The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is a triumph you probably shouldn’t buy

Have we reached peak foldable?

Samsung will be hoping not, but that’s what the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra feels like. The triumphant pinnacle of seven years of hard graft. A folding phone without any major trade-offs – at least on paper. A device which might actually justify the ‘Ultra’ name by excelling at both hardware and software. Oh, and two stunning new colours to boot.

But will it really push the needle on the floundering foldables market? After trying it for myself, I’m not convinced.

Easy on the eye

On first impressions, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks identical to the Z Fold 7, its successor in all but name. It’s still a 6.5-inch cover screen that opens to reveal an 8-inch tablet-esque display, complete with that awkward, nearly square aspect ratio.

At 215g, it’s the exact same weight, while also featuring the same 200Mp main camera. So, what’s actually different?

Quite a lot, it turns out. The first thing I noticed was the colours; alongside standard ‘Graphite’ (dark grey) and ‘Cream’ (off-white) options, there are two exciting new options.

The earthy hues of ‘Green Shadow’ are gorgeous, but I’m totally smitten by ‘Violet Shadow’, a deep purple that manages to look classy and fun at the same time. I used to generally ignore phone colours, knowing I’d just pick a black or grey model anyway, but ‘Violet Shadow’ is stunning enough to change my mind.

Luke Baker

It all hinges on this

When I first heard about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra changing its hinge from aluminium to titanium, I didn’t think much of it. How much difference could a simple material change really make?

A lot, as it turns out. Compared to the Z Fold 7 that I’ve used for several months, the Z Fold 8 Ultra feels instantly different.

The first thing was how easy it was to unfold – I could comfortably do it one-handed, something which was impossible on previous models – yet it didn’t feel flimsy at all. I was genuinely surprised by how much more robust it felt, though titanium is known for its exceptional durability and strength, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been.

Luke Baker

Crucially, Samsung has introduced titanium without changing the weight of the device, despite it being much heavier than aluminium. Impressive.

In my opinion, the shift to titanium is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’s single biggest upgrade.

A brilliant display

As someone who’d never use a tablet for proper work, the Z Fold 8 Ultra’s boxy internal screen doesn’t appeal to me. But Samsung is pitching it as a productivity-focused multitasking, helping to differentiate it from the wide Galaxy Z Fold 8.

One thing I can’t have any doubts about is the quality of the display. It’s a gorgeous 8-inch AMOLED panel, just like its predecessor, but there are two upgrades that really stand out.

First up, the anti-reflective coating on the display. My hands-on time with the Z Fold 8 Ultra took place in a basement, with harsh studio lamps as the main light source.

Luke Baker

Despite this, the screen kept reflections to a minimum, making for a very comfortable viewing experience. It didn’t feel like the brightness was being pushed anywhere near its 3000-nit peak.

Initially, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. But from side-by-side comparisons with the Z Fold 7, it’s clear that the Z Fold 8 Ultra is a big step forward for visibility.

Luke Baker

But let’s not forget the crease, or lack thereof. I don’t know if it’s the titanium hinge, anti-reflective coating or some other wizardry, but the fold along the internal screen is barely visible. It’s also far less noticeable when you run your finger across it, making for a more seamless experience. Over time, this is the sort of stuff which matters.

It helps that Samsung has finally engineered the Z Fold 8 Ultra to open a full 180 degrees, meaning it can be comfortably used as a tablet when lying face up on a table.

Luke Baker

None of these changes are groundbreaking, but they combine to deliver a much-improved display experience that surpassed my expectations.

Ultra-level cameras…almost

Historically, cameras have been the biggest trade-off when switching to a foldable. But that gap has shrunk significantly in recent years, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra nearly eliminates it.

Its 200Mp main lens and is basically identical to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, while the ultrawide has been upgraded to the same 50Mp sensor. The 10Mp 3x telephoto also remains, meaning you’re getting the versatility than the wide Z Fold 8 lacks, though it still misses out on the separate 50Mp, 5x lens.

In our Galaxy Z Fold 7 review, we described photos from it and the then-latest S25 Ultra as “almost indistinguishable”. The Z Fold 8 Ultra looks set to close that gap even further – buying a foldable no longer means major camera compromises.

Of course, an underground demo area isn’t a representative camera testing environment. It’s very possible that Samsung will have implemented some software tweaks to make photos from the Z Fold 8 Ultra even better.

Battery concerns

Samsung has introduced key upgrades to both battery capacity and charging speeds, but I don’t think it’s gone far enough.

Sure, a boost from 4400mAh and 4800mAh is welcome, but when the Z Fold 7 barely lasted a full day, I don’t have faith in it delivering material improvements. Charging is up from a measly 25W to 45W, but an ‘Ultra’ foldable should really be matching the S26 Ultra at 60W.

Luke Baker

Oh, and there’s still no built-in Qi2. You’ll need a case to make use of the wide range of magnetic accessories, which means covering up those gorgeous colours, while wireless charging is limited to just 20W. Not good enough.

The price problem

Battery and charging are the only main concerns I have regarding the Z Fold 8 Ultra. The Galaxy-tuned Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset will almost certainly deliver top-tier performance, while I still prefer its side-mounted fingerprint sensor to under-display versions.

On the software side, the Z Fold 8 Ultra will be among the first devices to ship running One UI 9, Samsung’s Android 17 skin. AI ‘Nudge’ features are the most promising addition, allowing for context-aware prompts across the Samsung Keyboard, messages and notifications. It looks like a more advance version of the Pixel 10’s Magic Cue.

Luke Baker

You’re also still getting software updates for seven years, though what foldables will look like in 2033 is anyone’s guess.

However, there’s one major dealbreaker, and it’s a familiar one: price. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starts (yes, starts!) at £1,899/$1,999.99. That’s £100/$100 more than last year – to be expected given the current climate, but disappointing nonetheless.

If you’re tempted, pre-orders are live now via the Samsung website, ahead of shipping on 7 August. But unless you see it as a genuine tablet replacement for multitasking, I’d suggest looking elsewhere.