Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Samsung Finally Built a Foldable You’ll Want to Open

For seven generations, the Galaxy Z Fold has been a tall, skinny remote control that opens into a squat little tablet. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 throws that formula out. It’s shorter and wider when closed, the inner screen opens into a 4:3 shape built for video, and the reviewers who’ve spent the most time with it keep reaching for the same word: fun.

We went through the most thorough testing published since the phone went on sale Sept. 26, including lab results from Tom’s Guide and Android Authority and extended impressions from Gizmodo, to answer the only question that matters at $1,899.99. Should you buy it?

The design is the whole story

The cover screen is a 5.5-inch panel with a wider 16:10 shape, and the inner display measures 7.6 inches at 4:3. Gizmodo measured the folded phone at 4.88 by 3.24 inches and admitted the stubby proportions felt odd for a few days, then completely normal. It weighs 201 grams and is 4.5mm thin unfolded, 9.7mm closed.

That 4:3 inner screen is the point. Widescreen video fills far more of it than on the old near-square Folds, and older 4:3 content needs no letterboxing at all. Gizmodo went as far as calling it “the best phone (not just foldable) I’ve ever used for consuming content.” Samsung’s Flex Titanium hinge also makes the crease noticeably less visible, though it hasn’t disappeared.

If you want the traditional tall shape, Samsung sells the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra from $2,099 with bigger screens, a telephoto camera and a larger battery. The regular Fold 8 is the new idea. The Ultra is the safe bet.

Performance and battery

Inside is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. Nobody reported slowdowns, and Tom’s Guide ran three apps side by side without a hiccup.

Battery life is where things get interesting. The 4,800mAh silicon-carbon cell is up from 4,400mAh in the Z Fold 7, and Tom’s Guide’s battery test ran 12 hours and 19 minutes, more than an hour and a half longer than last year’s model. Android Authority’s benchmarks were less generous, putting the Fold 8 slightly behind the Fold 7 in most workloads, though still comfortably ahead of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. In daily use, that reviewer got 8 to 10 hours of screen-on time, or roughly two days of mixed use.

Charging is rated at 45W wired and 20W wireless. Tom’s Guide hit 70% in 30 minutes, while Android Authority measured a full 2% to 100% charge in about 67 minutes, peaking around 38W.

Cameras: good, with a gap

The main camera uses a 50MP, 1/1.56-inch sensor alongside a 50MP ultrawide, and both selfie cameras are 10MP. Video tops out at 8K 30fps or 4K 120fps, with LOG and APV codec support for people who edit. What’s missing is a telephoto lens. You get 10x digital zoom and nothing optical, which stings on a phone that costs nearly two grand. Zoom is the Ultra’s job.

The trade-offs

• IP48 only. It’s water-resistant but has no real dust protection, while competing foldables now offer IP58 or IP68.
• No S Pen, no Flex Mode. The half-folded laptop posture is reserved for the Ultra.
• Uneven app support. Some apps still aren’t optimized for the wider inner screen.
• Small irritants. Gizmodo flagged an inner hole-punch camera that intrudes on content, unexpected warmth and no built-in magnets for magnetic chargers.

Software is a strength. The Fold 8 ships with Android 17 and One UI 9, Samsung promises seven years of OS and security updates, and Quick Share now works with Apple devices.

Verdict

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the first Samsung foldable that wins on everyday usability rather than novelty. Gizmodo gave it an Editor’s Choice award, and Tom’s Guide called it the foldable design its reviewer would rather carry every day over any other. Android Authority’s reviewer captured the tension best: “This is exactly the design I want in a foldable, but I can’t shake the feeling I’m better off waiting for the Z Fold 9.”

We land in a similar place. If you watch a lot of video, travel often and can live without optical zoom and dust protection, this is the foldable to buy. If your Fold 7 still works, or your weekends involve sand, the IP48 rating and missing telephoto are good reasons to sit this one out. Our verdict: 4 out of 5.

Sources: Tom’s Guide, Android Authority, Gizmodo. Photo by Amanz on Unsplash.