Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 8 series is here and, after trying both, I’m pretty conflicted. These phones really ask you what you value most out of a foldable, and I’m not sure which one I want to use long-term yet.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the design we’re used to, with a taller outer display and a squarish inner display. Meanwhile, Galaxy Z Fold 8 delivers the revamped wider form factor, offering an inner display that has a 4:3 aspect ratio and an outer display that’s short and stout, and just smaller overall.
They’re wildly different devices, and the differences in usability become obvious very quickly.
Starting with the familiar, Fold 8 Ultra feels practically identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. That’s actually impressive, though, as Samsung stuffed in a bigger 5,000 mAh battery while building a phone that’s a tiny bit thinner and lighter – not that you can notice those minor differences. Another upgrade comes from the display, which is sharper, but also now has an anti-reflective finish. The latter is by far the bigger upgrade.
What’s not an upgrade is the color selection, as Samsung took everyone’s loud feedback about how great the vibrant blue color was and gave us a collection of very subdued options. “Violet Shadow” barely looks purple in person, though it does vary wildly depending on the lighting. “Green Shadow” would be my preferred option of the bunch, and that’s online-only for some reason.
