Features a less-reflective folding display with minimized crease.
All-day battery.
Cons
No telephoto camera.
Punch-hole cutout on the inner display can be distracting.
No built-in magnets for Qi2.2 charging.
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Seven years of folding phone innovation have led Samsung to finally embrace a wide-format design with its new Galaxy Z Fold 8
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 borrows the best of different foldables and packages it in one palm-sized device
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I was skeptical about the usability of a short and wide cover screen, but I’ve found it to be the perfect combination of novelty and practicality. In fact, the 5.5-inch AMOLED panel has been my go-to reading companion, thanks to its 10:16 aspect ratio.
From browsing in Chrome to reading in the Kindle or NYT app, I haven’t once felt forced to unfold my Fold 8 for better readability. I’ve also been typing on it (with both hands) more than expected. Unlike flip phones, you can see the conversation while typing your message. The keyboard takes up about half the screen, but it leaves plenty of room for unbothered messaging without feeling cramped.
Fold 8’s 4:3 folding screen is much better than traditional book-style foldables’ squarish aspect ratio for video consumption.
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I open the Fold 8 when I want to watch video content. Everything from YouTube videos to movie watching in Netflix or Prime Video is better than other tall folding phones. A 4:3 screen means you get less letterboxing (black borders on top and bottom) when watching videos.
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The big canvas is also great for reading, but that punch-hole selfie camera is unexpectedly more bothersome on this phone. It cuts off words on the right edge of the screen. You can always rotate it so the camera is positioned on the side of your right palm, but it sometimes interferes with the auto brightness. I wish Samsung had positioned it in the corner or found a way to add an under-display camera.
It did improve the multitasking experience, however, with One UI 9 (based on Android 17). It feels more intuitive, natural and easy to use. The Fold 8 can run three apps side by side, but that’s not ideal. I found myself multitasking more often 90:10 split-screen between two apps.
Tent mode on Galaxy Z Fold 8.
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As for the crease, it has been minimized to an extent that you can’t feel it when running your finger over it. You can still spot it in some lighting situations but it is a non-issue and won’t distract you from on-screen content.
An even bigger upgrade comes in the form of anti-reflective coating. Samsung claims that the reflectivity on the Fold 8’s inner screen has been reduced by 50% (versus the Fold 7).
It is the upgrade I’ve wanted since the Fold 6 days, and I’m glad the Korean phone maker finally listened. In practical usage, this means the folding screen is much more legible in direct light than its predecessor. I could navigate on Maps, see the camera viewfinder clearly, and browse in the Delhi sun without any issues. It’s also in part thanks to the higher brightness levels (3,000 nits vs. 2,600 nits on the Fold 7).
You need to change the default settings to get the most out of this dual-camera setup.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has one less camera than the Fold 8 Ultra and a lower-resolution main sensor. It has a dual camera system consisting of a 50MP main camera and another 50MP ultrawide angle sensor.
I’m not a fan of Samsung’s default processing, but it has improved in the last year, and there are ways to extract the best from what you have. I took most of my photos in 50MP mode, which gives you more details than the default mode.
As for videos, they aren’t sharp and get noisy once you zoom in on your scene. Every time I wanted to zoom in on a subject in videos, I wished this phone had a telephoto camera. And this leads me to another gripe – the camera position, again.
The Fold 8’s cameras are located in a vertical camera module, but I think it’d have been better to have a horizontal layout (ultrawide on top of the main camera) because I kept getting my finger in 1x shots. I have big hands, and I’m assuming people with smaller hands won’t have to readjust their grip so often. However, it bothered me enough to stand out in my camera experience.
Processor and battery
Qi2.2 magnets are useful for attaching magnetic accessories and getting the perfect alignment on a wireless charger. You’ll need to add a case on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to get this functionality.
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In my testing period, I’ve consistently used my Fold 8 to take calls, scroll through Reddit, Instagram, answer messages on WhatsApp, video call my niece, take photos, and read. I consistently got more than eight hours of screen time. This isn’t the Oppo Find N6 or Honor Magic V6, but I didn’t have to charge it twice a day (like my Fold 7). And when you do need to charge, it goes from 10% to 75% within 30 minutes.
While the Galaxy Z Fold 8 supports 20-watt fast charging, it doesn’t have built-in magnets. You’ll need to purchase a Qi2-compatible case, or you’ll be left figuring out the perfect alignment on a wireless charger half of the time. In my opinion, the absence of magnets for another year is a big miss. I don’t want to ruin Fold 8’s marvelous piece of engineering by slapping a case on it; it’s a tough phone, built to withstand drops, and I’d like to add magnetic accessories like a kickstand or power bank on it without needing a case.
ZDNET’s buying advice
is one of the most expensive folding phones on the market, but it is also one of the best mix of fun and practicality. At $1,900
