Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 review

The competition

Until Apple eventually drops the rumored iPhone Ultra and more of the popular manufacturers follow suit with their own take on this particular form factor, the Galaxy Z Fold8 stands mostly on its own. Sure, there are exotic devices out there like the Huawei Pura X Max, but those are exclusive to China. In the mainstream, the Z Fold8 is sort of a unique offering for now.

On the other hand the Z Fold8 is anything but cheap. The MSRP starts at $1,900/£1,700/€2,000/₹180,000 for the base version and goes up to $2,500/£2,120/€2,600/₹240,000 for the rare 16GB/1TB model. Of course, there are various offers to take advantage of. Samsung itself has at least a couple of coupon systems and a buyback program. Still you can pretty much get any flagship out there you want for this kind of money.

Your most obvious alternative is, of course the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. Better for productivity, but larger and bulkier, it delivers largely the same experience for content consumption. The Z Fold8 Ultra comes with a more capable main camera and a dedicated telephoto camera. Far from the best telephoto out there, but it is present. Of course, you could also save some money and go for last year's Z Fold7 instead and still get most of the same experience. Perhaps slightly shorter battery life, but other than that, not much else changes in practical terms.

Then there's Honor's Magic V6 - arguably the best foldable currently on the market hardware-wise. Amazing build quality, excellent displays all around, flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, plus a humongous battery by foldable standards with 80W fast charging and a really impressive camera setup.

Much of the same praise is true for the Oppo Find N6, though, to be fair, it is a bit less technically impressive than the Honor. Still, arguably, a better hardware package than what Samsung has to offer.

Finally, don't necessarily sleep on the Motorola Razr Fold. It is admittedly a bit of a step down with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset. However, it is an excellent device, with great displays, a large battery with fast charging and a potent triple camera setup that includes a 3x periscope telephoto.

Our verdict

The Galaxy Z Fold8 is one of those devices whose appeal hinges largely on whether its unusual proportions speak to you. That will inevitably be a matter of personal preference, but after spending time with it, we think this form factor makes a lot of sense for many - perhaps a much larger crowd than the productivity-focused traditional Galaxy Fold.

The passport-like dimensions make the Z Fold8 impressively compact and pocketable, while the wider cover screen is genuinely pleasant to use rather than merely serving as a secondary display for quick tasks. Typing, reading, watching videos and browsing social media all work wonderfully on it. Open the phone, and the 4:3 internal panel provides another remarkably versatile canvas for photos, books, comics, games and side-by-side multitasking. The camera viewfinder is about the only situation where the proportions become slightly awkward.

Samsung has not treated the regular Z Fold8 like a second-rate member of the family. Its construction is every bit as premium as that of the Z Fold8 Ultra, complete with excellent materials, a reassuring hinge and IP48 protection. Both LTPO AMOLED displays are sharp, bright and superbly controlled, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers flagship-grade performance. Sustained loads do result in substantial throttling and quite a bit of heat, but everyday performance is beyond reproach.

One UI remains arguably the most complete foldable software experience around, especially when it comes to multitasking and making best use of the larger display. One UI 9 does not reinvent Samsung's interface, but it adds further polish, plenty of features and some interesting new Galaxy AI functionality. The promise of seven major OS upgrades makes the long-term proposition even stronger. DeX, USB video output, UWB and the extensive connectivity package are welcome additions as well.

Battery life is quite respectable and should comfortably cover a full day. The new 45W charging is a meaningful improvement too, even if Samsung remains well behind some competitors in absolute charging speed. Speaker quality is good, though loudness is merely average and the positioning does little for stereo separation when the phone is unfolded in landscape.

The cameras are the one area where the Z Fold8 makes a notable compromise. The physical constraints of the form factor probably explain the decision, but they do not make it any less of a drawback. The autofocusing ultrawide is very capable, the selfie options are unusually versatile, and Samsung provides an exceptionally complete video feature set. However, the main camera is not flagship-grade, particularly in low light, and the complete absence of a dedicated telephoto is difficult to overlook on a phone this expensive.

And expensive the Galaxy Z Fold8 certainly is. At around €2,000 for the base model, you can buy practically any conventional flagship or choose among several technically more ambitious traditional foldables. Samsung's own Z Fold8 Ultra is not much more expensive either and adds a dedicated telephoto camera.

However, none of those devices delivers quite the same experience. For the moment, the Galaxy Z Fold8 occupies a niche largely of its own, combining a compact body, a fully usable cover screen and a versatile tablet-like internal display without compromising the rest of the flagship experience in any major way.

We like the Galaxy Z Fold8 a lot. Its proportions will certainly help bring a lot more people to the foldable camp. Other than its underwhelming camera hardware, there is nothing really wrong with it. And whila it remains in a league of its own, it is difficult not to recommend.

Pros

• Distinctive, compact and highly versatile foldable form factor.
• Premium construction, relatively low weight and IP48 protection.
• Excellent, bright 120Hz LTPO AMOLED displays.
• Flagship-grade performance in everyday use.
• Feature-rich foldable software with excellent multitasking and seven major OS upgrades.
• Respectable all-day battery life and improved 45W charging.
• Very capable autofocusing ultrawide and numerous selfie options.
• Extensive video features, DeX and USB video output.

Cons

• Very expensive.
• No dedicated telephoto camera; main camera hardware is unimpressive for the price.
• Heavy throttling and noticeable heat under prolonged loads.
• Average speaker loudness and poor stereo separation in unfolded landscape use.

Pricing

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