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When I first laid eyes on the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, I was… unsure. I’ve long been an advocate for the Fold line, having used and reviewed the last four (four!) generations. But this latest device, with pricing starting from AUD$2,699, looks dramatically different from those that came before.
Last year’s Fold7 was a brilliant smartphone that made major upgrades to its overall build and outer screen dimensions. This resulted in a foldable that, when closed, resembled a traditional candybar-style device. The Australian public’s response was appropriately enthusiastic, with the device selling almost 50 per cent more units than its predecessor. And yet, it remained an essentially niche product; expensive and aimed at helping the user maximise productivity. Simultaneously, last year’s Flip7 occupied the other end of Samsung’s foldables spectrum. It was a cheap (well, cheaper) and cheerful device with a clamshell form that appeared to skew to a female market.
Now, the Fold8 Ultra and Flip8 have taken the baton from the Fold7 and Flip7. And these are accompanied by the all-new Galaxy Z Fold8, a device that straddles the space between them (yes, I too think the addition of the Ultra moniker to an established form factor while simultaneously introducing an entirely new device under the old naming convention is an odd move). Samsung clearly hopes this new addition will help its foldables category further infiltrate the mainstream. Has the Korean tech giant found a new foldables sweet spot with the Fold8? Let’s find out.
Pros
- Form factor: Looks and feels great, ideal for watching videos
- Better screens: Improvements include anti-glare technology and superior aspect ratios
- Updated hinge mechanism: Smooth and responsive
- Screen crease: Almost entirely gone
Cons
- Camera: Respectable performer, but it could be better
- Kickstand: Due to the hinge’s upgrades, it’s harder to use the Fold8 as its own kickstand
- Price: Not as expensive as the Fold8 Ultra, but still pricey
A New Form Factor
I’ll cut to the chase. While it took some getting used to, I’ve concluded the Fold8 is the best foldable so far if watching video content is your top priority. Despite being smaller than the Fold8 Ultra (and the similarly scaled Fold7 – see above) in overall screen real estate, the 4:3 aspect ratio of its 7.6-inch internal screen means black bars take up less of it when watching most kinds of video.
Whether your go-to viewing platform is YouTube, Netflix, or something more obscure like Shudder, the Fold8 offers a better viewing experience than both of its siblings. By comparison, the Fold8 Ultra’s unfolded dimensions are almost square, so it suits multitasking better than it does playing video. And the Flip8’s unfolded form, which is quite long, means black bars will flank most videos. When unfolded, the Fold8 sits right in the aforementioned sweet spot.
When closed, the Fold8’s dimensions most closely resemble those of a passport, and once I made that connection, it started to feel like a travel phone. While I didn’t board a flight during my review period, it’s proved handy on my daily commute.
Samsung has also refined the hinge mechanism. It opens with ease and still snaps into place when fully open, but with a softer feel than previous incarnations. With that said, the new hinge also presents an issue. Past Folds have let you leave the hinge open at a wide range of angles, allowing you to use the device as its own kickstand. Here, it insists on fully opening shortly after passing the 120-degree angle. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it is a handy feature that’s less so this time around.
Dual Screens
I already mentioned how good the Fold8 is for watching content, and that largely comes down to the screens (obviously). Samsung has made two impressive upgrades to the internal screen here. The first is the almost complete absence of the screen crease. Long synonymous with foldables, the Fold8 considerably diminishes the crease. Looking at the device dead on, you can’t see it. Instead, it only reveals itself at more acute angles, and who watches a screen like that?
The second upgrade worth mentioning is the anti-reflective coating added to the main screen. It reduces glare and improves clarity, but I wonder why Samsung didn’t include it on the cover screen? I guess we’ll have to wait for the Fold9 for that. Not that I much noticed its absence. The more compact dimensions of the cover screen make reflections less of a concern.
I also don’t need encouragement to spend more time looking at it than I already do. Its 5.5-inch sizing and 10:16 aspect ratio make it perfect for scrolling social media. That’s fine if you’re on the train to and from work. It’s less great if your eyes feel like they’re melting out of your head at two o’clock in the morning. Maybe that’s a me thing.
My nocturnal habits aside, the Fold8’s screens are bright, vivid, and have inched ever closer to perfection.
Camera, Interface, and AI
Of course, the camera offering remains a key selling point for Samsung’s phones, and the Fold8 serves up respectable performance that will be more than enough for most users. You’ll need to upgrade to the Fold8 Ultra if you want a compromise-free camera experience on a foldable, but this will get the job done unless you’re a professional photographer or serious content creator.
Here, you get dual 50MP wide and ultra-wide cameras, as well as 10MP front-facing cameras embedded in both the cover and main screens. There’s no telephoto lens, so you won’t be doing any award-winning wildlife photography, but for quality photos of yourself, your friends, pets, etc, this delivers.
The Fold8 also has some useful software-based camera functionality. The first is Dual Recording, which simultaneously captures what’s in front of you and your reaction to it. Another is the Galaxy AI-powered My Fancam, which lets you revisit wide-angle footage and select a single person to track. For example, if you’re at your kid’s school play and you don’t want to waste time watching other people’s children, this is a useful way to crop them out and focus on what matters without having to go frame by frame yourself. Third, there are all the usual bells and whistles that let you add or remove elements from shots using Galaxy AI. It’s slicker than ever, but your usage will likely vary.
The same can be said of Galaxy AI-powered functionality like Now Nudge, which provides prompts based on the context of what you’re doing in the moment. These are designed to guide you to your next logical action without having to manually switch between apps, whether you’re sharing photos, making an appointment, or searching for a location on a map. The effect is subtle, but it works most of the time and will probably save you a few minutes over the course of a day.
Samsung’s foldable interface and software suite are as polished as ever here. However, at the Fold8’s considerable AUD$2,699 price point, a more formidable camera setup would be appreciated.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Final Verdict
When it comes to foldables, my heart belongs to the form factor represented by the Fold7 and now the Fold8 Ultra. However, I recognise that the Fold8 will be where this category’s sweet spot will lie for the average user.
Compact, practical, polished, and stylish, it’s a device that places Samsung in a stronger position as the foldables market inevitably heats up with Apple’s fast-approaching entry (rumoured for later this year).
Samsung’s Fold8 is an easy recommendation for anyone who’s been curious about foldables but hasn’t yet taken the leap. It’s also a particularly great fit for those who enjoy watching video on the go (who doesn’t?), but find tablets unwieldy and even a little daggy in 2026. Both are adjectives that don’t apply here in the slightest. Instead, the Fold8 makes the strongest argument for mainstream foldables so far.
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