Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review: A bold new approach to design and form factor
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has been an unexpected standout this year. It's particularly interesting to see it arrive just as rumours suggest Apple might be planning a foldable with a similar design. Picture: Noel Campion
Like so many other reviewers at the Samsung Unpacked event, I was taken aback by how much I loved the look and feel of their new passport-sized foldable. After spending two weeks with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, it’s clear that Samsung has taken a different path from everything we have come to expect from the Z Fold series.
The first thing you notice when picking up the Z Fold 8 is the weight. At 201g, it’s significantly lighter than many of the heavy-duty flagships I have used, including the S26 Ultra. It’s officially Samsung’s lightest foldable, and that physical difference cannot be overstated. For a device this large, being able to hold it without straining my wrist is a massive win.
The way the weight is distributed makes it much more pocketable than other foldables.
The build feels sturdy thanks to the Armour Aluminium and Gorilla Glass Armour 3, but it does not feel like something you need to baby constantly. The hinge is a different beast this year too. It snaps open with a certain decisiveness that actually removed my need for Flex Mode. While I occasionally missed being able to prop the phone up at an angle for video calls, the new hinge mechanics allow for a much flatter, more seamless internal display.
The real magic of the Z Fold 8 lies in its screen geometry and ratios. I really love how flat both the cover and internal displays are. Unlike some recent phones that feature large, sweeping rounded corners, the Z Fold 8 uses much tighter, smaller corner radii. This gives the device a sharper, more purposeful look that I find much more appealing than the overly bubbly aesthetic we've seen elsewhere.
Samsung has moved away from the extreme dimensions of previous generations to something that feels much more natural. When closed, the 5.5-inch OLED 10:16 cover screen is easy to use for quick tasks like checking a text or scrolling through social media. When you unfold the device, the 7.6-inch OLED main display with a 4:3 aspect ratio provides an incredible canvas. I found that this ratio is perfect for reading or watching a video. Both displays feature a 1-120Hz refresh rate for silky smooth scrolling.
The shorter cover display makes the device far more comfortable to hold. Even with my large hands, I can reach almost every corner of the screen one-handed. While the aspect ratio is a departure from most smartphones, it doesn't take much getting used to and feels very natural. There are still some quirks; although Samsung has done well with One UI, the software needs more work. Most issues stem from third-party apps struggling with the unusual shape, though none of these bugs was deal-breakers during my testing.
While this smaller screen is easier to grip, it isn't as functional as the cover screens on other foldables, which now feel much closer to a standard slab phone. This tendency pulls me toward using the internal display more often than I would with competing models.
Opening the Z Fold 8 reveals an internal display that is really impressive. Watching video content offers a slightly larger canvas than on many other foldables. It isn't massive, but the difference is certainly noticeable.
One of the most impressive features of the internal display is the minimal crease. It’s the best I’ve seen on a foldable, although Oppo claims there is no crease on their Find N6.
Under the hood, the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset is undeniably powerful. My review unit came with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is the base model. In my testing, apps opened instantly, and I never encountered any stuttering when multitasking between heavy apps like Lightroom or even playing demanding games. That said, raw power does come with a thermal cost.
I noticed that when using the camera for extended periods, particularly when shooting in the high-bitrate APV format, the phone could get quite warm. If I was out in the sun, this heat became much more apparent. There were moments during heavy video recording where the screen brightness would dim significantly to manage the temperature. I ran my standard 3D Mark benchmark, which consists of 20 test loops, to see how the device handles sustained pressure. Thermal throttling was quite apparent; by the final loop, the score had dropped to less than half of what I saw in the first.
The 4,800mAh battery has been a bit of a mixed bag for me, though I tend to lean towards the positive side. On days when my usage was standard, I could easily get through a full day of navigation, music streaming, and photography with about 35-40% remaining by bedtime. Even on a trip where I relied heavily on GPS for navigation and had extensive screen-on time, I didn’t run out of battery by the end of the day.
However, battery life depends heavily on how much you use the large internal screen. If you use this as your primary tablet and spend hours playing games or watching YouTube, you will definitely be looking for a charger by early evening. While it’s good, it doesn’t come close to the stamina of something like the Honor Magic V6 foldable.
Samsung has also introduced some subtle changes to the charging experience, with a faster 45W charger being a real quality-of-life improvement. Even wireless charging has been boosted to 20W. While these aren't the fastest speeds in the industry, they are the fastest Samsung has ever offered on a foldable, and it makes a noticeable difference.
The camera setup is perhaps the most controversial part of the Z Fold 8. Samsung has opted for dual 50MP sensors: one wide and one ultra-wide. There is no dedicated telephoto lens here. For some, this will be a dealbreaker. If you rely on heavy optical zoom for wildlife or far-away subjects, you are going to find yourself disappointed by the digital cropping. If I could only have two cameras on a phone, I would choose a wide and a telephoto lens.
The 50MP sensor provides plenty of detail, and the ultra-wide lens is excellent for landscapes or group shots.
The video capabilities are decent, and Samsung has introduced APV recording and Log profiles, which allow for much more control over colour grading and dynamic range. This won’t be for everyone, but professional creatives may find it handy when they need to use the phone for the occasional B-roll shot.
Overall, the cameras are decent, even excellent at times, but they don’t match the price tag in terms of raw quality or versatility. If photography is your passion and you want to stick with Samsung, then check out the Z Fold 8 Ultra or the S26 Ultra.
The speaker setup is quite disappointing for a premium flagship. When the phone is unfolded, the audio essentially comes from one side, which creates a strange, unbalanced sensation. The overall sound quality isn’t great either, as it lacks both volume and bass. I guess this is a compromise you have to live with for such a thin and light device.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a device designed for the way we actually use our technology. It prioritises a comfortable weight, an intuitive screen shape, and a practical approach to daily tasks. While the unusual form factor isn’t unique and has been tried before by Oppo and others, I think the weight and thinness, along with Samsung's mature One UI 9 on top of Android 17, make it one of the slickest and most intuitive foldables around.
If you are a photography purist who needs long-range zoom, or if you require the largest possible battery, you should probably look elsewhere, perhaps at the Ultra series. But if you want a foldable that feels like a natural extension of your hand, a device that is easy to carry, simple to use, and incredibly capable for consuming and creating content, then this might be the most practical foldable Samsung has ever released.
From €2,049 Samsung.com
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
