Fold in a new format

Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 - Wide range of uses

Its versatility is what stands out, as the Fold 8 impresses in almost every area except the cameras.

Published 24 September 2026 - 14:26

It takes a little while into the test period before the Fold 8 reveals what makes it special. The focus here is on using the phone in different ways to consume content, rather than to increase productivity.

Not just films

What has gradually made me appreciate the Fold 8 is its ability to adapt to several different needs. For photos, for example, the screen is absolutely perfect. When I open the photo gallery and tap on a picture I have taken, it is in exactly the same format as the screen and therefore fills it edge to edge. If I just want to quickly check Instagram, it is possible on the small outer screen, but it is best when unfolded in portrait orientation. It is also excellent for browsing the web, reading e-books and similar activities.

With conventional foldables such as the Fold 8 Ultra, Honor Magic V6 and similar models, you get black bars at the top and bottom when watching films. Of course, it is somewhat disappointing that there are black bars on the Fold 8 too, despite its new format, but I conclude that a screen entirely in the film-friendly 16:9 format would have restricted many other uses, such as those I have just mentioned. At the same time, a film in 16:9 format is larger here than on both the Flip 8 and Fold 8 Ultra. It is also noticeable that the Fold 8 and its 4:3 format work really well for gaming. The large screen is just the right size, or small enough, both to provide an impressive experience and to make it possible to comfortably reach every part of the screen. At the same time, the Fold 8 is light and thin enough for long gaming sessions. And it is easy to slip the phone into your pocket when you are finished. It is relatively alone in that respect.

Against the iPhone

Of course, this foldable phone format is not entirely new or unique. There has been talk of Samsung going head-to-head with Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone, but foldables in this format have also existed in the form of the Oppo Find N2 and the original Google Pixel Fold, although we have not seen much of them in Sweden. And the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is considerably thinner than either of them, which noticeably changes the experience of using it for the better.

The screen proportions are similar to those of many iPads, and the reason for this, apart from tradition, is probably that they are used not only for films but also need to handle much else, in both portrait and landscape orientation. They are intended to be versatile for consuming different types of content.

As with other foldable phones, the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 and its screen format depend on individual apps to truly come into their own. Samsung shares responsibility for this with Google and individual third-party app developers, such as Spotify, Facebook, Netflix, your banking app, parking app and so on. It is far from certain that the apps you use are adapted for foldable screens or specifically for this format. As a result, screen space is not always used efficiently when I open an app on the large foldable screen or, for that matter, on the smaller outer screen. Some apps open in a mode where the app is centred, leaving wide empty borders around it. However, I can adjust this using a system setting to display the app in widescreen. One of the few apps where this is not possible is Snapchat, which is designed for portrait format, but in most other apps it looks good, so Samsung has done a good job of compensating for this.

Even more important is the ability to run two apps side by side on the large screen. This has been made especially convenient because links in an email open alongside the message. The same applies to attachments, so if I am sent a PDF, a calendar invitation, a link to a video meeting or similar, I can open it and still continue reading the email I was viewing.

Brilliant screens

The screen itself is otherwise excellent. That is because Samsung is something of a display master, with good detail reproduction, sharpness and generously high brightness on both screens. There are no problems using it outdoors in bright sunlight, and the screens also manage to reduce reflections well.

The build quality has also clearly improved compared with earlier models. I did not notice it the first time I unfolded the Fold 8, but with more use comes an appreciation of the details. The phone's edges are rounded, making it easier to grip when opening it, and there is a satisfying “snap” when you close and fully open it. The Fold 8 has no dedicated mode for Flex Mode, using the phone half unfolded, but with a little precision I can still position the phone so that it acts as its own stand when taking photos. It is also possible to use the outer and inner screens in parallel, for example to show the person you are photographing how the photo looks, or to display a translation for the person you are speaking to via Samsung's translation feature in Galaxy AI.

The crease in the screen itself, now reinforced with titanium, is still visible and has become slightly more noticeable during the test period. With other foldables, we have seen clear ageing and a more visible crease after a longer time, but it is too early to say whether this also applies to the Fold 8. What is clear, however, is that the creases in foldable phones have become increasingly less obvious with each generation.

Faster and longer-lasting

Performance is also improving. In addition to having the fastest Snapdragon chip, the Fold 8 has respectable 45 W fast charging and a small amount of silicon in the battery for higher battery capacity in the still very slim form factor. It is not as extreme as its Chinese competitors, but it is noticeable. There is also support for wireless charging, but the phone's somewhat unusual shape means it does not always make contact with wireless chargers where the phone is expected to stand upright.

The wider format of the outer screen gives the keyboard more room than on previous foldable phones, and the slim design means I am more than happy to use the outer screen a lot without feeling an immediate need to unfold the screen. For taking a quick photo, it is an obvious choice, and much of the screen is filled by what I want to capture, so the display is large enough without excessive black bars for either video or photos. The wider format may make it slightly uncomfortable to grip for those with small hands, as the phone is definitely one of the widest on the market. Wider than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and other giants.

Clearly deprioritised

The cameras in the Fold 8 are perhaps the clearest example that this is not a phone with Ultra in its name. The phone costs from 24,000 and upwards, but the cameras have been deprioritised in favour of battery life, performance and a slim form factor. And I actually think that is a reasonable and correct priority. The slim design in particular is much of the reason why the Fold 8 makes a good impression. The cameras are not bad at all, though. There are primarily two 50-megapixel cameras, a main camera and an ultra-wide-angle camera, but no telephoto lens. There are of course also selfie cameras, one in each display, and they produce good images for selfies and video calls, which means that I often prefer the phone to a computer for meetings.

The lack of zoom on the two rear cameras naturally limits their uses somewhat, and they are good without really impressing in any area. Colour reproduction is nice, but you do not get the same depth, low-light performance or attractive portraits that you can get from the cameras in true flagships. But with the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8, you get a great deal else, and the cameras are the ones that take a back seat.

Questions and answers

How extreme is the battery capacity?

4,800 mAh is not extreme, but it is a lot in a compact format, particularly for Samsung, which has only now adopted newer silicon-carbon technology in its batteries, and only to a very modest extent. Battery life is respectable even when using the larger screen for extended periods.

What does Samsung do with Android?

Quite a lot, and the Fold 8 is the first to feature the new One UI 9, which includes some further refinements. First and foremost, Samsung includes a long list of its own apps, from Notes to its own Wallet, browser, password manager and, of course, Galaxy AI. It also promises 7 years of Android updates.

But what about the durability of foldables?

The Fold 8 has an IP48 rating, so it can handle water splashes, but not swimming. Several competitors are ahead in this respect.