Samsung Z Fold 8 (Wide) Impressions: Better Than I Thought!
In a Nutshell
Samsung's new foldables bring meaningful refinements: the Z Fold 8 Ultra reduces the crease with a titanium hinge film, adds a 50 MP ultrawide, and boosts charging to 45 W wired, while the smaller passport-style Z Fold 8 offers a lighter 201 g body, 4:3 inner display, and 4500 mAh battery at a $1900 starting price. The Z Flip 8 stays largely incremental with a thinner profile, Snapdragon 8 Elite, and improved cover-screen UX. All three devices start at higher prices due to memory costs and the coming Apple foldable.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
The Z Flip 8 looks very similar to the Flip 7 but is thinner and lighter. It receives the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, matching the S26 series performance, image processing pipeline, and NPU. Samsung beveled the inner edges for easier opening and improved the cover screen to function more like a regular phone screen: pull down from the left for notifications, pull down from the right for quick settings, and swipe up from the bottom for apps. The device is eight grams lighter and half a millimeter thinner than the previous model, though these changes represent the typical slow, incremental upgrades expected from Samsung.
The Z Fold 8 Ultra features the new Snapdragon chip and is slightly thinner and lighter than the previous generation. The ultrawide camera has been upgraded to a 50 megapixel sensor capable of 8K video recording, while the 200 megapixel primary camera and telephoto lens remain unchanged. The most significant improvements involve the hinge and interior display. A new titanium alloy film behind the OLED and a titanium back plate substantially reduce the crease compared to last year's model. With the new anti-reflective coating and 3000 nits maximum brightness, the crease is barely visible when content is displayed. Samsung has incorporated silicon into the battery for the first time, resulting in a 5000 mAh capacity—the largest battery ever in a Samsung Fold. Charging speeds have increased from 25W to 45W wired and from 15W to 20W wireless.
Samsung introduced a smaller passport-style foldable called the Z Fold 8, positioned below the candy bar-shaped Z Fold 8 Ultra. This move anticipates Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, expected to feature a shorter, squatter aspect ratio. Samsung previously experimented with passport-shaped foldables in early models like the first Oppo Find N and first-gen Pixel Fold, but the industry shifted toward the taller candy bar form factor. The Z Fold 8 Ultra now carries the Ultra designation to differentiate it from the new smaller Z Fold 8.
The Z Fold 8 shares the titanium flex hinge, minimal crease, anti-reflective coating, and silicon-containing battery found in the Ultra. It weighs 201 grams and feels notably thin and light. The device weighs approximately the same as a regular Galaxy S26 Plus while offering two displays and a 4500 mAh battery. It features a smaller outer screen, smaller inner screen, smaller battery, and one fewer camera than the Ultra—equipped with a primary and ultrawide lens only. The primary camera is 50 megapixels rather than 200 megapixels.
The Z Fold 8's outer screen measures 5.5 inches with a 10x6 aspect ratio and thin bezels. The inner folding display is 7.6 inches with a 4x3 aspect ratio and 3000 nits maximum brightness. This smaller form factor makes it less optimal for heavy multitasking compared to the Ultra but better suited for media consumption. The camera viewfinder is more reachable when closed, and photos fill the screen more completely. When reviewing photos, the 4x3 aspect ratio matches common photo dimensions, allowing images to display full screen. The lightweight design also makes it suitable for e-reader use. Widescreen videos show black bars, but the overall size works well both open and closed.
All three new devices start with 256GB storage. The Z Flip 8 starts at $1200, the Z Fold 8 starts at $1900, and the Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at over $2000—$100 more than last year's equivalent. Higher memory prices and the anticipated expensive iPhone foldable contribute to increased costs across devices.
Dbrand offers grip cases for all three new Samsung foldables with drop protection and a magnetic hinge cover that opens and closes with the phone. Self-installing screen protectors are also available, using an installer tray for dust-free application. Dbrand participated in Samsung's official accessory program, ensuring compatibility from launch.
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