Samsung took the wraps off its new Galaxy Z Fold 8, and unlike previous years, we're getting two Folds instead of one. I got to spend some time with Samsung's new book-style foldables during its launch event in London, and they're very different, with one being an almost completely new form factor for the company.
Samsung is trying to target different audiences with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra. Frankly, I'm intrigued by the company's decision to double down on its most expensive smartphone segment. But while I was fully expecting to hate the wider, more compact design on the base Fold 8 (based solely on the leaks), I actually came away from my hands-on kind of loving it.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Chasing "Ultra"
If the Galaxy Z Fold 7 was Samsung's tick year, then the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the tock. That's not a bad thing because the device looks nearly identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, a phone that was something like Samsung's comeback device after a few missteps. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra follows that rather impressive device with some much-needed upgrades and refinements that help the phone earn that new Ultra moniker.
For one, the phone is actually thinner than its predecessor. In fact, Samsung says it's its thinnest foldable, measuring 4.1 mm when open. To be honest, I couldn't really tell the difference between the Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Z Fold 7 when put side by side, but the latter was already very impressively thin, and the Ultra is no less impressive.
Part of what makes it impressive is that Samsung managed to increase the battery quite a bit, bumping up from 4,400mah to 5,000mah! It's all because Samsung finally joined the silicon-carbon party, helping it to pack denser batteries into its latest foldables. It's still not the largest battery in a foldable, but it should help the phone fare better in daily use. The 45W wired charging is also a nice step up, although it notably falls behind competitors like the Razr Fold.
The display itself may not look much different, but you might notice something is missing: a crease. Okay, so it's not completely gone, but Samsung’s new Titanium Flex improves display durability and greatly reduces the crease, so it's nearly non-existent when viewing content or swiping across the screen.
Samsung also added an anti-reflective coating, so glare should be less of a problem when watching movies or reels.
Then there's the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, which gives the phone new superpowers. I got to play with some of the new AI features, including Gemini automation and the new Now Nudge capabilities. In my demo, Gemini took the context from a photo of the Eiffel Tower in the Gallery, then opened the Expedia app to book a stay for two adults nearby.
Now Nudge also feels much more useful across more areas of One UI 9. It can now trigger suggestions in places like the Google Messages app or within notifications, so you can respond more intuitively. It even lets you open suggestions in split-screen mode so you don't have to disrupt your flow, and when you're done with a Now Nudge task, the second app will automatically close for you.
I wasn't able to try the camera, but the upgraded 50MP ultrawide sensor and new Cine LUT features should give the Z Fold 8 more of an Ultra edge, even if the 10MP telephoto camera leaves a bit to be desired.
Galaxy Z Fold 8: Big things, small packages
But the real story here is the new Galaxy Z Fold 8. It's a new, wider foldable that feels like it's meant to capture the feeling of some older foldables like the Oppo Find N or Pixel Fold. However, Samsung decided to go with a shorter and wider 5.4-inch external screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio.
The result of such a short and wide stature is that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like a passport in hand. It fits quite well in my hand and slides easily into my pocket, partly because it's so thin at 9.7mm. In fact, as soon as I held it, my preconceptions about the design immediately went out the window, and I fell in love with this phone.
I imagine my proclivity towards flip phones has something to do with it, but using the external display isn't as awkward as I thought it would be. If you're a frequent watcher of vertical videos, then you'll notice black bars on the sides, but apps seem to resize well, and horizontal videos look great.
That goes for the internal folding display. Opening the Galaxy Z Fold 8 reveals a 4:3 aspect ratio display that looks and feels like a small tablet (and honestly feels closer to 3:2. That means content like long-form videos look more natural on the screen than on the Ultra with fewer black bars, but turn the phone and vertical videos also feel right at home, giving you a bigger and better way to show off your favorite Reels.
Samsung also highlights how the inner display is ideal for things like reading articles or books, depending on how you orient the phone.
However, one aspect I like about this form factor when the device is open is multitasking. On the Ultra, you can have three split-screen apps open at once, with two sharing one side of the screen and one expanding on the other. With the Fold 8, you can have three apps side-by-side, which feels like a usability win.
Unfortunately, there are only two 50MP cameras on the rear, so it's not the most versatile imaging system. However, Samsung showed me a cool new My FanCam feature that can capture and resize a video while focusing on one subject.
Imagine you're recording a horizontal video of a performance and want to post a Reel of one particular dancer. You can select that person, and the AI will focus on them and crop to your desired aspect ratio.
It takes a lot of work out of converting videos for social media, and it's a feature I can't wait to play with a lot more.
Which Fold do you want?
After spending some time with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, it's clear Samsung is onto something. Starting at $1899, I'm not sure if doubling down on the pricier models will pay off, but for now, the cheaper model at least feels like the more compelling option, even if it's missing some of the "Ultra" specs.
Something new
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 introduces a new wider form factor that feels perfect for social media, reading, and more. And it's small design means you can easily fit this powerful phone into your pocket.
Better than ever
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra brings a bigger battery to Samsung's thinnest phone, meaning less time charging and more time working across multiple apps on the expansive display.
