Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Wider, Smarter, Less Fancy

Verdict: A Practical Foldable That Stops Short of Luxury

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a foldable phone with a wider, passport‑like form factor and a 4:3 inner display that prioritises comfortable one‑handed use and multitasking over bleeding‑edge camera hardware and top‑tier processing power. In short, it’s a smart redesign aimed at people who care more about how their foldable feels to use every day than about having the most premium spec sheet. The bottom line: this is a good phone if you want a lighter, more accessible foldable and you’re willing to lose a telephoto camera, wireless charging and the highest‑end chipset to pay less than Samsung’s Ultra model. Power users and mobile photographers will feel the compromises immediately, but productivity‑minded buyers may find the trade a fair one.

Design: Passport Shape, Wider Screen Aspect Ratio

Samsung has moved away from the tall “book” silhouette to a squat, passport‑style foldable phone design with the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Folded, it measures 82 x 124mm and 9.8mm thick, roughly as tall as a passport but slimmer, and at 199g it is described as “the lightest foldable yet”. Unfolded, you get a 7.6in LTPO AMOLED 2X inner display with a 2,584 x 1,828 resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio, which feels closer to a small tablet than the squarer panels on previous Folds. On the front, the 5.5in outer display uses a roughly 16:10 wider screen aspect ratio at 1,264 x 1,828, making edge‑to‑edge reach far easier in one hand and instantly addressing the frustration of ultra‑narrow cover screens on older models. It feels more like a compact mini‑tablet you can pocket than a stretched remote control.

Specs and Everyday Performance Trade‑offs

On paper, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 looks well equipped, but its spec sheet reveals how Samsung has cut back to reach a lower price. It runs a 4.47GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite rather than the 8 Elite Gen 5 used in the Ultra, paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. The battery is 4,800mAh, an upgrade on last year’s 4,400mAh Fold, and wired charging jumps to 45W. Both displays are 120Hz LTPO AMOLED 2X panels, and you get IP48 dust and water resistance. However, there is no telephoto lens, no huge 200MP sensor, and no wireless charging on this model. For most users, the Snapdragon 8 Elite will still feel quick and responsive in daily use, but heavy gamers and spec obsessives will know they are not getting Samsung’s absolute best silicon or camera package.

Multitasking, Media and the Cost of "Good Enough"

The wider outer screen and more tablet‑like inner panel are where the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8’s design pays off day to day. The 16:10 outer display makes tapping UI elements at the extremes far easier when you are using the phone one‑handed, which is a clear usability win for messaging and light browsing. Inside, the 4:3 ratio gives more usable vertical space for split‑screen multitasking than the squarer layouts of earlier Folds, so side‑by‑side apps feel less cramped and more like working on a small tablet. For video, this still is not the perfect canvas; you will see black bars above and below widescreen content, even though they are said to be slightly slimmer than on other foldables. In other words, it’s great for productivity, good enough for media, but not tuned for pure cinema viewing.

Price Positioning and Who It’s Really For

Samsung has been clear about why the Galaxy Z Fold 8 cuts some premium features: a less powerful processor and the missing telephoto camera are “the main culprits” for achieving a lower price compared with its Ultra sibling. Prices start at £1,699 for 256GB, rising to £1,869 for 512GB and £2,119 for 1TB, with orders going live ahead of a 7 August release. Compared with rival foldables that launch higher, this could make it one of the better‑value foldable phones this year, especially when you factor in seven years of software support from OneUI on Android 17 and the emphasis on AI features such as Now Brief and Now Nudge. Still, spending this much and not getting wireless charging, a telephoto lens or the very top processor will annoy some buyers, and the unfamiliar, wider form factor “isn’t going to be for everyone”.

• Buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you want a lighter foldable with a passport-style footprint that feels more natural in one hand than tall book-style rivals.
• Skip the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you need a telephoto camera or a huge 200MP main sensor for serious mobile photography.
• Buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you care about multitasking and usable screen real estate more than having the absolute top-end processor.
• Skip the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you expect every premium extra at this price, including wireless charging and the fastest silicon available.
• Buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you want a relatively more affordable big-screen foldable that still offers flagship-level displays, battery size and long-term software support.
• Skip the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you prefer conventional, tall smartphones and think the wider form factor would feel awkward or fiddly to use.