Galaxy Z Fold 8: The foldable phone I didn’t know I needed

A new era of foldables has finally arrived – and I’m so here for it.

Since folding phones first debuted in 2018, we’ve seen tweaks, refinements and yet more tweaks to the same basic and ultimately flawed design – an awkward, near-square internal display that can’t replace a tablet for most people.

A new breed of so-called “wide” foldables aims to address that exact issue. And, after going hands-on with the first mainstream example, Samsung’s confusingly named Galaxy Z Fold 8, I have just one question: why did no one think of it sooner?

The foldable design I’ve been waiting for

For years, it’s felt like the tablet element of book-style foldables has been an afterthought. Not anymore.

With the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the 7.6-inch internal screen is the star of the show. It’s a gorgeous 120Hz AMOLED, of course, but it’s the 4:3 aspect ratio that matters most.

This is far closer to a traditional 16:9 widescreen format than any foldable (aside from Huawei’s China-exclusive Pura X Max), and it transforms the viewing experience. Even though we’ve had similar designs in the past, such as the Microsoft Surface Duo and the original Pixel Fold, this feels different.

When I watch videos on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the huge black bars (letterboxing) above and below the content make it feel a bit pointless. They aren’t gone entirely on the Z Fold 8, but their dramatic shrinkage makes TV, movies and YouTube feel much more immersive.

And, if you want to crop in for a true full-screen experience, far less of the actual content gets cut off. It also feels incredibly intuitive in landscape mode, where digital books and comics fit perfectly and feel right at home.

Luke Baker

This is undoubtedly the big selling point of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Sure, the Z Fold 7 and new Z Fold 8 Ultra might be better productivity devices, but for entertainment, this design is unmatched.

Ultimately, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels much closer to a Galaxy Tab Mini in your pocket. As someone who prefers to reserve productivity tasks for a laptop, I absolutely love it.

Small phones are back! (sort of)

To accommodate the wider internal screen, Samsung has also made big changes to the cover display. It’s noticeably shorter and wider than the Z Fold 8 Ultra, making it feel like taking a trip back in time – just with much slimmer bezels.

However, there’s an unintended side effect of this design: the display is just 5.5 inches. That’s absolutely tiny by modern standards, where huge handsets are the norm.

When closed, the Z Fold 8 is a wonderfully compact device that’s easy to use one-handed. It’s impressively lightweight and comfortable to hold, while also being surprisingly pocketable.

Luke Baker

The 10:16 aspect ratio takes some getting used to, but vertical content such as TikTok videos and mobile-optimised news articles still looks great. I can’t think of any scenario where the design of the cover screen would cause an issue.

I’m not about to suggest that you ditch your trusty iPhone 13 Mini for the only modern device with a comparable screen size. But it’s a nice benefit of an internal screen that serves most people much better.

Cheaper than you might expect

With a brand-new form factor and top-of-the-line hardware, I was bracing myself for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to be eye-wateringly expensive.

But it’s not. Sure, a £1,699/$1,899.99 price tag isn’t cheap by anyone’s measure, but it is £200/$200 cheaper than the Z Fold 8 Ultra and a £100/$100 saving compared to last year’s Z Fold 7. In the context of the ongoing global ‘RAMaggedon’ nightmare, it could’ve been a lot worse.

You can pre-order one now from the Samsung website, with the Z Fold 8 shipping from 7 August.

It could also look a lot better once the iPhone Ultra launches, with Apple rumoured to price it as high as $2,500.

As usual, whether you buy one will likely hinge on whether it can replace your phone and tablet. For most people, basically every book-style device has failed that test, but the Z Fold 8 might just be the one that bucks the trend.

Luke Baker

Camera and battery question marks remain

In most areas, I don’t have a single concern regarding the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s hardware.

Both displays are stunning, with an anti-reflective display ensuring much better visibility than the Z Fold 7, even under harsh demo area lighting. The new titanium hinge is a joy to use, feeling both easier to manipulate and much tougher than previous aluminium versions.

And, as we know from the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy is an incredible performer. Regardless of what you want to do, the Z Fold 8 will almost certainly be able to handle it.

However, cameras appear to be the main compromise. The Z Fold 8 has a pair of 50Mp lenses (main and ultrawide), meaning there’s no room for the telephoto lens that’s crucial for zoom photography and realistic portrait-style shots.

Luke Baker

On a £1,700/$1,900 phone, that’s hard to stomach, and it puts huge pressure on the main sensor to be top-notch. Early signs in the demo area were promising, but not reflective of the real world.

Then there’s the battery situation. The Z Fold 8 has a 5000mAh cell, which is bigger than the Z Fold 7’s 4400mAh, but still feels worryingly small in 2026. With two screens to power and a high-end chip under the hood, I’m concerned that battery anxiety could still be a serious issue.

45W wired charging is a little underwhelming but standard for Samsung, but the continued lack of Qi2 magnets is a real shame. Like all Galaxy phones, you’ll need a case to make use of the fastest and most convenient wireless charging, which isn’t ideal for a foldable.

Luke Baker

It doesn’t help that all four colours of the Z Fold 8 – ‘Lavender’, ‘Cream’, ‘Graphite’ and online-exclusive ‘Pistachio’ – look stunning in person. I wouldn’t want to cover any of them up!

We already know that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 won’t have the best cameras, battery or charging in the business. But if any of these become weaknesses, they could well be dealbreakers. Considering how gorgeous and enjoyable to use the Z Fold 8 is, that’d be a real shame.