Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 Puts a Wider Foldable in Your Pocket

Samsung just put a new shape on its foldable phone lineup, and the difference sits in your hand the moment you pick it up. The Galaxy Z Fold8 trades the tall, narrow book design of past models for a shorter, wider body that feels closer to a regular phone when closed and opens into a more natural tablet-sized screen for watching, reading, and playing.

Closed, the phone is 123.9 mm tall by 81.9 mm wide and 9.7 mm thick, which is quite large; yet, when opened, it expands to 161.4 mm across while remaining 4.5 mm thick. That makes this one of the lightest Galaxy Z Folds Samsung has released, weighing only 201 grams. The combination of lower height and increased width makes one-handed use significantly less of a stretch. You can reach out and utilize the cover screen without having to alter your grip as much as with last year’s taller Fold. The new magnets in the hinge give the entire open-and-close operation a satisfying, confident snap.

The cover display is a 5.5-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 10:16 aspect ratio and 1,248 by 1,972 resolution, with an adjustable refresh rate ranging from 1 to a very smooth 120 Hz. It’s the perfect size for quickly checking your messages, social media feeds, or watching a short video without having to unlock the phone. Once unfurled, a 7.6-inch main screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, 1,848 by 2,448 resolution, the same 120 Hz adaptive rate as the cover display, and a seriously bright 3,000 nits and a low-reflection coating ensures the image is as clear outside as it is indoors. The screen’s bigger proportions also allow you to see more of a movie or game without wasting space like the squarer panels of prior Folds did. Reading lengthy articles or skimming through an e-book feels far more balanced on this one.


Samsung has named the new display structure “Flex Titanium.” Essentially, it’s a titanium alloy film and plate behind the flexible screen that supports it, absorbs impacts, and prevents the crease from becoming more noticeable with time. They’ve also worked on improving the hinge for smoother motion and a more light, less clunky feel, and as an additional benefit, it’s water resistant with an IP48 rating, allowing you some leeway before it’s seriously harmed.


The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, with 12 GB of RAM available in both the 256 GB and 512 GB models. Alternatively, if you go for the 1 TB option, you get a full 16GB. The maximum storage capacity is 1 TB, and there is no option for expandable storage. The dual-cell battery inside is a good 4,800 mAh, and Samsung claims it can provide up to 26 hours of video playback, according on their testing standards. Wired charging may reach 63% in half an hour with a 45 watt adapter. It supports up to 20 watts of wireless charging, and the phone also allows you to share power with other devices.


The camera setup is straightforward, with two 50-megapixel sensors on the back: a wide lens with optical image stabilisation and dual-pixel autofocus, and an ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view. Both front cameras are 10 megapixels, one for the front and one for the main screen. Software then joins in, offering the option to create Dual Recordings, allowing you to capture both sides of a discussion at the same time, while My FanCam handles the rest, tracking a subject and resizing the video to whichever aspect ratio you like. Then there’s Nightography and the ProVisual Engine, which aid with low light and detail.


One UI 9 running on top of Android 17 is a whole new ballgame for multitasking, since it has been totally redesigned to accommodate the increased screen sizes. It’s all about split views and drag-and-drop capabilities across apps, as well as Galaxy AI features like Now Brief and Now Nudge, which appear to provide you just the information you need without requiring you to tap anything else. Oh, and there’s also the extra benefit of up to 7 years of annual major software and security updates, which is fairly significant.


For the time being, the color options are restricted to Graphite, Cream, and Lavender, but if you must have Pistachio, there is only one place to go: Samsung’s online store. Pricing in the United States: the 256GB model costs $1,899. Pre-orders have been open since the announcement, and it will go on general sale in early August.