even if it sits at the bottom end of this year's Samsung foldable lineup, it's still the most expensive Z Flip to date. That doesn't erase the fact that it is also the thinnest and lightest Z Flip to date, but the subtraction in size hardly feels equal to the premium involved.

• New processor: Where last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 relied on the Samsung Exynos 2500, this year's Galaxy Z Flip 8 has tagged in the newer Exynos 2600 instead.
• Thinner and lighter: The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is billed as the thinnest and lightest in the line to date at 6.1mm and 180g respectively.
• Faster fast-charging: The Galaxy Z Flip 8 supports 45W wired charging, which is up from the 25W wired charging seen in the Z Flip 7
• A higher starting price of  $1,949. That's $150 more expensive than the starting price for last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 but a little cheaper than the new Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The only three mobile providers in Australia that offer Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 plans are the big three: Optus, Vodafone, and Telstra.

Regardless of which provider you pick, your plan will be structured the same way, so be sure to pick the one that best suits your individual needs. Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone offer a variety of perks and plan features, which we'll cover below.

Optus' smallest plan has 60GB of data, which is well above the average national usage. There's also data sharing if you have multiple plans on the same account, which can be handy for families.

That said, Optus' Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 plans include more than just a bigger data allowance. The more expensive options also come with unlimited international calls to select destinations. That's great to have if you're looking to keep in touch with friends and family overseas. If you're planning to travel abroad yourself, Optus has good roaming add-ons too. You can score 5GB of data and unlimited local talk & text for $5 per day when roaming in select countries.

It's also worth remembering that Optus mobile plans come with no data overage fees. If you go over your monthly data limit, you won't incur any unexpectedly high fees, but you will have your speed capped at 1.5Mbps until the end of your current billing cycle.

Optus customers also get access to SubHub – a platform that lets you combine multiple subscription services into a single bill, along with a 5% or 10% discount, depending on whether you sync two or three or more services.

Vodafone's Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 are just a little cheaper than Optus when it comes to pricing.

The smallest plan on offer comes with 65GB (excluding promotions), which is much higher than the average national usage and slightly more than you can expect from Optus. All of Vodafone's postpaid plans also come with unlimited international texts to select countries, and the more-expensive plans have international call inclusions.

Again, as with Optus, there's plenty of data and perks like no excess data fees. Instead of cutting you off, Vodafone slows your connection to 2Mbps once you pass your monthly limit. This is slightly faster than the 1.5Mbps speed cap that Optus and Telstra employ. However, like its rivals, Vodafone's plans don't include any data banking or rollover for unused data.

That said, you can share data between multiple Vodafone mobile plans if they are attached to the same account. You'll also save 5% off the price of the first additional plan you add to your account, then 15% off the price of each plan you add after that one up to a maximum of ten.

In any case, Vodafone's best feature is its international roaming. For just $5 per day, you can use your phone as you normally would while overseas. This kicks in automatically when our phone connects to an overseas network and lasts for 24 hours. It's one of the best roaming options on the market for both value and ease-of-use.

Telstra's Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 plans are the most expensive, but Australia's biggest telco is also well known for its wider network coverage and all the perks you'd expect given the premium price.

Once again, the smallest plan has 50GB. This is far higher than the average Australian uses each month but less than you can get from either Optus or Vodafone.

As with Telstra's rivals, there are no overage charges for going past your data limit (instead you're slowed to 1.5Mbps), there's no data banking or rollover to let you hang onto your unused data. Fortunately, as with the other big three providers, you can share data between up to 10 mobile services on the same eligible account.

All Telstra's Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 plans come with 30 minutes of international calls to all destinations – not a lot of minutes, but without the usual limit on the number of countries that are included. International calling packs are available for additional minutes.

Roaming is relatively easy to do, but not as affordable as Optus or Telstra in most circumstances. Traveling in New Zealand will cost you $5 per day, but most other countries are $10 per day. You'll get 2GB to use per day.

Finally, you've got the Telstra Plus system. You earn points based on eligible plan payments. You can put these towards purchases from the Telstra Plus Rewards store, such as discounted movie tickets and sports events, pre-sales for concerts, and more.