Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Gorgeous New Shape, Missing Basics

Verdict: Style Champion, Feature Lightweight

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a foldable phone with a wider passport-style design, bright anti-glare screens, and top-tier performance, but it omits expected flagship features such as a telephoto camera, full dust protection, and wireless charging, creating a sharp divide between form factor appeal and day-to-day practicality.

This Z Fold 8 review lands on a mixed verdict: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 design is the most interesting foldable shape in years and a clear win for comfort, gaming and video, yet Samsung foldable tradeoffs are harsher than they should be at this price. The phone opens like a small tablet, runs an exceptionally powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip with up to 16GB of RAM, and feels lighter and more manageable than rival foldables. However, buyers must give up a telephoto lens, wireless charging and full IP68 dust resistance, while software support for the wider canvas still feels inconsistent across popular apps. In short, it is a delight to hold but harder to defend as a complete flagship replacement.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Design: Passport Proportions, Real Comfort Gains

The headline upgrade is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 design. Folded, it measures 82 x 9.7 x 124mm and weighs 201g, giving it a squat passport-like footprint that is shorter and wider than typical book-style foldables. The result is a phone that feels more natural in one hand and keeps more of the 5.5in 10:16 cover display reachable by your thumb. Unfolded, it becomes a 161 x 124mm tablet with a 4.5mm depth that is slimmer than many rivals. According to one review, “this could be the new form factor to beat for foldables” thanks to the compact outer shell and big inner screen.

This wider layout has real ergonomic benefits: the on-screen keyboard is less cramped, split-screen multitasking has more breathing room, and videos and games feel closer to their intended aspect ratios. The new Flex Titanium structure makes the hinge crease far less noticeable both visually and to the touch. The phone is also available in understated colours including Graphite, Cream, Pistachio and Lavender. However, the chassis remains limited to IP48 protection, meaning it resists some dust and water but lacks the full IP68 dustproof rating that competing foldables now provide. That tradeoff keeps it feeling luxurious in hand but slightly fragile for a device you will open and close all day.

Display and Performance: Great Screens, Imperfect Software

Both displays are where the Galaxy Z Fold 8 earns many of its style points. The 5.5in AMOLED 2X cover screen runs at 1,264 x 1,828 with a dynamic 120Hz LTPO refresh rate, while the 7.6in inner panel offers a 4:3 aspect ratio at 2,584 x 1,828, also up to 120Hz. Peak brightness is excellent: testers recorded up to 714cd/m² manually, 1,337cd/m² in bright conditions with adaptive brightness, and around 1,400cd/m² for HDR content; the cover screen hit similar numbers at up to 1,404cd/m². Colour accuracy is solid if not reference-grade, with average Delta E readings of 1.53 on the cover and 1.37 inside.

The anti-reflective coating and subdued crease make movies and games look clean, and the 4:3 inner canvas suits titles where thumbs often block action on smaller phones. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, keeps demanding games and multitasking smooth. Yet the wider screen still exposes uneven foldable phone features: some apps adapt beautifully, letting you watch YouTube while browsing comments or run WhatsApp beside a calendar, while others, such as Instagram, place overlays awkwardly and waste space. The hardware is ready, but software support is not consistent enough to turn the design into a universal productivity advantage.

Battery, Cameras and Value: The Tradeoffs Behind the Price

Battery life is respectable but not class-leading. In a looping video test on the main display, the Z Fold 8 ran for 24 hours 5 minutes, only about 30 minutes longer than its predecessor. That is decent endurance for a foldable with two large 120Hz displays, and daily use should feel reassuring rather than anxious. However, Samsung has removed wireless charging, which feels like a step backward on a flagship foldable that you are likely to keep for years. Wired charging remains serviceable but unremarkable, and there are no headline-grabbing fast-charging claims to soften the missing convenience features.

The camera system underscores the device’s compromises. You get a 50MP main camera and a matching 50MP ultrawide, plus 10MP selfie cameras on both screens, but there is no telephoto lens. Multiple reviewers call out this limited camera setup as a serious omission at the price, especially when rivals include zoom hardware. The design also sticks to IP48, so buyers do not get the full dustproofing now seen on other foldables. Pricing starts at £1,699 for 256GB, rising to £1,869 for 512GB and £2,119 for 1TB. That base price undercuts many competitors, but higher-capacity models compare less favourably, as some rivals bundle 512GB at similar or lower cost.

Buy if / Skip if

• Buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you care most about a comfortable, passport-style foldable that is light, compact and ideal for gaming and video.
• Skip the Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you want a full flagship camera setup with a telephoto lens for zoom shots and more flexibility.
• Buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you value bright anti-glare 120Hz displays, a minimal crease and strong Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance.
• Skip the Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you consider wireless charging and full IP68 dust and water resistance non-negotiable on a premium phone.
• Buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you like the idea of seven years of Android 17 and OneUI 9.0 updates and plan to keep your phone for a long time.
• Skip the Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you prioritise feature completeness and app polish over form factor innovation, or want the best value at higher storage tiers.